Global scholars celebrated in Beijing

Another recipient, Mohamed Mousa Mohamed Bin Huwaidin from the United Arab Emirates, said the recognition would further encourage cultural and educational exchanges between China and the UAE.

As the dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at the United Arab Emirates University, his research focuses on China's relations with the Middle East and the Gulf region. His works include China's Relations with Arabia and the Gulf 1949-1999, and The Falcon and the Dragon: Sino-Gulf Relations — From Strangers to Strategic Partners.

Bin Huwaidin noted that both countries share important similarities as developmental states committed to improving people's lives through advancement and have created distinctive cooperation models through public-private partnership.

He also emphasized the importance of helping international audiences better understand China.

"People need to understand that China is a responsible state," he said, adding that China has made positive contributions to regional and international affairs.

Looking ahead, he highlighted educational exchange as an important direction for future China-Arab cooperation, saying that education promotes mutual understanding and creates broader opportunities for collaboration.

Italian Sinologist Tiziana Lippiello is also among the recipients of this honor. As the former rector of Ca' Foscari University in Venice, professor of Chinese language and literature, vice-president of the International Society for Chinese Language Teaching, and council member of the International Confucian Association, she has long been dedicated to the dissemination and study of traditional Chinese culture and literary classics. As such, she was among the first Sinologists to translate The Analects and The Doctrine of the Mean in their entirety into Italian. Her major works include Confucianism; Auspicious Omens and Miracles in Ancient China: Han, Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties; and Shen Yue's Treatise on Auspicious Omens.

She said she was honored to receive the recognition and valued the opportunity to exchange ideas with fellow recipients while gaining a deeper understanding of the significance of the award.

Reflecting on her observations of contemporary China, Lippiello noted that many people in Europe are still unfamiliar with China's development achievements and stressed the importance of visiting China in person to gain a deeper understanding.

Drawing on her years of translating Confucian classics, she said misunderstandings about China often stem from limited access to authentic knowledge and the difficulty of fully conveying the richness of Chinese language and culture through translation alone.

While translation serves as an important bridge for cultural communication, she emphasized that firsthand experience remains essential to understanding China.

Asked to summarize the essence of Chinese culture, Lippiello chose one word: "simplicity". She explained that many ideas found in Confucian teachings are simple, universal and continue to resonate across cultures.

Since its establishment in 2005, the Special Book Awards of China has honored 234 writers, translators, and publishers from 67 countries.

Fan Tingxiao contributed to this story.