ON FRIENDSHIP

Many countries recognize foreigners for the work they have done with their country. For example, France has the Legion of Honor. Germany has the Order of Merit. England bestows an honorary knighthood.These are all deeply meaningful acts of appreciation by the governments of those countries. And yet I cannot help feeling that China is giving us something even more meaningful.To me, terms like honor, merit, and even knighthood reflect a kind of arm’s-length assessment of an individual’s actions,

Many countries recognize foreigners for the work they have done with their country. For example, France has the Legion of Honor. Germany has the Order of Merit. England bestows an honorary knighthood.