Chinese President Xi Jinping awarded the China reform friendship medals to ten foreigners on Tuesday in appreciation of the support and help from international community to China during its reform and opening-up.

China held a grand gathering Tuesday to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the country's reform and opening-up at the Great Hall of the People.

Although working in different fields, the ten foreign friends had all brought advanced technologies or ideas to China's reform and opening-up, contributing outstanding wisdom and effort to the country's economic and social development.

They had seen, participated and contributed to China's reform and opening-up, witnessing "the greatest development miracle" in the history of mankind.

They are outstanding representatives of the thousands of international friends who are intrinsically linked with regards to China's reform and opening-up. Their stories are a living proof that China and the world interact and mutually benefit each other.

ALAIN MERIEUX: PIONEER IN HELPING CHINESE MEDICAL COOPERATION WITH WORLD

(Xinhua file photo)

In March 2014, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited the Merieux Bioscience Research Center on his state visit to France. Alain Merieux together with his family members and the staff of the center extended a warm welcome to President Xi.

Alain Merieux's family has a long relationship with China. His father-in-law Paul Berliet first introduced automotive industry technology to China and was a pioneer of Sino-French friendly cooperation.

In 1978, Merieux visited China for the first time and opened up extensive and lasting cooperation with Beijing in the fields of tuberculosis prevention, infection control, and prevention and control of new infectious diseases.

For decades, he kept promoting the medical cooperation between China and France. Having established production R&D bases and high-level biosafety laboratories in China, Merieux helped China improve its research in biomedicine and infectious disease prevention and control.