China News Service, Beijing, February 8 (Chen Tianhao and Meng Xiangjun) On February 4, the 2023 Chinese Government Friendship Award Ceremony was held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Erik Solheim, a Norwegian expert and former United Nations Deputy Secretary-General, is one of the winners. When delivering his acceptance speech, he said that since the reform and opening up, China has played an increasingly important role in international affairs. He emphasized that the two key practices of mutual respect and dialogue and communication are the basis for China's cooperation with Western countries and other civilizations.
Eric Solheim showed off the Chinese Government Friendship Award he received on social media. (Photo provided by Solheim himself)
For many years, Solheim has been promoting cooperation among all parties. He has actively helped China’s ecological civilization stories such as Saihanba and the “Ten Million Project” to go global. From 2016 to 2018, when Solheim served as the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations and the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Program, China and the United Nations Environment Program signed a document on building a green "Belt and Road" and promoted the establishment of the "Belt and Road" International Alliance for Green Development. These joint efforts have won praise from the international community for China's "One Belt, One Road" initiative.
In his acceptance speech, Solheim highly appreciated China's efforts in building ecological civilization. He said that China is one of the undisputed leaders in this field. "Sixty percent of the world's solar energy, wind energy, hydropower, batteries, electric vehicles, and high-speed rail come from China. China is also by far the largest tree-planting country in the world and plays a leading role in global natural ecological protection."
When it comes to addressing global issues such as climate change, Solheim pointed out that there are certain differences between Western countries and China, but these differences should not hinder cooperation. "There is no doubt that many important issues, including climate action and environmental protection in the 21st century, will be more achievable if we work together."
Before the awards ceremony, Solheim also posted on social platforms to praise China's achievements in preventing and controlling pollution. He said, "Now in Beijing, you can see the blue sky and the sun most of the time. Even though the temperature in Beijing is extremely low in winter, I am still very happy to go out for a run in such a good environment."
The Chinese Government Friendship Award is an honorary award established to commend foreign experts working in China who have made important contributions to China's reform and development. This time, 50 experts from 26 countries on five continents were awarded the award. (over)