Two expats receive the municipal "Wutong Award" in Nanjing on Dec 18 for their years of dedication to public diplomacy. [Photo/jschina.com.cn]

Twelve expats from the United States, Germany, Canada, France, Australia, Kazakhstan, Pakistan and the Czech Republic won a municipal Wutong Award in Nanjing Dec 18 for their years of dedication to public diplomacy. 

The annual award was named after wutong, an oriental plane tree commonly found in Nanjing, and was set up by the Nanjing Public Diplomacy Association in 2014 to honor individuals and groups who have made outstanding contributions to Nanjing's public diplomacy development. 

With their enthusiasm and persistence, the expats build communication bridges between Nanjing and the world, and contribute to the city by establishing friendly ties, promoting enriched culture, and creating more possibilities for the public good. 

Nikolas Michael Krause, a German teacher from Nanjing University, was one of the recipients. He translated John Rabe, an original opera regarded as a Chinese version of Schindler's List into German and brought the show to European theaters. 

Recipients also included an American who insisted on accelerating Nanjing's international educational exchanges, a German manager keen on bringing Nanjing's investments to broader international stages, a Serbian teacher devoted to promoting Nanjing and China among foreign students, and a Kazakhstani woman who records Chinese culture in paintings.