On September 30, the prestigious 2024 Chinese Government Friendship Award Ceremony was held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Nominated by Xiamen University, Professor Christian Amatore, the lab's Advisory Committee member,  was honored with this award and invited to attend the ceremony.

Chinese State Councilor Shen Yiqin presented the Friendship Award to the honorees, pledging to provide a broad stage and more convenience for foreign experts working and living in China. Shen said foreign experts have made outstanding contributions to China's modernization drive, which the Chinese people will always remember. China will comprehensively advance the Chinese modernization and attract talents from all over the world, Shen said, noting that China will further deepen reform, and continue to improve the support mechanism for recruiting overseas talents. "We sincerely hope that foreign experts will continue to contribute to the cause of Chinese modernization and jointly write a new chapter of friendship and cooperation between the Chinese people and people of other countries," she said.

Christian Amatore is a distinguished visiting professor and honorary professor of Xiamen University. He is an expert in the field of international electrochemistry, a member of the French Academy of Sciences, a foreign member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and a distinguished professor emeritus of the French National Center for Scientific Research (CNRS). He was the dean of the Department of Chemistry at the École Normale Supérieure in Paris. Professor Amatore is dedicated to fostering cooperation and exchange between the Sino-French scientific and technological communities and educational sectors, establishing long-term partnerships with many Chinese Universities and institutes.

The Friendship Award is the highest honor to commend foreign experts who have made outstanding contributions to China's modernization drive. Since its establishment in 1991, nearly 2,000 foreign experts have received the award.