Fifty foreign experts from 20 countries were honored with Friendship Awards in Beijing Saturday by the Chinese government for their outstanding contributions to the country.

Vice Premier Zeng Peiyan expressed his welcome to all the foreign experts and international friends working in China.

"China, as the biggest developing country in the world, needs to learn advanced technology and management experience, and introduce high-quality expertise from all around the world, Zeng said.

All the award winners are involved in the fields of high technology, key projects, energy saving and environmental protection, medical and health care, vocational education, journalism and publishing, according to Zeng.

"The Chinese government has always considered the attraction of skilled people from overseas to be a long-term strategic task. We sincerely hope that more foreign experts will participate in the modernization construction of China in various forms," Zeng said.

The vice premier also called on foreign experts to continue cooperation with Chinese colleagues in their own fields and strengthen exchanges in science and technology, management experience and training of talents, as well as to share their understanding and feeling about China with their peoples.

The Friendship Award, which was set up in 1991, is the highest award the Chinese government confers on foreign experts who have made outstanding contributions to China's economic and social progress.

More than 200,000 foreign experts come to work in China each year. A total of 850 foreign experts from 55 countries had been conferred the award by last year.

(Xinhua News Agency September 30, 2007)