List of individuals awarded national medals, honorary titles

Medal of the Republic:

Wang Yongzhi (1932-2024) From Changtu, Liaoning province, he was an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and chief engineer of "Project 921" — China's manned space flight project. He was one of the co-founders of China's manned space flight sector, leading the research and development of various missiles and rockets, also participating in the blueprint of China's manned space missions.

Wang Zhenyi Born in 1924 in Xinghua, Jiangsu province, he is an academician at the CAE and former head of the Shanghai Institute of Hematology. A medical scientist and educator in blood-related diseases, he developed an effective treatment against acute promyelocytic leukemia and significantly increased the survival rate of patients worldwide of this aggressive disease by not applying for a patent for the cure.

Li Zhensheng Born in 1931 in Zibo, Shandong province, he is an academician and former vice-president of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and an agronomist. He systematically studied distant hybridization — crossing genetically dissimilar species — between wheat and quack-grass, and developed new wheat varieties that can efficiently carry specific nutrients. His work played a significant role in guaranteeing the production growth and food security of China's grains.

Huang Zongde Born in 1931, he is from Rongcheng, Shandong. He is a veteran and former consultant at Corps 52824 of the People's Liberation Army. He joined the army when he was 17 and bravely fought in multiple battles including the Yangtze River Crossing Campaign (1949) and the War to Resist US Aggression and Aid Korea (1950-53), winning various military honors.

Friendship Medal:

Dilma Rousseff Born in 1947, she was president of Brazil from January 2011 to August 2016. As the first female Brazilian president, she was elected for two consecutive terms. Rousseff has made significant contributions to promoting friendly cooperation between China and Brazil. The economist is now president of the Shanghai-based New Development Bank.

National honorary titles:

PEOPLE'S SCIENTIST

Wang Xiaomo (1938-2023) From Shanghai, he was a CAE academician, renowned radar expert and pioneer of China's early warning aircraft development. He led the research of China's first three-dimensional radar and early-warning aircraft system.

Zhao Zhongxian Born in 1941 in Xinmin, Liaoning province, he is a CAS academician and the main advocate and practitioner of China's high-temperature superconductivity research, helping establish China as one of the front-runners in the sector.

PEOPLE'S GUARD

Bayika Kalidibek Born in 1952 in Tashikurgan Tajik autonomous county, Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. A member of the Tajik ethnic group, he is a former border patroller in Tashikurgan. For some 70 years, three generations of his family helped guide border soldiers patrolling the Pamirs and save them from hazards and from getting lost. Laqini, his son, died when trying to save a child who accidentally broke through the ice of a frozen lake.

PEOPLE'S ARTIST

Tian Hua Born in 1928 in Tangxian, Hebei province, Tian is a former first-class actress of the August First Film Studio. She portrayed various classic roles on the screen and participated in numerous charity events after she retired. Her portrayal of iconic female characters in early Chinese cinema has left a lasting impact on the industry.

PEOPLE'S CRAFTSMAN

Xu Zhenchao Born in 1950 in Rongcheng, Shandong, he is a senior manager and senior technician at Qingdao Qianwan Container Terminal. He broke the world record in container loading and unloading nine times and helped with the fuel-to-electricity upgrade of rubber-tired gantry (cranes at ports) that led to significant cost reductions.

PEOPLE'S EDUCATOR

Zhang Jinfan Born in 1930 in Shenyang, Liaoning, he is a renowned jurist and former vice-president of China University of Political Science and Law. His research is fundamental in the theoretical basis and structural paradigm in the discipline of legal history in China.

Huang Danian (1958-2017) From Nanning, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, he was a renowned geophysicist and an exceptional representative of researchers who returned to China from overseas. He also loved being an educator and made great contributions to China's talent cultivation cause.

PEOPLE'S HEALTH WORKER

Lu Shengmei Born in 1944 in Beijing, she is a former vice-president of Jiaxian People's Hospital in Shaanxi province. She came to a grassroots hospital in an underdeveloped area in northwestern China and served some 150,000 patients over the years. Her methods of childbirth and immunity helped significantly reduce infant mortality.

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTOR TO ECONOMIC RESEARCH

Zhang Zhuoyuan Born in 1933 in Meixian, Guangdong province, he is an economist who helped China navigate the socialist market economy by coming up with constructive proposals in areas such as price reforms and remodeling relations between the market and the government.

OUTSTANDING CONTRIBUTOR TO SPORTS

Zhang Xielin Born in 1940 in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, he is a renowned table tennis player and coach. He won China's first world championship titles in men's doubles and mixed doubles, and the Chinese women's team won 10 team championships under his coaching.

China Daily