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Fifty-one foreign experts working in China received this year's "Friendship Award" at a ceremony here recently, in recognition of their outstanding contributions to China's economic and social progress.

Chinese Vice-Premier Qian Qichen, along with several other senior officials, presented the honor to the foreign experts from 19 countries.

Qian said that China's tremendous achievements over the past two decades could not have been attained without the sincere cooperation, active participation and enthusiastic assistance of foreign experts.

He said human resources are the most valuable of all resources and are at the center of competition in the present-day or future world.

The Chinese government has recently worked out the first National Program for Human Resources Construction as an overall plan for the years to come, Qian said.

"While relying on and cultivating personnel from within the country, we will be active in introducing foreign intelligence resources, so as to promote China's economic development and social progress," he added.

He said China will continue to improve policies and rules and regulations to provide better working and living conditions for foreign experts and to protect their intellectual property rights as well as other legitimate rights and interests.

Jean-Pierre Michel, a French expert from Beijing Hospital, and Roger Lo, a US expert from Xizi Otis, a Hangzhou-based company, also spoke at the ceremony, expressing their willingness to promote friendship with China.