To Johan Erauw, an emeritus professor of law at Ghent University in Belgium, his decades of China experience could be summed up in a word: friendship.

The 74-year-old was one of the three Belgian experts to receive this year's Friendship Award of the Chinese government, the highest laurel for foreign experts who have made outstanding contribution to China's modernization and reform and opening-up.

The other two are Jacques Crommen, an emeritus professor at the University of Liege, and Francois Serneels, quality and environment manager of the Center for Agronomy and Agro-industry of the Province of Hainaut.

Erauw, an expert on international arbitration, has served as a member of the International Commercial Expert Committee of the Supreme People's Court of China. The award recognizes his contribution in China to the development of international law studies, the training of international law professionals and his support to Chinese arbitration institutions.

It describes Erauw as "making prominent contributions to the development of the arbitration practice in China".

"I feel very honored to receive this award," he said at a ceremony held in the Chinese embassy in Belgium on Thursday.

"The catchphrase today is friendship. The award honors a long period of friendship between myself and many people in China."

Erauw first came to China in 1986 and has since visited it many times. "We were always treated with friendship and respect," he said, recalling the days when he and his wife were in China.

He said he has been awarded many times in China, and has always felt very grateful for the friendship from students, professors and researchers.

"They have all been so kind to me," he said.

"I believe honoring teachers is very a deep-rooted Chinese culture."

He said the award ceremony makes him feel want to return to China, something he has hasn't been able to do since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Erauw has observed a huge improvement in China's legal system, the quality of legal professionals, the lawyers, the law professors and students over the past decades.

"The most remarkable thing is exactly that improvement," he said.

The University of Liege's emeritus professor Crommen is praised for his work on traditional Chinese medicine and the exchanges and cooperation with Chinese universities.

"It has been a great pleasure for me to collaborate with my colleagues in China," he said, adding that mutual cooperation is very important.

"Personally, I really consider it a pleasure to be in China. It's so nice to live in China," said Crommen, who spent much time teaching at Jinan University in Guangzhou.

The Center for Agronomy and Agro-industry of the Province of Hainaut's Serneels has been recognized for introducing a potato disease early warning system to China, a system that is now applied in 14 provinces, as well as introducing new potato growing techniques.

He said he was very honored to receive the award but wants to dedicate the award to Chinese farmers in remote parts of the country.

He felt proud that he and his Chinese partners have now started cooperation in two African countries of Guinea and Rwanda. He said the scale is still small but hopefully it will become much bigger.

Serneels said the three Belgians have been awarded for practices in medicine, law, and agriculture.

"If those practices are well implemented, they contribute a lot to the welfare of the people in providing justice, food, and health," he said.

Cao Zhongming, China's ambassador to Belgium who presented the awards, said that out of the 49 awardees from 21 countries this year, three are from Belgium, a very high percentage.

"It reflects the fruitful cooperation between China and Belgium and it should be attributed to the healthy and stable development of the bilateral relations," he said.

Cao also attributed it to the concerted efforts by Chinese and Belgian partners, their vision and professionalism in the pursuit of excellence and to the support from families and friends.

"China's achievements should first be credited to the unity and hard work of the Chinese people, but it should also be attributed to the wisdom and contribution by international friends and foreign experts," he said.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang met representatives of this year's awardees in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Sept 30. He praised them as envoys of friendship and an important bond between China and the rest of the world.