The following is a list of the orders and medals issued by the People's Republic of China since its founding. The Working Committee of Party and State Merit and Honour Commendation is responsible for coordinating the work of Party and state merit and honor commendation.
In the early days of the founding of the People's Republic of China, Mao Zedong and other leaders believed that the national honor system was a relic of old society, and that the pursuit of medals would encourage the prevalence of individualism and selfishness in society, which was inconsistent with the political moral standards of "selflessness". Therefore, the national honor system of the People's Republic of China had not been fully established before 2016 and was in a blank state during the Cultural Revolution period. China, together with Switzerland, South Sudan, Eritrea, etc., is listed as one of the few countries in the world that have not set up a national honours system.
In recent years, calls were made for the government of China to improve the national honour system and make to award national medals. In 2007, the Ministry of Civil Affairs of the People's Republic of China announced the decision to establish a national honour system in an effort to "unite the sons and daughters of China with common values." [1] On December 27, 2015, the 18th session of the Standing Committee of the Twelfth National People's Congress passed the Law of the People's Republic of China on National Medals and Titles of Honour, which came into force on January 1, 2016. According to the provisions of this law, the state establishes the Order of the Republic, which is awarded to outstanding people who have made great contributions and made outstanding contributions to the construction of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the defense of the country. The Friendship Medal will be awarded to foreigners who have made outstanding contributions to China's socialist modernization drive, to promoting exchanges and cooperation with other countries, and to maintaining world peace. The National Honorary Title shall be established to award outstanding persons who have made significant contributions and enjoyed high reputation in various fields and industries such as economy, society, national defense, foreign affairs, education, science and technology, culture, public health, sports and so on. The Order of July the First is awarded to outstanding party members. These five highest orders of honour in China form the core of its newly established system for merit and honour. The first August 1 Medal and the Friendship Medal were conferred on 28 July 2017 and 8 June 2018 respectively, the Republic Medal and the National Medal of Honour on 29 September 2019, and the July 1 Medal on 29 June 2021.
National medals and titles of national honour are usually awarded once every five years on the fifth and tenth anniversaries of the founding of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), the People's Republic of China and the People's Liberation Army, and may be awarded at other times if necessary. The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress is responsible for the proposal of nomination of prospective individuals for inclusion to the national honours list to be awarded for these occasions.
Name (in English) | Name (in Chinese) | Medal | Issuing authority | Award Criteria | Date of establishment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
共和国勋章 | Distinguished personages who have made great contributions and established outstanding achievements in the construction of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the defence of the country | 2016-01-01 | |||
友谊勋章 | ![]() | President of China | Foreigners who have made outstanding contributions to China's socialist modernization drive, the promotion of Sino-foreign exchanges and cooperation, and the maintenance of world peace | 2016-01-01 | |
七一勋章 | Chinese Communist Party members who have made outstanding contributions to the great cause of socialism with Chinese characteristics and to the great new project of party building | 2017-07-22 | |||
Name (in English) | Name (in Chinese) | Ribbon | Issuing authority | Award Criteria | Date of establishment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
国家荣誉称号 | President of China, Standing Committee of the NPC | Distinguished persons who have made significant contributions and enjoyed high reputation in various fields and industries such as economy, society, national defence, foreign affairs, education, science and technology, culture, health, sports and so on | 2016-01-01 | ||
中国政府友谊奖 | Foreign experts who have made outstanding contributions to China's socialist modernization and reform and opening up | 1991 | |||
