Continued struggle is the best tribute to heroes

China Plus Published: 2019-09-29 20:06:36
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Note: The following article is taken from the Chinese-language "Commentaries on International Affairs."

At an awards ceremony of national medals and honorary titles of the People's Republic of China on Sunday, China’s President Xi Jinping presented the Medal of the Republic, Friendship Medal and National Honorary titles to 42 Chinese and foreign recipients. Xi Jinping delivered a keynote address at the event in which he paid tribute to all the recipients, and said that China was honoring these heroes and outstanding role models in order to promote their qualities of loyalty, perseverance and humility, reflecting the respect and admiration held for their heroic spirit.

From left to right, the Medal of the Republic, Friendship Medal and Medal for the recipients of National Honorary Title. [Photo: China Plus]

From left to right, the Medal of the Republic, Friendship Medal and Medal for the recipients of National Honorary Title. [Photo: China Plus]

President Xi Jinping’s use of the words “loyalty, perseverance and humility" is a just characterization of those who have been awarded the national medals and honorary titles of China. They express the Chinese people's general understanding of the character of heroes and capture the embodiment of national spirit. Among the 36 Chinese who have won this honor, are Shen Jilan, a rural labor hero who has long advocated and promoted the principle of equal pay for equal work for both men and women written into the Chinese Constitution; Yuan Longping, a Chinese hybrid rice pioneer who has made enormous contributions to China's food security and world food supply for more than 50 years; as well as Huang Xuhua, among the first generation of Chinese nuclear submarine designers who has worked in secret for more than 60 years, focusing on technical research. Each has used their "loyalty, perseverance, and humility" to work hard in their own fields to interpret the Chinese nation’s great spirit of creativity, struggle, solidarity and vision. Heroes and role models have demonstrated with their actions that greatness comes out of the ordinary, and that by adhering to firm ideals and convictions and working tirelessly to achieve their tasks in a down-to-earth manner, every ordinary person can achieve an extraordinary life and every ordinary job can produce extraordinary achievements.

Of special interest perhaps to the world at large is that this time, six international friends have been awarded the Friendship Medal, the highest honor given by China to foreign nationals, coming from Cuba, Thailand, Tanzania, Russia, France and Canada. Among them is Raúl Modesto Castro Ruz, who actively promoted the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Cuba, which was the first country to do so in Latin America. Other awardees include Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, who has long been committed to promoting Chinese traditional culture and spreading Thai-Chinese friendship, and former Tanzanian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Salim Ahmed Salim, who helped restore China's legitimate seat in the United Nations. The six "Friendship Medal" winners have made outstanding contributions to the modernization of China and the promotion of Sino-foreign exchanges and cooperation.

At the ceremony, President Xi Jinping expressed heartfelt gratitude to the recipients of the Friendship Medal for their long-standing support and help to China, adding that Chinese people are willing to work with the people of all countries to build a community with a shared future for humanity and to make the planet a better place. Receiving her award, Princess Sirindhorn of Thailand expressed her deep honor and gratitude. All the awardees are committed to seeking peace, happiness and success for China and their respective countries, as well as a globalized world and all mankind.

All great achievements are the result of continuous struggle. The selfless efforts of the heroes have opened up the way for mankind. Future development requires even more heroes to continue to blaze trails. It is especially important to admire heroes and learn from them in the context of a world that has made great changes, unprecedented in a hundred years, and a China that has entered a new era. For today's nearly 1.4 billion Chinese people, learning from outstanding individuals who have been awarded the national medals and honorary titles, makes sure that their heroic spirit of "loyalty, perseverance and humility” is integrated into real life, and that it remains a powerful force that promotes national development, civilization and progress, helping build a better world. It is also expected to push forward the goal of realizing the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and building a community of shared future for mankind. This is the best tribute to the heroes!

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LU Xiankun Professor LU Xiankun is Managing Director of LEDECO Geneva and Associate Partner of IDEAS Centre Geneva. He is Emeritus Professor of China Institute for WTO Studies of the University of International Business and Economics (UIBE) and Wuhan University (WHU) of China and visiting professor or senior research fellow of some other universities and think tanks in China and Europe. He also sits in management of some international business associations and companies, including as Senior Vice President of Shenzhen UEB Technology LTD., a leading e-commerce company of China. Previously, Mr. LU was senior official of Chinese Ministry of Commerce and senior diplomat posted in Europe, including in Geneva as Counsellor and Head of Division of the Permanent Mission of China to the WTO and in Brussels as Commercial Secretary of the Permanent Mission of China to the EU. Benjamin Cavender Benjamin Cavender is a Shanghai based consultant with more than 11 years of experience helping companies understand consumer behavior and develop go to market strategies for China. He is a frequent speaker on economic and consumer trends in China and is often featured on CNBC, Bloomberg, and Channel News Asia. Sara Hsu Sara Hsu is an associate professor from the State University of New York at New Paltz. She is a regular commentator on Chinese economy. Xu Qinduo Xu Qinduo is CRI's former chief correspondent to Washington DC, the United States. He works as the producer, host and commentator for TODAY, a flagship talk show on current affairs. Mr. Xu contributes regularly to English-language newspapers including Shenzhen Daily and Global Times as well as Chinese-language radio and TV services. Lin Shaowen A radio person, Mr. Lin Shaowen is strongly interested in international relations and Chinese politics. As China is quite often misunderstood in the rest of the world, he feels the need to better present the true picture of the country, the policies and meanings. So he talks a lot and is often seen debating. Then friends find a critical Lin Shaowen criticizing and criticized. George N. Tzogopoulos Dr George N. Tzogopoulos is an expert in media and politics/international relations as well as Chinese affairs. He is Senior Research Fellow at the Centre International de Européenne (CIFE) and Visiting Lecturer at the European Institute affiliated with it and is teaching international relations at the Department of Law of the Democritus University of Thrace. George is the author of two books: US Foreign Policy in the European Media: Framing the Rise and Fall of Neoconservatism (IB TAURIS) and The Greek Crisis in the Media: Stereotyping in the International Press (Ashgate) as well as the founder of chinaandgreece.com, an institutional partner of CRI Greek. David Morris David Morris is the Pacific Islands Trade and Investment Commissioner in China, a former Australian diplomat and senior political adviser. Harvey Dzodin After a distinguished career in the US government and American media Dr. Harvey Dzodin is now a Beijing-based freelance columnist for several media outlets. While living in Beijing, he has published over 200 columns with an emphasis on arts, culture and the Belt & Road initiative. He is also a sought-after speaker and advisor in China and abroad. He currently serves as Nonresident Research Fellow of the think tank Center for China and Globalization and Senior Advisor of Tsinghua University National Image Research Center specializing in city branding. Dr. Dzodin was a political appointee of President Jimmy Carter and served as lawyer to a presidential commission. Upon the nomination of the White House and the US State Department he served at the United Nations Office in Vienna, Austria. He was Director and Vice President of the ABC Television in New York for more than two decades.