Shanghai honors 50 foreigners with Magnolia Silver Awards

Shanghai presented its annual Magnolia Silver Award to 50 outstanding foreigners from 18 countries on Saturday, recognizing their significant contributions to the city's development and international exchanges.

The ceremony took place at the Grand Halls on the northern end of the Bund, with Kong Fu'an, director-general of the Shanghai Municipal Foreign Affairs Office, conferring the medals and certificates to the recipients.

In his address, Kong emphasized Shanghai's status as an international, innovative, and inclusive city that has taken the lead in achieving Chinese-style modernization. He highlighted the vital roles that foreigners, foreign-invested enterprises, and foreign institutions play in the city, noting that they have been "not only witnesses, but also active participants and contributors."

This year's award recipients come from diverse fields such as trade, finance, technology, shipping, healthcare, education, culture, sports, and agriculture. Among those honored was Pietro Brambilla from Italy, North Asia chief financial officer at L'Oreal China. Brambilla has spearheaded L'Oreal's investment and development in Shanghai, helping the Chinese market become the company's largest globally. He has also contributed to creating a market-oriented, law-based, and international business environment in the city.

Kong also recognized Dmitri Mokhov from Canada, an airframe model development expert at COMAC Shanghai Aircraft Customer Service. Mokhov has led his team in overcoming numerous technical challenges and filling various gaps, significantly contributing to the "Shanghai Manufacturing" brand.

Hong Shen from the United States, senior vice-president and head of Roche Innovation Center of China at Roche R&D Center (China) Ltd, was praised for his efforts in establishing Roche China's accelerator and upgrading its innovation center. The center's inventions have resulted in over 300 patents, contributing significantly to the high-quality development of Shanghai's biopharmaceutical industry.

Francis Gurry from Australia, former director general of the World Intellectual Property Organization, was commended for his support in developing intellectual property in Shanghai and promoting multifaceted cooperation between WIPO and the city. His efforts have helped Shanghai in its quest to become an international intellectual property hub.

Franka Gulin from Croatia, director and chief representative of the Croatian National Tourist Board Shanghai Representative Office, was also among the recipients. Kong noted that Gulin has "worked tirelessly to share China's stories with the world, promote Shanghai's wonders, and introduce the city's unique culture."

"We sincerely hope that the award recipients will continue to be ambassadors of Sino-foreign friendship, storytellers of Shanghai, and representatives of Shanghai's image," Kong said.

Professor Marc Delpech from France, a representative of the awardees, shared his experiences contributing to Sino-French medical cooperation over three decades. As the coordinator of the French-language training program for medical students at Shanghai Jiao Tong University and currently vice-dean of the Sino-French School of Medicine at the university, Delpech emphasized the enduring and expanding friendship between China and France. He noted that his predecessor, Professor Guy Vincendon, received the Shanghai Magnolia Silver Award in 2003, highlighting the continuity and strength of their bilateral medical and educational relationship.

Another awardee, Carlo D'Andrea, chief representative of Studio Legale DAndrea, has helped many foreign companies settle in China, particularly in Shanghai. The Italian lawyer praised Shanghai as "the best location to do business in China", especially in the fields of new technology and high tech. He highlighted Shanghai's commitment to deepening reform and opening-up, which gives the city "a lot of potential to be unleashed".

D'Andrea valued the direct access to the city's leadership, noting that each year, the Shanghai mayor meets with international business leaders to seek advice, feedback, and ideas for better development of the city. "I had the opportunity to meet many times with the mayor and the vice-mayor to discuss how we can attract more European investment into Shanghai," he said. "I like this kind of opportunities where you have direct access to the leadership, because the exchange of ideas and exchange of opinion is the best way in order to have a better future together."

Shanghai began awarding the Magnolia Silver Award to expats in 1989, later introducing the Magnolia Gold Award and Honorary Citizenship in 1992 and 1997, respectively. Over the past 35 years, 1,877 foreigners have received these honors, underscoring the city's appreciation for their contributions.

He Qi and Li Yongle contributed to the story.