BEIJING, Sept. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Huang Zongde enlisted in the Chinese People's Liberation Army at the age of 17, beginning a nearly four-decade-long military career where his bravery, valor and devotion earned him countless awards and honors.

The heavily decorated 93-year-old received the highest state honor on Sunday when Chinese President Xi Jinping conferred him with the Medal of the Republic at a ceremony in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

China awarded national medals and national honorary titles to 15 individuals, including Huang, in recognition of their contribution and achievement as it celebrates the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, which falls on October 1.

Chinese heroes and role models

In addition to Huang, three others were awarded the Medal of the Republic. Wang Yongzhi, a missile and rocket expert and a pioneer of China's manned space program, was honored posthumously. Wang Zhenyi, a medical scientist known for breakthroughs in leukemia treatment, and Li Zhensheng, an expert in wheat breeding, are also among the honorees.

The national honorary titles went to 10 people, including scientists, a border patrolman, an artist, a craftsman, educators, a health worker, an economist and an athlete.

Addressing Sunday's awarding ceremony, President Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, called on the Chinese people to learn from heroes and role models to form a mighty force to build a strong China.

China is in a crucial period for building a great modern socialist country in all respects and achieving national rejuvenation through Chinese modernization, he said.

Encouraging the Chinese people to strive for extraordinary achievements at ordinary job posts, Xi urged them to contribute to resolving challenges to development and reform and safeguarding social harmony and stability.

China's old friends and good friends

As its highest state honor for foreigners, China awarded the Friendship Medal to Dilma Rousseff, president of the New Development Bank and former Brazilian president, for her commitment to the friendship between China and Brazil, and development of relationship between China and the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States, and cooperation among BRICS countries, a group of major emerging economies.

Accepting the honor at the ceremony, Rousseff said the medal symbolizes the strong bonds between Brazil and China and pledged to continue her unremitting efforts to promote the friendship.

China's achievements over the decades, including economic transformation, technological innovation and remarkable social development, have made it a beacon and a source of inspiration for the world, she said.

Xi lauded Rousseff as an outstanding representative of China's old friends and good friends who have shared the same aspirations and stood together with the Chinese people over the past 75 years and vowed that China will never forget such international friends.

The Chinese people are ready to join hands with people from all over the world to safeguard world peace, promote common development and advance the building of a community with a shared future for mankind to create a better future for humanity, he said.

https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-09-29/China-honors-individuals-with-highest-awards-ahead-of-National-Day-1xhS1SaZeZa/p.html