THE 18th Mrs. Globe beauty pageant was launched in Beijing yesterday and its final is scheduled to be held in Shenzhen in late November.

    The annual event will have local competitions in more than 60 countries, a one-third increase over last year.

    China is home to 20 competition areas, including metropolises like Beijing and Shanghai, as well as remote areas like Xinjiang.

    The event was initiated by WIN in the United States in 1996 and is dedicated to strengthening cultural exchanges, especially exchanges of feminine culture.

    Married women are expected to show their charm and network with each other via the event.

    In addition, the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) will cooperate with the event organizers to launch a charity to raise funds for worldwide AIDS prevention.(Martin Li)