Chinese President Xi Jinping on Sunday presented the Medal of the Republic to awardees ahead of the 75th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, conferred the highest state honor at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

The four awardees are respectively Wang Yongzhi, the late missile and rocket expert and a pioneer of China's manned space program; Wang Zhenyi, a renowned medical scientist known for breakthroughs in leukemia treatment; Li Zhensheng, a wheat breeding and agricultural strategy expert; and Huang Zongde, a veteran war hero.

The Medal of the Republic honors outstanding individuals who have made great contributions to building socialism with Chinese characteristics and defending the country.

Huang, one of the awardees, said that "this is not an honor for me alone. It belongs to every member of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA)," while delivering a speech at the ceremony. 

Huang, who was born in 1931, participated in the Yangtze River Crossing Campaign during the Chinese People's War of Liberation and the War to Resist U.S. Aggression and Aid Korea. He repeatedly distinguished himself with meritorious service.

Huang added that "this is the mission and responsibility of our generation, and it is also the original aspiration and duty of every Chinese person, every CPC member and every revolutionary fighter."

Noting numerous heroes sacrificed their lives for national independence, the liberation of the people and the prosperity of the country, Huang said: "they are true heroes. Today's high honor belongs to them as well."

Looking ahead, Huang said as long as the CPC and the people need them, PLA soldiers, including himself, will unswervingly devote themselves to complete the tasks assigned by the Party and the people.

"I sincerely wish the great motherland prosperity, the great people happiness and well-being, and the heroic PLA to continue to achieve new and greater victories," Huang said.