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Friendship Medal (China)

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Not to be confused with Friendship Award (China) or China Reform Friendship Medal.
Friendship Medal
友谊勋章
Collar of the Order
Awarded by China
TypeOrder
EligibilityForeign Nationals
Awarded forSignificant contributions to support China's modernization and maintaining world peace
StatusActive
Grand MasterPresident of the People's Republic of China
ColoursGold and blue
Statistics
First induction2018
Last induction2020
Total inductees9
Precedence
Next (higher)Highest Honour
Next (lower)July 1 Medal, August 1 Medal, Medal of Sino-Soviet Friendship
EquivalentMedal of the Republic (China)


The Friendship Medal (Chinese: 友谊勋章; pinyin: Yǒuyì Xūnzhāng) is, alongside the Order of the Republic, the People's Republic of China's highest order of honour. On December 27, 2015, the National People's Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC) passed a law establishing two national medals, the Order of the Republic and the Friendship Medal, constituted on January 1, 2016.

The Friendship Medal set up by the State is bestowed on foreigners who have made outstanding contributions to China's socialist modernization, the promotion of exchange and cooperation between China and foreign countries, and the protection of world peace.[1][2] All the recipients have cooperated and participated actively to support China's social, cultural, economic and international developments to various degrees.

The first Friendship Medal was awarded by President Xi Jinping to Vladimir Putin, President of Russia, on June 8, 2018.[3]

History

In August 2015, the 16th session of the Standing Committee of the Twelfth National People's Congress first considered the Law of the People's Republic of China on National Medals and National Honorary Titles (Draft).[4]

In December 2015, the 18th session of the Standing Committee of the Twelfth National People's Congress was held in Beijing, where the Law of the People's Republic of China on National Medals and National Honorary Titles (Draft) was considered for the second time. In January 2016, the Law of the People's Republic of China on National Medals and National Honorary Titles was finally issued, which established the Friendship Medal.[4]

In June 2018, the first Friendship Medal was awarded. With the approval of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the ceremony of awarding the state medals and state honors of the People's Republic of China was held in the Great Hall. The President of the People's Republic of China, CCP General Secretary, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, attended the ceremony and both made speeches.[4]

Appearance

The major colors used for the Friendship Medal are gold and blue. The body of the medal adopted various elements; a dove which represents peace and love is placed at the centre of the medal plate, whereas earth is also engraved on the bottom of the dove, followed by a sign of hand-shaking that symbolises the friendly attitude from China to other countries.[5] The medal plate is surrounded by lotus petals, which is a flower that represents pureness, peace and harmony in traditional Chinese culture.[citation needed] Likewise, even more traditional elements can be observed from the chain of the Friendship Medal. This includes the use of Chinese decorative knots (solidarity), peony flowers (wealth/prosperity), jade (earth) and auspicious clouds (luck/fortune).[5] All those symbolic elements not only represent the richness of traditional Chinese cultures, but also conveys China's wish for common prosperity and development globally.[citation needed]

The whole medal is handmade with traditional crafts. An example could be the filigree inlay, which is also known as the fine gold arts.[citation needed] Such a heritage crafting technique can be spotted especially on the lotus petals as well as the engraved golden symbols. Another worth-noting technique is silk-pinching enamel, which is used to craft most of the blue parts of the Friendship Medal. The colour blue not only stood out from the rest of the golden medal, it is also used to adorn the calm and stable colour symbolism within the traditional Chinese culture.[6]

Policies and Regulations

According to the Law of the People's Republic of China on National Medals and National Honorary Titles,[4] state medals and state honours can be awarded posthumously. Any recipient who have made outstanding contributions during their lifetime and meet the conditions for awarding the Friendship Medal as stipulated in this law, and who dies before the implementation, may be awarded state medals and state honors posthumously.

In addition, state medals and state honours are for the lifetime of their recipients, but can also be revoked. The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPCSC) has the right to revoke the Friendship Medal, if the recipient has been sentenced to imprisonment for a crime or has committed other serious violations of the law or discipline.[7] Such a continued enjoyment of the state medals and state honors could seriously damage the reputation of the highest national honor. Therefore, the NPCSC would hold meetings emergently, to discuss and vote for the cancellation of that specific Friendship Medal.

If the recipient of state medals and state honours dies, the medals, awards and certificates received by him/her shall be kept by his/her heirs or designees; if there are no heirs or designees, they may be collected and stored by the state.[citation needed]

Recipients

Name Citizenship Position Date Why
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin  Russia President of Russia June 8, 2018 Recognition of President Putin's long-term commitment to encourage the development of good-neighborliness and comprehensive strategic partnership of cooperation between Russia and China.[3]
Nursultan Nazarbayev  Kazakhstan 1st President of Kazakhstan April 28, 2019 China proposed the initiative of building the Silk Road Economic Belt, which received an enthusiastic response and solid cooperation from the first President Nazarbayev and all sectors of Kazakh society.[8]

He also enhanced the vigorous development of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-building Measures in Asia.

