Hong Kong’s first chief executive Tung Chee-hwa among 36 Chinese national award winners
- President Xi Jinping recognises citizens for their outstanding contribution to nation’s development
- Thai Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, Cuban leader Raul Castro among six foreign recipients of Friendship Medals
It was the first time the honorary awards were presented, and Tung – the first person from Hong Kong to receive one – was recognised for his outstanding contribution to “one country, two systems”.
Thai Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn and China’s nuclear submarine pioneer Huang Xuhua were also among those who were recognised for their roles in driving growth and improving China’s ties with other countries.
Xi praised the medal recipients for their “selfless dedication to hard work”, and acknowledged the Chinese recipients for their “decades of service in fields the country needs most”.
“They never thought of their own interests, but sacrificed their own families for the big family,” he said.
“Heroes and role models once again demonstrate with their actions that greatness comes out of the ordinary,” he said.
Nobel Prize winner Tu Youyou and hybrid rice developer Yuan Longping were also among the 36 Chinese to be honoured.
Tung, who was the first chief executive of Hong Kong after its return to Chinese rule in 1997, was the only Hongkonger to receive a medal.
Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily ran bios of the award winners earlier this month, and highlighted Tung’s contribution to the implementation of the Basic Law, Hong Kong’s mini-constitution, and the one country, two systems principle that allows the city to retain a high degree of autonomy.
“He led the city’s government and people from all walks of life in Hong Kong through the difficulties brought about by the Asian financial crisis, changes in the external economic environment and the Sars epidemic,” the newspaper said, referring to some of the hurdles Tung faced during his term from 1997 to 2005.
“Many complicated social, political and economic issues were properly handled, the overall interests of Hong Kong and the nation’s sovereignty, security and development were safeguarded. [He also] made a significant and historic contribution to Hong Kong’s smooth handover and the successful implementation of one country, two systems,” it said.
Another award winner, Huang, was one of the chief designers working on China’s first generation of nuclear submarines.
Other honoured guests came from the fields of art, science and the military, and the country’s longest-serving lawmaker was also on the list. Shen Jilan, 89, has been a deputy of the National People’s Congress, China’s legislature, since its first session in 1954. She has at times made controversial remarks, including saying in 2009 that a deputy should always “listen to the party”, and in 2012 suggesting that access to the internet should be limited – and even that people should have to get approval from the party to go online.
Calling them “good, old friends”, Xi said China was willing to work with people from all countries to build a community with a shared future and to make the world a better place.