Aerospace Meritorious Service Award | 航天功勋奖 | CCP Central Committee, State Council, Central Military Commission | Astronauts from the People's Liberation Army Astronaut Corps who completed the Shenzhou spacecraft missions | 2003-11-07 | |
Outstanding communist party member award | 全国优秀共产党员 | CCP Central Committee | Party members that is ideologically and politically firm, consistent with the Central Committee with strong working style, high prestige, excellent working ability and outstanding achievements. | 2006-06-30 | |
Outstanding party affairs worker award | 全国优秀党务工作者奖 | Central Committee | 2006-06-30 | ||
National model labourers award | 全国劳动模范奖 | Central Committee, State Council | 1950-09-25 | ||
National frontier workers award | 全国先进工作者奖 | Central Committee, State Council | 1960-06-01 | ||
Pioneer of Reform Award | 改革先锋奖 | Central Committee, State Council | People who have made outstanding contributions to China's reform and opening up | 2018-12-18 | |
中国改革友谊奖章 | Central Committee, State Council | Foreigners who have given support and help to China's reform and opening up | 2018-12-18 | ||
国家最高科学技术奖 | Central Committee, State Council | Having made major breakthroughs in the frontiers of contemporary science and technology or made outstanding achievements in the development of science and technology; Scientific workers who create great economic or social benefits in the course of scientific and technological innovation, transformation of scientific and technological achievements and industrialization of high technology. | 2019-01-08 (Medal) | ||
International Science and Technology Cooperation Award | 国际科学技术合作奖 | Central Committee, State Council | Foreigners or organizations that have made contributions to China's scientific and technological undertakings. | 2019-01-08 (Medal) |
Name (in English) | Name (in Chinese) | Ribbon | Rank | Date of establishment | Present situation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
August 1 Medal | 八一勋章(新) | ![]() | 2017-06-12 | Still issued | |
Medal of Heroic Exemplar | 英雄模范勋章 | ![]() | 1 | 1979-03-23 | Still issued |
![]() | 2 | ||||
Order of Bayi (1955) | 八一勋章 | ![]() | 1 | 1955-02-12 | No longer issued |
![]() | 2 | ||||
![]() | 3 | ||||
Order of Independence and Freedom | 独立自由勋章 | ![]() | 1 | 1955-02-12 | No longer issued |
![]() | 2 | ||||
![]() | 3 | ||||
Order of Liberation | 解放勋章 | ![]() | 1 | 1955-02-12 | No longer issued |
![]() | 2 | ||||
![]() | 3 | ||||
Honor Medal of the Red Star | 红星功勋荣誉章 | 1 | 1988-07-01 | No longer issued | |
2 | |||||
Honor Medal of Independence Merit | 独立功勋荣誉章 | 1988-07-01 | No longer issued | ||
Honor Medal of Victory Merit | 胜利功勋荣誉章 | 1988-07-01 | No longer issued |
Name (in English) | Name (in Chinese) | Ribbon | Rank | Date of establishment | Present situation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Meritorious Service Medal [2] | 立功奖章 | 1 | 1979-03-23 | Still issued | |
2 | |||||
3 | |||||
Good Soldier Badge | 优秀士兵证章 | None | 1996-08-01 | Still issued | |
Excellent Cadet Badge | 优秀学员证章 | None | 1996-08-01 | Still issued | |
Commemorative Medal of National Defense Service | 国防服役纪念章 | ![]() | Gold | 2011-08-01 | Still issued |
![]() | Silver | ||||
![]() | Copper | ||||
Commemorative Medal of Defending the Frontiers | 卫国戍边纪念章 | ![]() | Gold | 2011-08-01 | Still issued |
![]() | Silver | ||||
![]() | Copper | ||||
Commemorative Medal of Devotion for National Defense | 献身国防纪念章 | ![]() | Gold | 2011-08-01 | Still issued |
![]() | Silver | ||||
![]() | Copper | ||||
Commemorative Medal of Peace Mission | 和平使命纪念章 | ![]() | 2011-08-01 | Still issued | |
Commemorative Medal of Performing Combat/Vital Mission | 执行作战和重大任务纪念章 | ![]() | Combat Mission | 2011-08-01 | Still issued |
![]() | Major Task |
Qualification badges (Chinese :级别资历章) are a series of decorations of People's Liberation Army Type 07 in the form of small ribbons mounted on small metal bars indicating military rank, billet, or length of service. Only PLA/PAPF officers can wear qualification badges, PLA/PAPF soldiers wear National Defense Service Medal instead. [3]
Each row has three ribbons; a blank white ribbon is used to fill out a row that only has two ribbons. Ranks and billets can be inferred from the number of rows. The rule is:
The ribbon at the middle of top row is called a rank ribbon (Chinese :级别略章) and has at least one five-pointed star on it. One star represent for deputy posts (except level of vice chairman of CMC and CMC members and platoon), and two stars for principal posts. The color of stars also differs from ranks, over and include level of corps it is golden and below it is silver.
All ribbons except for the rank/billet ribbon centered at the top row are used to represent the wearer's length of service, [4] [5] [6] [7] similar to the U.S. military's service stripes.
