Order of Brilliant Jade explained

Order of Brilliant Jade
Presenter:	President of the Republic of China (Taiwan)
Type:	Single-grade Grand Cordon
Eligibility:	Civilian
Awarded For:	The President of the Republic of China and foreign heads of states
Status:	Active
Description:	The medal has a star-patterned face of inlaid jade bordered with gold and pearls. The center is the "white sun in a blue sky," the national emblem of the ROC, symbolizing a tribute to the head of state internally and the strengthening of friendly ties with other countries externally.
Established:	22 December 1933
Firstawarded:	Lin Sen
Total Awarded:	24
Higher:	none
Lower:	Order of Dr. Sun Yat-Sen
Image2 Size:	90px

T:	采玉大勳章
S:	采玉大勋章
P:	cǎi yù dà xūnzhāng

The Order of Brilliant Jade is a civilian order of the Republic of China that can be worn only by the head of a nation. According to regulations, the order can only be presented by the president of the country or an emissary expressly dispatched to friendly nations for the conferment. The order was instituted on 22 December 1933.^[1] It has a star-patterned face of inlaid jade bordered with gold and pearls. In the centre there is white sun surrounded by blue sky, the national emblem.^[2] Previously, the Order of the Brilliant Jade was divided into two, namely Grand Order of Brilliant Jade (current) and Order of Brilliant Jade with nine ranks.

Controversy and suggestions to rename

The Chinese official name of the order 采玉大勳章 (cǎi yù dà xūnzhāng) was claimed to be named after President Chiang Kai-shek's mother, Wáng Cǎiyù, by Democratic Progressive Party members of Legislative Yuan, and there are suggestions from the pan-green coalition to rename the order to suit Taiwanese locality as "Order of Taiwan", but this was not passed at the Legislative Yuan in April 2007, facing opposition from the Kuomintang.^[3] In April 2022, the Transitional Justice Commission reported to the Legislative Yuan that there is no documentary evidence proving the Order of Brilliant Jade related to Wáng Cǎiyù.^[4]

Notable recipients

• Pakubuwono X (1933)
• Hans von Seeckt (1936)
• William Henry Donald (1936)^[5]
• Edvard Beneš (1936)^[6]
• Leopold III of Belgium (1937)^[7]
• Minnie Vautrin (1938)^[8]
• Frederick Maze (1938)
• Donald Van Slyke (1939)
• Joseph Beech (1940)^[9]
• Charles K. Edmunds (1941)^[10]
• Chiang Kai-shek (1943)
• Mohammad Reza Pahlavi (1958)
• Bhumibol Adulyadej (1963)^[11]
• Faisal of Saudi Arabia (1971)^[12]
• Blaise Compaoré (1994)^[13]
• Ricardo Maduro (2002)^[14]
• Antonio Saca (2004)^[15]
• Bingu wa Mutharika (2005)^[16]
• Thomas Remengesau Jr. (2007)^[17]
• Álvaro Colom (2008)^[18]
• Anote Tong (2009)^[19]
• Fernando Lugo (2011)^[20]
• Juan Orlando Hernández (2016)^[21]
• Jovenel Moïse (2018)^[22]
• Mario Abdo Benítez (2018)^[23]
• Baron Waqa (2019)^[24]
• Alejandro Giammattei (2023)^[25]

See also

• Order of the Double Dragon: Imperial Chinese award for foreign recipients
• Order of the Precious Brilliant Golden Grain: Earlier ROC award

