With Raffarin receiving the award, Geraci said it embodies the profound friendship between Europe and China, and shows the two sides' common goal of safeguarding world peace.

Federico Masini, an Italian sinologist and Italian director of the Confucius Institute at La Sapienza University in Rome, said the awarding plays an active role in developing the friendship between China and other countries.

Many foreign friends have given a hand with China's development and the awarding reflects China's friendly exchanges with other parts of the world, said Hu Yishan, a senior research scholar at the Singapore Institute of International Affairs.

"Like our honours system here -- and in other countries, it is much more the distinction, honour and pride in receiving recognition than money or wealth that makes such honours important to people seeking to make the world a better place for all people," said Alan Barrell, an entrepreneur in residence at the University of Cambridge's Judge Business School.

"The names distinguish the award," said Stephen Perry, chairman of Britain's 48 Group Club. "China is leading by example with nominating leading regional and global people who are committed to peaceful methods to resolve issues."

Martin Albrow, a British sociologist and emeritus professor at the University of Wales, said the award "represents China's gratitude for worldwide support in its rise. It recognizes that this has come from every quarter of the globe, from men and women, state officials and ordinary citizens, irrespective of origin and ideology."

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