Ribbon class | Ribbon name | Description | Design |
---|---|---|---|
Rank | Level of Vice Chairman of CMC and CMC members [8] | Lemon yellow background with a yellow star surrounded by olive branches in the middle. | ![]() |
Level of Theater Command | Saffron yellow background with yellow stars in the middle, one for deputy posts and two for principal posts. | ||
Level of Corps | Khaki background with yellow stars in the middle, one for deputy posts and two for principal posts. | ||
Level of Division | Red background with silver stars in the middle, one for deputy posts and two for principal posts. | ||
Level of Regiment/Brigade | Dark purple background with silver stars in the middle, one for deputy posts and two for principal posts. | ||
Level of Battalion | Dark blue background with silver stars in the middle, one for deputy posts and two for principal posts. | ||
Level of Company | Light blue background with silver stars in the middle, one for deputy posts and two for principal posts. | ||
Level of Platoon | Grass green background with a silver star in the middle. | ||
Service length | One Year Ribbon | Green background with double yellow single red stripe. | ![]() |
Two Years Ribbon [9] | Dark blue background with double white stripes. | ![]() | |
Three Years Ribbon | Yellow background with triple red stripes. | ![]() | |
Four Years Ribbon | Grey blue background with tetrad yellow strips. | ![]() | |
Five Years Ribbon | Penta Red, white, dark blue, yellow, dark green strips. | ![]() | |
Ten Years Ribbon | Decade red, light blue, yellow, light green, yellow, dark blue, yellow, dark purple, yellow, red strips. | ![]() | |
Padding | Supplementary ribbon used when service length ribbons cannot fully fill the row. Its use is avoided where possible. | Light grey | ![]() |
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Xu Qiliang is an air force general in the People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) of the People's Republic of China. He currently serves as a Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission of the People's Republic of China. Until 2022, he served as a Vice Chairman of the Central Military Commission of the Chinese Communist Party. He served as a member of the 18th and the 19th Politburo of the Chinese Communist Party. He was promoted from Commander of the PLAAF from 2007 to 2012.
Yan Ni, born Yan Kaiyan, is a Chinese film and television actress. She works for the Television Art center of the People's Liberation Army Air Force. Li ranked 54th on Forbes China Celebrity 100 list in 2015.
The Order of the Heroic Exemplar was the second highest military decoration, during 2011 and 2018, awarded by the Government of the People's Republic of China, only lower than the Order of August First, and was named Heroic Exemplar Medal before 2011. The person who gained the award is called Heroic Exemplar.
The Meritorious Service Medal is the third highest military decoration awarded by the Chinese government.
Lanzhou is the lead ship of the Chinese Type 052C destroyers. The ship was laid down in late 2002, launched on 29 April 2003, and commissioned in July 2004. The destroyer is active with the People's Republic of China's South Sea Fleet.
The Ministry of National Defense of the People's Republic of China, or the "National Defense Ministry" for short, is the second-ranked cabinet level executive department under the State Council. It is headed by the Minister of National Defense.
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Zhang Qibin is a former major general in the People's Liberation Army of China. In August 2014 he was placed under investigation by the PLA's anti-corruption agency. Previously he served as Deputy Chief of Staff of the Jinan Military Region, one of seven military districts located in the east of China.
The Medal of National Defense Service is a military decoration awarded by the Central Military Commission of China, first amended on May 4, 2010, then established on August 1, 2011. It was divided into three grades, but in 2022 it's re-divided into 5 grades.
The Medal of Guarding the Frontiers is a military decoration awarded by the Central Military Commission of China, first amended on May 4, 2010, then established on August 1, 2011. It is divided into three grades.
The Medal of Devotion for National Defense is a military decoration awarded by the Central Military Commission of China, first amended on May 4, 2010, then established on August 1, 2011. It is divided into three levels.
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Ye Zhengda was a Chinese aircraft designer and lieutenant general of the People's Liberation Army Air Force. He was also an adjunct professor and senior engineer at Northwestern Polytechnical University. He was a member of the 10th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party and a delegate to the 5th National People's Congress.
The 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China was observed with a series of ceremonial events including a grand military parade as its spotlight to celebrate National Day of the People's Republic of China that took place on 1 October 2019 in Beijing. It was the largest military parade and mass pageant in Chinese history.
The 50th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China took place on 1 October 1999. A military parade was held in Tiananmen Square in Beijing and various celebrations were conducted all over the country. China's paramount leader Jiang Zemin inspected the troops along Chang'an Avenue in Beijing. This parade was immediately followed by a civilian parade.
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