Appreciating the great contributions

The air raid siren across Shenyang, Liaoning province, at 9:18 am on Wednesday was a reminder of the pain and humiliation foreign invaders heaped on the Chinese people for more than a century before the founding of New China in 1949. The siren to mark the 88th anniversary of the Mukden Incident the Japanese invaders staged on Sept 18, 1931, to launch a full-scale invasion of China recalled not only the atrocities committed by the foreign invaders on the Chinese people but also the heroic battles the Chinese people have fought throughout China's recent history.

While the outstanding contributions of the Chinese people as well as foreign friends before and in the early days of New China are well recorded and appreciated, there was also a need to recognize individuals' contributions to the development of the nation in recent decades.

President Xi Jinping fulfilled that need on Tuesday by signing a decree to award 36 Chinese citizens and six foreign nationals, including some posthumously, national medals and honorary titles for their excellent contributions to the country's development and world peace.