On December 17th, 5 New Zealand experts and their spouses were invited to the Chinese Embassy to share their past experiences and future plans of joining poverty alleviation programs in China. Their remarkable contributions were highly acknowledged by H.E. Zhang Limin.

These experts, namely Dr. Phil Rolston, Mr. Peter Feickert, Mr. Tim G Harvey, Dr. David Heath and Dr. Alex Chu, joined either UN Development Programs, New Zealand Government Aid Programs or Local Government Poverty Alleviation Programs to help Chinese rural people with expertise in various areas, including agriculture, farm systems, pasture and animal husbandry, vaccination and farmers training. Some of them started work in China as early as more than two decades ago and have visited China about 60 times. They have endured harsh living conditions, overcome difficulty in a strange environment and made continuous unselfish dedication to development of China.

During their stay in China, these experts have established profound friendship with the local people and witnessed China’s development. Dr. Phil Rolston from AgResearch Ltd. has been working with China’s Guizhou Province for 25 years. He said, “Seeing Chinese counterparts make progress and joint-projects turn out to be fruitful over 3 to 5 years is a reward for being involved.”

Their work helps consolidate friendship between the NZ and Chinese peoples. The Chinese people cherish the friendship and will never forget the dedication from NZ friends which can be dated back to early 20th century exemplified by Riwi Alley.

All the 5 experts were among the group (at least of ten) of Kiwi experts who have been granted Friendship Award by China’s State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs. First established in the 1950s and restored in 1991, the Friendship Award is a state-level award set up to appreciate and commend outstanding foreign experts annually for their praiseworthy contributions to China's social development and economic, scientific, technological, educational and cultural construction.