9 May 2014, Beijing— At the overseas Chinese affairs meeting and the first Jinghua Award presentation ceremony on May 8th , founder and Chairman of Royal Golden Eagle Group, Sukanto Tanoto was granted Jinghua Award, a Special Recognition Award for overseas Chinese who had made important contribution to the development of Beijing Municipality. Deputy Secretary of Municipal Party Committee and Mayor Wang Anshun gave the medal to him. Director General of the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council Qiu Yuanping also attended the meeting.

Approved by the central government and set up by the municipal Party committee and government of Beijing, this award is the highest honour granted to overseas Chinese, returned overseas Chinese and their relatives as well as Hong Kong and Macao compatriots as recognition and commendation for their outstanding contribution to the development of Beijing Municipality.

For a long time, Mr. Tanoto has shown great concern for the development of Beijing Municipality and has been very supportive. He was the biggest donor to the Olympic venue of the 2008 Beijing Games the Water Cube National Swimming Center, with donation adding up to 5 million USD. And he also made the largest individual donation that amounted to 30 million RMB during the combat against SARS.

"Thanks very much to the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council and the municipal Party Committee and government of Beijing for giving me such a high honor. As a Chinese descendent, I feel very proud to be able to witness the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and do my part, humble as it is, to contribute to the development and progress of the mother country."said Sukanto Tanoto.

RGE, also known as Royal Golden Eagle, comprises a group of world-class companies focused on resource-based manufacturing industries. Assets held by RGE companies exceed US$15 billion with a combined workforce of 50,000 people worldwide. RGE companies are involved in various business segments including: energy resource development – Pacific Oil & Gas; forestry, pulp and paper – APRIL and Asia Symbol; agro industry – Asian Agri and Apical; dissolving wood pulp & viscose staple fiber – Sateri, listed on the Hong Kong stock exchange.

For decades, RGE sticks to the guiding philosophy of operating in a manner which is "good for the community, good for the country and good for the company", is committed to the comprehensive development and utilization of green and renewable resources, and adheres to the path of sustainable development to create the greatest value for stakeholders as well as to promote the social and economic development of the local and nearby communities. All companies of the Group honour the principle of sustainable development and fulfil their responsibilities to the society and the environment in every stage through production and operation, and aim to realize the highest efficiency under the principle of high-quality and high-efficiency, energy conservation and emission reduction and environmental harmony. Up to now, RGE has invested cumulatively more than 6 billion USD in China and created over 10,000 jobs directly and indirectly.

Sukanto Tanoto and his family established Tanoto Foundation in 1981 with the aim to alleviate poverty and contribute to social progress. In China, Tanoto Foundation has been active in social work with the establishment of 23 elementary schools in poor areas such as Tibet, Xinjiang and Qinghai, provision of free skill training to farmers in the western poverty-stricken areas, and emergency aid at times of disasters such as SARS, snowstorm, flood and earthquakes. By now, Sukanto Tanoto has donated over 300 million RMB for the public welfare establishments of China.

This year, the central government has clearly put forward that Beijing Municipality must stick to and strengthen the capital’s core functions as the national political and cultural center for international exchanges and scientific and technological innovation and further implement the strategy of building People’s Beijing, High-tech Beijing and Green Beijing. This coincides with the long-standing development strategy of RGE.

At present, RGE is vigorously advancing the clean energy industry. The RGE Xiamen East Fuel Gas Power Plant is the first liquefied natural gas fuel gas and steam combined cycle power plant wholly built, owned and operated by foreign investors and is green, highly efficient and friendly to the environment; in Rudong, Jiangsu Province, the liquefied gas terminal jointly operated by Pacific Oil & Gas of RGE, PetroChina and Jiangsu Guoxin has been in commercial operation successfully for 3 years and provides clean and environment-friendly liquefied natural gas for the Yangtze River delta area, one of the economic growth poles of China. These programs have not only brought considerable economic benefit for the local community but also effectively protected the environment.

Sukanto Tanoto said: "I always believe that, it is impossible for China to burn coal to generate electricity forever. To support the integrated construction of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Region and the development goals of building beautiful Beijing and Green Beijing, RGE is now working on the liquefied natural gas comprehensive utilization program in the Beijing-Tijian-Hebei Region and has completed the acquisition of the north America upstream gas source. I hope the program can succeed as soon as possible so that it can contribute to building a clean and beautiful Beijing."

About Sukanto Tanoto

Sukanto Tanoto, whose ancestral home is in Putian, Fujian Province, China, is the founder, and Chairman of Royal Golden Eagle Group. He is also member of the INSEAD International Council, the Wharton Board of Overseers, the Wharton Executive Board for Asia as well as Standing Vice Chairman of China Federation of Overseas Chinese Businesspersons.

In December, 2008, Sukanto Tanoto was awarded the highest official prize in the philanthropic work of China "China Charity Award— the Most Compassionate Individual Charitable Donor". In 2009, Mr. Tanoto was granted the Outstanding Contribution Award as the Most Responsible Chinese Business Leader in Asia-Pacific Region. He was also given the Magnolia Honorary Award by Shanghai Municipality and conferred on the titles of "Honorary Citizen" by Suzhou City of Jiangsu Province, Xiamen City and Putian City of Fujian Province and Rizhao City of Shandong Province.

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