Diligent worker who learns from others

The 56-year-old Zhai Jun started as an Arabic translator for State leaders and has been working at the Foreign Ministry for 35 years. He was selected from the Beijing Foreign Languages School, which was set up in the 1960s to cultivate people with foreign language skills.

After entering the Foreign Ministry, Zhai was sent to Cairo University to study Arabic for three years. He returned in 1975.

"He has excellent proficiency in the language," said Zhang Hong, dean of the Arabic department of Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU).