Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, who is also the honorary president of the Red Cross Society of China, presents the Florence Nightingale Medal to the Chinese recipients at a ceremony held at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 12, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, who is also the honorary president of the Red Cross Society of China, presented the Florence Nightingale Medal to the Chinese recipients at a ceremony held on Friday at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

The Florence Nightingale Medal, established by the International Committee of the Red Cross, is the highest international honor in the nursing profession.

This year, 35 nurses from 17 countries received the award, including seven exceptional Chinese nurses, making it the largest group from any single country.

Liu Guozhong, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and vice premier of the State Council, hailed the seven awardees for their sense of responsibility and outstanding professional skills and called on nurses across the country to take them as role models.