Raúl Castro  Cuba First Secretary of the Communist Party of Cuba, Former President of Cuba September 29, 2019 Raúl Castro has been supporting China to play a greater role in international and regional affairs. He is also an important founder of China-Cuba relations, an active advocator and promoter of China-Latin America relationships.[9]
Maha Chakri Sirindhorn  Thailand Princess of Thailand She has made irreplaceable and outstanding contributions to the development of China-Thai relations by gaining a deep understanding of China, actively fostering traditional Chinese culture and spreading China-Thai friendship.

She's also deeply concerned about the Chinese people and was the first to lend a helping hand after the Wenchuan and Yushu earthquakes and other major natural disasters.[10]

Salim Ahmed Salim  Tanzania Former Prime Minister of Tanzania Salim has made outstanding contributions to the restoration of China's legitimate seat in the United Nations. He always advocated that China and Africa should continuously strengthen friendly exchanges.[11]

Salim would have loved to receive the award in person, but was unable to come to China due to health reasons. Therefore, his daughter attended the award ceremony instead.

Galina Veniaminovna Kulikova  Russia The first vice-chairman of Russian-Chinese Friendship Association In 1989, she was elected as the First Vice-president of the Russian-Chinese Friendship Association and went to work at the Russian Embassy in China. Kulikowa has always been committed to developing friendly relations with China and has made outstanding contributions to the promotion of Sino-Russian people-to-people diplomacy.[12]
Jean-Pierre Raffarin  France Former Prime Minister of France As Prime Minister of France, Raffarin insisted on visiting China as scheduled during the SARS outbreak and gave great political and emotional support to the Chinese people.

He attended the first "Belt and Road" International Cooperation Summit Forum and actively contributed to the objective understanding of all sectors in France and Europe in the "Belt and Road" cooperation.[13]

Isabel Crook  Canada Educator Isabelle Crook worked at Beijing Foreign Studies University for half a century and was a pioneer in the teaching of English and educational reform in the new China.[14] She trained a large number of foreign language talents for the new China and made outstanding contributions to the Chinese education.
Norodom Monineath  Cambodia Cambodian Queen Mother November 6, 2020 Norodom Monineath has been actively involved in the cause of Sino-Cambodian friendship and has witnessed the development of the new China.[15] She has special feelings for the Chinese people and actively supports exchanges and cooperation between the two countries in various fields.

Similar Medals and Awards

China Reform Friendship Medal Friendship Award (China)
[16]
Awarded by China China
Year 2018 1991
Total inductees 10 50 per year
Awarded for The China Reform Friendship Medal was established back in 2018, the year of the 40th anniversary of China's reform and opening up.[17] In appreciation of the international community's support and assistance to China's reform and opening up, the Party Central Committee has decided to celebrate this important anniversary by honouring ten individuals who have made outstanding contributions.[18][19]

This includes politicians who have opened international cooperation with China, entrepreneurs and experts who have taken the lead in China's modernisation.[20] As well as prominent figures from international organisations who have been advocating and promoting Sino-foreign cooperation in trade, commerce, humanities and sports.[21]

The predecessor of the Friendship Award was first established in 1950s to award experts from the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe.

After the reform and opening up, with the reintroduction and recognition of foreign experts. The Party Central Committee resumed the establishment of the "Friendship Award".[22]

The recipients of the Friendship Award (China) are selected by the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs (SAFEA) in accordance with strict procedures, upon recommendation of the employing organisation, local government and relevant ministries of the State Council.[23] About 50 recipients will be selected each year, and they will be invited to Beijing to attend the awarding ceremony of the Friendship Award.[24]

Appearance The design theme of the China Reform Friendship Medal is "Spring of Friendship". The peony flower, a traditional Chinese cultural element, is used as a symbol of the important contribution made by international friends to the prosperous development of China since the reform and opening up.[25] The woven pattern and blue ribbon symbolise China's increasing integration and cooperation with the rest of the world. The medal is in the shape of a five-pointed star and the body is made of gold. It has a beautiful engraving of the Great Wall and is inscribed in Chinese with the words "Friendship Award". The design of the Great Wall represents the strong ties of friendship and cooperation between foreign experts and China.
Recipients

(Partially)

Juan Antonio Samaranch, Maurice R. Greenberg, Alain Mérieux, Werner Gerich, Masayoshi Ohira, Lee Kuan Yew, Stephen Perry, Robert Lawrence Kuhn, Klaus Schwab, Konosuke Matsushita.[18] David Ferguson, Roger Mason, Branka Vucetic, James Heckman, Wolfgang Kubin, Majid Samii.[23]

