16 foreigners awarded for promoting understanding of China through books

A total of 16 foreign authors, translators and publishers from 12 countries have been honored with the Special Book Awards of China on Tuesday, the highest honor in China's publishing industry for foreigners.

The recipients, including Peter K. Bol, author and Charles H. Carswell Professor at Harvard University, were awarded for their special contributions to promoting cultural exchange and mutual learning between China and other countries.

Drawing on their in-depth understanding of China, the awardees have written, translated, or published a number of quality books about the country, enhancing cross-cultural exchanges and contributing to the international community's understanding of China.

"China has a splendid culture and a long history, which is worth introducing to people from other countries," said Tunisian sinologist Samah Mohamed Korashy Abdelkader, one of the awardees.

Since its inception in 2005, the award has been presented to 219 foreigners from 63 countries.

The Chinese military has continued to conduct combat readiness patrols in the territorial waters of and airspace over the Huangyan Dao as well as the surrounding areas in the South China Sea since the beginning of December, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Southern Theater Command said Wednesday.

The PLA Southern Theater Command said it has deployed naval and air forces troops to reinforce patrols and vigilance, further strengthening control and management over the relevant areas.

The move has effectively addressed various infringement and provocations, with an aim to safeguard China's sovereignty and security while maintaining peace and stability in the South China Sea, according to the PLA Southern Theater Command.