Summary: Fuguihong porcelain works“Natural World” from Fujian Dehua Fuguihong Cultural Development Co., Ltd. was selected as the only state porcelain gifts at the awarding ceremony for the top 10 foreign friends of China in the past 100 years.
On December 8, 2009, China awarded the top 10 foreign friends selected by Internet users for "making exceptional contributions to the country in the past 100 years."
Before the awarding ceremony, Jia Qinglin, chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference National Committee, interviewed Thai princess Sirindhom and some other foreign friends who came to China for the awarding ceremony. On behalf of the Chinese government and all the Chinese people, he expressed his heartfelt thanks to all the international friends who had ever helped and supported China in the past 100 years.
At the awarding ceremony, Fuguihong porcelain works “Natural World” from Fujian Dehua Fuguihong Cultural Development Co., Ltd. was selected as the only state porcelain gifts for the prize winners and their representatives who made “exceptional contributions to the country in the past 100 years."
The Internet poll was organized by China Radio International as part of the activities to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the People's Republic of China. A total of 56 million eligible votes had been collected in the voting that took place between August 31 and October 10,2009.
Among the top 10 foreign friends are Norman Bethune(1890-1939), a Canadian doctor who died during the Anti-Japanese War in the 1930s for saving Chinese soldiers; John Rabe(1882-1950), a German who rescued 250,000 Chinese civilians during the so-called “Nanjing Massacre” committed by the Japanese invaders; Juan Antonio Samaranch Toriello(1920-2010), honorary president of the International Olympic Committee who supported China's bid for the 2008 Olympics; Edgar Snow(1905-1972), an American journalist who wrote the renowned book "Red Star over China" in the 1930s to make the Chinese Red Army world famous; Dr. Joseph Needham(1900-1995), a British scientist who spent some 50 years writing a milestone masterpiece "Science and Civilization in China".
Poland-born Chinese citizen Israel Epstein(1915-2005), New Zealand educator Rewi Alley (1897-1987), Indian doctor Kwarkanath Kotnis (1910-1942), Thai princess Maha Chakri Sirindhom and Morihiko Hiramatsu of Japan are also on the list.