References

  1. ^ "中华人民共和国国家勋章和国家荣誉称号法" [National Medal and Honor Law] (in Chinese). National People's Congress. 2015-12-27. Retrieved 2015-12-31.
  2. ^ "设立"共和国勋章""友谊勋章"" [Establishing "Order of the Republic" and "Friendship Ordee"] (in Chinese). NetEase. 2015-12-27. Retrieved 2015-12-31.
  3. ^ a b Kamiński, Tomasz (2018-10-21). "Russia and China. A Political Marriage of Convenience—Stable and Successful". Europe-Asia Studies. 70 (9): 1530–1531. doi:10.1080/09668136.2018.1533325. ISSN 0966-8136. S2CID 158601349.
  4. ^ a b c d "The National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China". www.npc.gov.cn. Retrieved 2022-05-13.
  5. ^ a b 陈柳兵. "Medal symbolizes spirit of Friendship". www.chinadaily.com.cn. Retrieved 2022-05-13.
  6. ^ He, Guimei (2011-12-01). "A Comparative Study of Color Metaphors in English and Chinese". Theory and Practice in Language Studies. 1 (12). doi:10.4304/tpls.1.12.1804-1808. ISSN 1799-2591.
  7. ^ "China to award PRC Friendship Medal for first time | english.scio.gov.cn". english.scio.gov.cn. Retrieved 2022-05-13.
  8. ^ 徐鹤. "Kazakhstan's first president awarded Friendship Medal for contributions". www.chinadaily.com.cn. Retrieved 2022-05-13.
  9. ^ 蒋成龙. "Awards reflect global respect, understanding". global.chinadaily.com.cn. Retrieved 2022-05-13.
  10. ^ Grzywacz, Anna (2019). "Singapore's Foreign Policy toward Regional and Inter-regional Institutions". Asian Perspective. 43 (4): 647–671. doi:10.1353/apr.2019.0027. ISSN 2288-2871. S2CID 213873085.
  11. ^ 李凯至. "Priceless Friendship-- ChinAfrica". www.chinafrica.cn. Retrieved 2022-05-14.
  12. ^ Zhongping, Feng; Jing, Huang (2014-06-27). "China's Strategic Partnership Diplomacy". Rochester, NY. SSRN 2459948. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  13. ^ "Friendship Without Borders-- Beijing Review". www.bjreview.com. Retrieved 2022-05-14.
  14. ^ "Isabel Crook in her own words--《Voice of Friendship》2020年Z1期". www.cnki.com.cn. Retrieved 2022-05-14.
  15. ^ "Xi Jinping Holds an Awarding Ceremony of the "Friendship Medal" of the People's Republic of China for Cambodian Queen Mother Norodom Monineath Sihanouk — Consulate-General of the People's Republic of China in Adelaide All Rights Reserved". www.mfa.gov.cn. Retrieved 2022-05-14.
  16. ^ Rolfmueller (2010-10-05), English: Photograph of the medal of the Friendship Award of the People's Republic of China., retrieved 2022-05-14
  17. ^ Zongze, Ruan (2018). "Building a Community with a Shared Future: Meliorating the Era of Strategic Opportunity in China". China International Studies. 69: 5.
  18. ^ a b "10 foreigners given medals for roles in reform, opening-up | english.scio.gov.cn". english.scio.gov.cn. Retrieved 2022-05-14.
  19. ^ "Who are the 10 foreigners awarded reform friendship medals by China's president?". SHINE. Retrieved 2022-05-14.
  20. ^ Breslin, Shaun (2019). "China in 2018 : presidents, politics and power". Asian Survey. 59 (1): 21–34. doi:10.1525/as.2019.59.1.21. ISSN 0004-4687. S2CID 159199066.
  21. ^ Wang, Guanhua (2003-01-01). ""Friendship First": China's Sports Diplomacy during the Cold War". Journal of American-East Asian Relations. 12 (3–4): 133–153. doi:10.1163/187656103793645225. ISSN 1058-3947.
  22. ^ Horton, Richard (2015-10-10). "Offline: The underrated value of friendship". The Lancet. 386 (10002): 1432. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(15)00419-5. ISSN 0140-6736.
  23. ^ a b "Foreign experts". en.people.cn. Retrieved 2022-05-15.
  24. ^ "Premier Li meets with Friendship Award recipients". english.www.gov.cn. Retrieved 2022-05-15.
  25. ^ Ying, Wang (2018). "A National Flower's Symbolic Value During the Tang and Song Dynasties in China". Space and Culture. 21 (1): 46–59. Bibcode:2018SpCul..21...46Y. doi:10.1177/1206331217749765. ISSN 1206-3312. S2CID 148835684.
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