The Second Global Symposium on Health Systems Research, co-hosted by WHO, China's Ministry of Health and Peking University brought together more than 1,700 people from 110 countries to share knowledge and experiences in accelerating inclusionary progress towards achieving universal health coverage in diverse societies.

On November 1, 2012, 19 members of HealthSpace.Asia (HSA), a health-focused social media site, met in Beijing to find ways to deepen collaboration both on and offline. The informal get-together, timed to coincide with the Second Global Symposium on Health Systems Research, brought together core HSA members.

Peking University Health Sciences Center (PUHSC) one of China’s leading medical universities celebrated its 100^th anniversary on October 26, 2012.  Hosted by President Han Qide and Executive Vice President Ke Yang, the celebration was attended by a host of dignitaries, Chinese and foreign, including thousands of PUHSC faculty, staff, students, and guests.

Social equity is a high priority for China's policymakers; nevertheless, rural areas, especially those in Western China, continue to lag far behind urban centers in providing equitable access to health services. This is due, in part, to the great difficulties rural areas face in recruiting, training, and retaining qualified medical professionals.