On September 4, the Orchid Awards Press Conference 2026 washeld in Beijing. Attending the event were Zhou Shuchun, DeputyChair of the Third Orchid Awards Expert Committee; ZhangJinting, Secretary-General of the Orchid Awards Secretariat; LiuShuangyan, Deputy Secretary-General of the Orchid Awards Secretariat; Franco Amadei, an Italian member of the Jury for the Third Orchid Awards; and Yoro Diallo, a Malian member of theJury. The press conference saw the formal release of the short list for the Third Orchid Awards, along with a briefing on the overall selection and award process. The speakers also took questionsfrom the media. Yin Jie, Deputy Secretary-General of the Orchid Awards Secretariat, presided over the press conference.

Liu Shuangyan gave an overview of the overall selection andaward process for the Third Orchid Awards. Since the global callfor nominations launched on April 15, 2026, the Awards havedrawn broad attention in China and internationally, attracting 317 submissions from 82 countries. Compared with the previous two editions,the Third Orchid Awards feature a more diverse international pool of candidates, stronger records of achievementand contribution, and greater overall influence. As the institution that initiated the Orchid Awards, China International Communications Group (CICG) has organized these lection process in strict compliance with theOrchid Awards RulesandtheSelection Measures for the Third Orchid Awards.The OrchidAwardsJuryMeeting2026,withtheparticipationofbothChineseandinternationaljurymembers,isscheduledforSeptember 6. The final 10 awardees will be officially announcedatthisyear’sawardceremony.Laterthisyear,aseriesofinternational exchange events under the theme “Rendezvous withthe Orchid” will also be organized in China and abroad.

Speaking on behalf of CICG, the host of the Awards, Zhang Jinting officially unveiled the 30 shortlisted candidates. They are listed below by award category, with individual candidates arranged alphabetically by name and organizations indicated separately.

Lifetime Honorary Award Shortlist (3 candidates)

Georges Schwizgebel (Switzerland)

Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio (France / Mauritius)

Jeffrey Greene (United States)

Outstanding Achievement Award Shortlist (9 candidates)

Alyson Annan (Netherlands)

Andrew Boreham (New Zealand)

Caucher Birkar (United Kingdom)

Fatima Al Bastaki (United Arab Emirates)

Kishore Mahbubani (Singapore)

Malcolm Clarke (United Kingdom)

Maxwell K. Hearn (United States)

Phinij Jarusombat (Thailand)

Cátedra China Foundation (Organization, Spain)

Friendship Envoy Award Shortlist (18 candidates)

Adam Foster (United States)

Adham Sayed (Lebanon)

Akmal V. Nuridinov (Uzbekistan)

Chea Munyrith (Cambodia)

Diarra Boubacar (Mali)

Fausto Giunchiglia (Italy)

Hasan Çapan (Türkiye)

Imre Hamar (Hungary)

Indrananda Abeysekera (Sri Lanka)

Jad Tabet (Lebanon / France)

John Easterbrook (United States)

John Quelch (United States)

LuminițaBălan(Romania)

Michael Crook (United Kingdom / Canada)

Muhammad Sulaiman (Nigeria)

Nama Didier Dieudonné (Cameroon)

Peter Herrmann (Germany)

La Route de la Soie Publishing House (Organization, France)

The Orchid Awards, initiated by CICG, are a major internationalcultural award dedicated to recognizing foreign individuals andorganizations worldwide that have made sustained contributionsto international cultural exchange, stronger cultural engagement between China and other countries, and mutual learning among civilizations. Candidates are assessed primarily on the basis of their achievements and contributions,together with the international impact of their work. The Awards are presented annually in three categories, namely the Lifetime Honorary Award, the Outstanding Achievement Award, and the FriendshipEnvoy Award.

Since their launch in 2022, the Orchid Awards have, over twoeditions, honored19 foreign individuals and one organizationfrom fields including translation, publishing, education, the arts,and international cultural exchange, drawing extensive attention both at home and abroad. In July 2025, the Orchid Awards selection event was formally included in the Action Plan of the Global Civilizations Dialogue Ministerial Meeting. In March 2026, Orchid Awards brand activities were incorporated into theOutline of the 15th Five-Year Plan for National Economic andSocial Development of the People’s Republic of China (2026-2030).The Orchid Awards have gradually developed into adistinctive symbol of cultural exchange between China and theinternational community and an important platform for advancingglobal dialogue and cooperation among civilizations.