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)