Friendship Award (China)

Not to be confused with Friendship Medal (China).
The People's Republic of China Friendship Award
Awarded forForeign experts who have made outstanding contributions to the country's economic and social progress
LocationBeijing
CountryPeople's Republic of China
Presented byState Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs
State Council of the People's Republic of China
Reward(s)Medal, certificate
First awarded1950; 74 years ago (1950)

The Chinese Government's Friendship Award (simplified Chinese: 中国政府友谊奖; traditional Chinese: 中國政府友誼獎; pinyin: Zhōngguó Zhèngfǔ Yǒuyì Jiǎng; lit. 'Chinese Government's Friendship Award') is the People's Republic of China's highest award for "foreign experts who have made outstanding contributions to the country's economic and social progress".[1] The award was first established in 1950s, when it was awarded to experts from the former Soviet Union and East European countries by the then premier Zhou Enlai and the foreign minister Chen Yi.[2] On September 15, 1955, the Chinese government decreed that each departing Soviet expert be issued a medal.[3] This medal featured the flags of China and the Soviet Union along with the inscription "Long live the Sino-Soviet Friendship" (Chinese: 中苏友谊万岁; pinyin: Zhōng–Sū Yǒuyì Wànsuì).[3] The friendship award was abolished with the Sino-Soviet split in the early 1960s. During the period that followed, in particular the Cultural Revolution, foreigners in China were often regarded as "spies" and very few remained in the country.[3]

After the reopening of China, a new Friendship Award was reintroduced in 1991.[4] Since then, the winners have been selected by the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs (SAFEA) under the State Council.[5] The award is conferred as part of the celebrations for the National Day of the People's Republic of China (October 1).[2] The award consist of a medal and an award certificate. The medal is decorated with a picture of the Great Wall on the obverse along with the inscription "Friendship Award" in Chinese ("友谊奖", on the top), and in English (on the bottom). Besides the national friendship award, various local foreign expert awards are also being made at the provincial, regional, and municipal levels.[2]

As of 2021, 1,799 foreigners have received the award.[6]

  1. ^ Foreign Experts Given China Friendship Award - State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs, September 28, 2008
  2. ^ a b c Friendship Award, State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs (official website, in Chinese) Archived 2010-12-05 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ a b c Evolution of the Friendship Award, China Weekly, November 30, 2009 (in Chinese)
  4. ^ "People's Daily Online -- Friendship Award awards friends". en.people.cn. Archived from the original on 2021-04-10. Retrieved 2020-07-19.
  5. ^ "People's Daily Online -- Foreign experts winning "Friendship Award" honored". en.people.cn. Archived from the original on 2022-06-27. Retrieved 2020-07-19.
  6. ^ "China confers Friendship Award on 100 foreign experts". The State Council, the People's Republic of China. 1 October 2021. Retrieved 21 September 2022.