Notes and References

1. http://www.coleccionesmilitares.com/cintas/asia/taiwan1.gif Decorations of Taiwan
2. Web site: Civilian orders. Presidency Website. 28 April 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20170415023613/http://english.president.gov.tw/Default.aspx?tabid=446. 15 April 2017. dead.
3. Web site: 勳章以蔣介石母親命名 立委提案修法遭國民黨團阻擋 - 政治 - 自由時報電子報. news.ltn.com.tw. 22 September 2017. 12 January 2019. zh.
4. 洪哲政，促轉會5月底結束任務 籲三軍儀隊移出蔣銅像大廳 ，聯合報，2022年4月25日
5. Web site: The William Henry Donald story . 1 July 1975 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20240713134212/https://taiwanreview.nat.gov.tw/news.php?unit=20&post=22875&unitname=Culture-Taiwan-Review&postname=The-William-Henry-Donald-story . 13 July 2024 . live.
6. Web site: Řády a vyznamenání prezidentů republiky . cs . vyznamenani.net . 18 December 2012. 24 May 2021.
7. Book: Gwekoh, Sol H. . 1948 . Manuel L. Quezon, His Life and Career . . 275.
8. Web site: "女难民的守护神"—明妮·魏特琳. Patron Saint of female refugees - Minnie Vautrin. 南京大学拉贝与国际安全区纪念馆 . zh-cn.
9. Web site: The Early History of East Asian Studies at Wesleyan . Titus . David . . April 20, 2023.
10. News: DR. C. K. EDMUNDS KILLED; Auto Strikes Noted Educator, Former President of Pomona . 2 August 2020 . . Associated Press . 10 January 1949.
11. News: Two Ancient Lands Strengthen Their Ties . 23 April 2020 . Free China Review . 1 July 1963.
12. News: King Faisal meets President Chiang. 7 November 2020. Taiwan Today. 1 June 1971.
13. Veney . Cassandra R. . Payne . Richard J. . Taiwan and Africa: Taipei's Continuing Search for International Recognition . Journal of Asian and African Studies . 2001 . 36 . 4 . 447 . 10.1163/15685210152691972.
14. News: President Chen Hosts a State Banquet to Honduras President Ricardo Maduro . 23 April 2020 . Office of the President, Republic of China . 21 October 2002.
15. News: Saca finaliza gira centrada en inversiones y marco de amistad . 23 April 2020 . Nacíon . 15 August 2004 . es.
16. News: President Chen Entertains Malawian President Bingu Wa Mutharika at a State Banquet . 23 April 2020 . Office of the President, Republic of China . 11 January 2005.
17. News: H.E. Tommy E. Remengesau, Jr., President of the Republic of Palau to lead a delegation to Taiwan . 23 April 2020 . Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China . 16 January 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190901173727/https://www.mofa.gov.tw/en/News_Content.aspx?n=1EADDCFD4C6EC567&sms=5B9044CF1188EE23&s=30CB5245F860492C . 1 September 2019 . dead.
18. News: President Ma Holds State Dinner for and Presents Meritorious Honor to Guatemala President Colom . 23 April 2020 . Office of the President, Republic of China . 8 October 2008.
19. Web site: Anote Tong Foundation . Word Summit 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170617205837/http://www.worldsummit2017.org/sunhak-peace-prize/laureates/anote-tong . 17 June 2017 . dead.
20. News: President Ma eyes closer ties with Paraguay . 23 April 2020 . Taiwan Today . 15 March 2011.
21. News: President Tsai hosts state banquet for President and First Lady of Honduras . 23 April 2020 . Office of the President, Republic of China . 3 October 2016 . 12 June 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200612155015/https://english.president.gov.tw/NEWS/4995 . live .
22. Book: Chinese (Taiwan) Yearbook of International Law and Affairs . 9 December 2019 . Brill . 9789004414181 . 242 . 36 . 23 April 2020 . 4 August 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200804023316/https://books.google.com/books?id=jm3DDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA242 . live.
23. News: Taiwan, Paraguay sign joint statement pledging to deepen ties . Taiwan Today . 9 October 2018 . 23 April 2020.
24. News: Wen . Kuei-hsiang . Kao . Evelyn . Nauru parliament passes resolution to reject 'one China' principle . 25 March 2019 . 25 March 2019.
25. Web site: President Tsai welcomes President Alejandro Giammattei of Republic of Guatemala to Taiwan . english.president.gov . 8 May 2023 . 20 April 2023 . 4 May 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230504012128/https://english.president.gov.tw/NEWS/6499 . live .