On September 30, the Award Ceremony for the 2022 Chinese Government Friendship Award("Award") was held at the Great Hall of the People. Premier LI Keqiang met with the award-winning foreign experts at the Great Hall of the People, extended his warm congratulations to the laureates and expressed gratitude to all foreign experts and their families for their support for China's development. Vice Premier HAN Zheng and Vice Premier LIU He attended the meeting.

Professor Johan Achiel Erauw, the Belgian expert member of the International Commercial Expert Committee of the Supreme People's Court, was conferred the 2022 Award. After receiving the congratulatory letter from the Chinese government, Professor Erauw wrote to express his excitement at receiving the Award and to express his gratitude to the Chinese government for this prestigious honour.

Professor Erauw is a professor emeritus of Ghent University in Belgium, mainly engaged in the research and teaching of private international law, international trade law and international intellectual property rights. He has served as an advisor to the Belgian Ministry of Justice on private international law legislation, and also was a member of the Council of Ghent University in Belgium. Besides, he was the adjunct professor of China University of Political Science and Law, and Shanghai University of Political Science and Law. Currently, he is the honorary professor of East China University of Political Science and Law. 

For nearly 40 years, Professor Erauw has made outstanding contributions to the development of China's foreign-related rule of law. Since 1986, he has led many exchange visits and gave lectures in China, participated in the exchange activities of the Chinese Society of International Law and the Chinese Society of Private International Law, and conducted visiting teaching and research work at Renmin University of China, Wuhan University and other universities. During his tenure as a trustee of Ghent University, he has invited dozens of Chinese scholars to study and research in Europe, helping many young and middle-aged Chinese scholars to become increasingly influential in the international arena. He pays great attention to China's foreign-related rule of law work in the development of the "Belt and Road" Initiative and the construction of pilot free trade zones and free trade ports. Moreover, he is actively involved in the construction of international commercial courts and its related legal services. He has served as an arbitrator in leading Chinese and international arbitration institutions such as China International Economic and Trade Arbitration Commission and Beijing International Arbitration Centre, and has also has been appointed as a member of the Board of Directors of the Hainan International Arbitration Court. In 2020 and 2022, Professor Erauw delivered high-level and enlightening lectures at the Second and Third Seminar of the International Commercial Expert Committee of the Supreme People's Court respectively.

The "Chinese Government Friendship Award" is the highest award established in 1991 by the Chinese Government to honour foreign experts who have made outstanding contributions to China's modernization drive and reform and opening up. There are approximately 50 laureates each year.

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*The original text is Chinese and has been translated into English for reference only. If there is any inconsistency or ambiguity between the Chinese version and the English version, the Chinese version shall prevail.