Among the 20 foreign experts who won the Guangdong Friendship Award this year, four were from Shenzhen.

They are French nuclear expert Buisset Michel of Daya Bay Nuclear Power Operations and Management Co. Ltd., American oil and gas expert Michael C. Griffin of Devon Energy Corporation International Division, American teacher Pat King of Shenzhen University and South Korean entrepreneur Jai Uk Kim of Shenzhen Samsung SDI Co. Ltd.

The award is a special prize set up by the provincial government in 1991 to commend every two years foreign experts who make significant achievements in their fields while working in the province.

"The award is not only a recognition of my own work, but also of all my French colleagues' work here and of the French nuclear power industry that has been giving constant support and help to Chinese partners," said Michel, who made a keynote speech on behalf of all award recipients at a ceremony on Sept. 26.

Michel, who has been working in Daya Bay for the past two years, made remarkable contributions to continual cooperation between China and France in the nuclear power industry during the SARS period this year.

"It is very good for the province to recognize and honor the people who are contributing to the development of both the province and the country, and it of course creates a good feeling between international people and Guangdong Province," said King who has been teaching for six years in Shenzhen and for sixteen years in China.

Asked what advice she wanted to offer expatriates working in the city, she said: "If we want to have a truly good experience here, we need to become good friends with Chinese people."

"And no matter what we do here, whether it is teaching, business or something else, we can choose to cultivate friendship with Chinese people, and that's why we'll find real richness in being here," King said.

(Shenzhen Daily November 10, 2003)