On the afternoon of September 30, 2010, Premier Wen Jiabao met with the 50 foreign experts who won the 2010 Chinese government Friendship Award and their families in the Great Hall of the People. On behalf of the Chinese government and people, Wen extended congratulations to the foreign experts, expressed gratitude for their outstanding contributions to China’s modernization drive and conveyed greetings to all the foreign experts and friendly personnel working in China and their families.
Wen said that China has made world-acclaimed achievements of modernization since the founding of New China, especially since the launch of reform and opening-up. Foreign experts in China are both participants in China’s reform and opening-up and modernization drive and witness of China’s development and progress. The achievements of China are the results of the relentless efforts of the Chinese people and should also be attributed to the wisdom and hard work of thousands of foreign experts.
He pointed out that the more China develops, the more it needs the world and the understanding and support of the international community. China unswervingly pursues reform and opening-up and follows the path of peaceful development. To actively import overseas talents is an important component of China’s reform and opening-up. At the critical moment of accelerating the change in economic growth pattern and readjusting the economic structure, China needs more than ever the strong guarantee of human resources and talents. We will implement an opener policy of human resources in order to attract and use overseas professionals and import talented people in various fields. We warmly welcome more foreign experts to work in China and play their wisdom and capacity for China’s social and economic development. Related departments should carefully study new approaches concerning the work of foreign experts under new circumstances, improve relevant laws and regulations, implement and improve policy measures and try to create sound work and living conditions for the foreign experts in China.
The Friendship Award is established by the Chinese government especially for the foreign experts who make outstanding contributions to China’s economic and social development. The 50 foreign experts winning the award this year come from 16 countries and work in the fields of industry and agriculture, energy and environmental protection, education and science and technology, medical treatment and health, culture and sports. Since its inception in 1991, the Award has been issued to 1,149 foreign experts from 60 countries.
Vice Premier Zhang Dejiang was present at the meeting.