After the World Women’s Summit: Iceland’s Female President Embarrasses Xi Jinping

Xi Jinping speaks to Foreign Minister Wang Yi during the APEC-ASEAN dialogue in Danang, Vietnam

[People News] On the morning of October 14, Chinese Communist Party (CCP) General Secretary and President Xi Jinping met with Icelandic President Thordis Kolbrun Reykfjörd Gylfadóttir, who attended the Global Women’s Summit, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

The CCP’s state media claimed that the two countries have maintained long-term friendship and that bilateral relations are strong and dynamic. It reported that Iceland is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with China to jointly address global challenges, and so forth.

However, the Icelandic side’s performance was not as the CCP portrayed. It can be said that the Icelandic president made Xi Jinping extremely awkward and embarrassed.

During the meeting, Gylfadóttir reiterated the Icelandic government’s positions on human rights issues and support for Ukraine. She clearly conveyed her government’s stance, such as its position regarding Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine—a sensitive issue for the CCP, which has been repeatedly criticized in recent years for providing support to Russia. The meeting also covered human rights topics, with the Icelandic president restating her government’s position on this issue.

The two sides also discussed the situation in Gaza, and the Icelandic president reaffirmed her government’s position that peace should be achieved as soon as possible based on the “two-state solution” recognizing Palestinian independence. She acknowledged China’s recognition of Palestinian independence and praised China as one of the first countries in the world to do so.

Finally, Gylfadóttir specifically discussed gender equality. Notably, the Icelandic delegation included six women and one man, while on the CCP side there were ten men and one woman.

At this summit, other countries referred to the “Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action” signed by the CCP in 1995. This document, adopted in 1995, established a global commitment and strategy to promote gender equality and women’s rights. The event aimed to evaluate how well the measures outlined in that document have been implemented over the years.

Whether the CCP has actually implemented the Declaration and Platform for Action is uncertain, but seeing the glaring gender imbalance among Chinese officials must have raised doubts in the Icelandic president’s mind. Since Gylfadóttir could clearly see that Xi Jinping was not genuinely concerned about women’s rights, why go to such extravagant lengths to stage such a grand ceremony?

According to reports by online media insiders, Xi Jinping organized this event to please Xi Mingze and pave the way for his illegitimate son to succeed him. Since the Beidaihe meeting, Xi Mingze has reportedly begun leading the All-China Women’s Federation and the national work on women and children at the central level.

It is said that the current vice–state-level official Shen Yiqin, director of the State Council’s Working Committee on Women and Children, will become Xi Mingze’s subordinate. At the same time, Xi Mingze has begun taking on foreign affairs responsibilities, serving as head of the Central Foreign Affairs Leading Group—effectively sharing Wang Yi’s power. According to these insiders, Xi Jinping and Peng Liyuan’s move to invite North Korean Princess Kim Ju-ae to attend the 1993 military parade, as well as the hosting of the World Women’s Summit, are a “modern version of the Beauty Trap to amuse the feudal lords,” meant solely to make Xi Mingze smile and feel emotionally balanced.

(People News exclusive)
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