Ten Chinese were honored in Beijing Thursday for outstanding
contributions to promoting China-Africa friendship.
The award-winners were selected by the Chinese People's
Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries to publicize
China-Africa friendship, enhance understanding between peoples of
China and Africa and strengthen friendly relations.
The winners included a senior journalist, the Chinese ambassador
to Namibia, an engineer who was involved in building the
Tanzania-Zambia railway, a doctor from a Chinese medical team in
Morocco, and military staff who had served in UN peacekeeping
missions in Africa.
Jin Hui, one of the winners, had worked in Tanzania for 11
years. Despite bad weather and tough living condition, he and his
team worked hard to building the Tanzania-Zambia railway. They set
a record by finishing construction on 502 kilometers' railway
within a year.
Peng Feng, another winner, took part in the UN peacekeeping
missions in Africa between 1994 and 1997 as a military observer.
When he served as commander of UN peacekeeping forces in Western
Sahara, he once severely injured on head when conducting
peacekeeping mission and had been in coma for over two weeks. When
he came to his senses, a senior UN official visited him in hospital
and conferred him a UN peacekeeping medal.
On Thursday's award-conferring ceremony, Eleih-Elle Etian,
Cameroon ambassador to China and dean of the African Diplomatic
Corps in China, said all the award-winners had made great
contributions to China-Africa friendship.
He expressed the hope that the harmonious relations between
China and Africa would speed up development in Africa and promote
the unity of all peoples on earth.
About 200 Chinese officials and foreign embassy staffs in China
attended the ceremony.
(Xinhua News Agency December 8, 2006)
