On Oct. 1, China celebrated its 58th founding anniversary. On the eve of this special Chinese festival, Kenneth Yata, Vice President of Business Development of Boeing China, received the 2007 Friendship Award from the Chinese government, the supreme honor from the Chinese government for a foreigner working in China.

Nominated by China Aviation Industry Corporation I, Yata is the first person from the aerospace industry of the United States to receive this award for his cumulative contributions to China's aviation industry starting from 1985.

"The Friendship Award is a real appreciation from China to Boeing for its support for the development of China's aviation industry," said Yata upon receiving the award from Mr. Zeng Peiyan, vice premier of China. "We are proud of our working together partnership with China and will continue our efforts in growing together with our customers, partners in China."

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao also met with the 50 foreign experts who had won the 2007 Friendship Awards for their outstanding performance in China to personally extend congratulations to the experts and expressed his thanks to their outstanding contributions to China's modernization drive.

The Friendship Award was established by the State Council in 1991 to foreign experts have made outstanding contributions to China's economic and social progress. Over 800,000 foreign experts are among the selection scope every year.

Photograph: Kenneth Yata was honored China's national 2007 Friendship Award.