I. Nomination, Selection and Approval

1. Magnolia Silver Award

Nominations are made by host organizations, defined as locally incorporated or registered organizations that either employ foreign citizens or sponsor their stay in Shanghai. The nominators are required to fill in three duplicate Application Forms for Magnolia Silver Award for each nomination, have them signed and sealed by the officer-in-charge, and submit the forms, together with supporting documents outlining merits of the nomination, to their respective bureau-level supervising organizations. The bureau-level authorities are responsible for reviewing the nominations, having the application forms signed and sealed by the officer-in-charge, and submitting the nominations to the Shanghai Municipal Foreign Affairs Office. All nominations are brought to the Shanghai Municipal Joint Meeting on Honorary Titles for Foreign Citizens for its deliberation, and the final list of recipients is to be approved by Shanghai FAO. As a general rule, candidates who have never received any honorary title from the Shanghai Municipal People’s Government should first apply for Magnolia Silver Award.

2. Magnolia Gold Award

Nominations are made by bureau-level authorities on the basis of recommendations made by host organizations. The nominators are required to fill in three duplicate Application Forms for Magnolia Gold Award for each nomination, have them signed and sealed by the officer-in-charge, and submit the forms, together with supporting documents outlining merits of the nomination, to the Shanghai Municipal Foreign Affairs Office. All nominations are brought to the Shanghai Municipal Joint Meeting on Honorary Titles for Foreign Citizens for its deliberation, and the list of recipients is to be reviewed by Shanghai FAO, which will then submit the outcome to the Municipal Government for its final approval. As a general rule, only recipients of Magnolia Silver Award are eligible for applying for Magnolia Gold Award.

3. Honorary Citizenship of Shanghai

Nominations are made by bureau-level authorities on the basis of recommendations made by host organizations. The nominators are required to fill in three duplicate Application Forms for Honorary Citizenship of Shanghai for each nomination, have them signed and sealed by the officer-in-charge, and submit the forms, together with supporting documents outlining merits of the nomination, to the Shanghai Municipal Foreign Affairs Office. All nominations are brought to the Shanghai Municipal Joint Meeting on Honorary Titles for Foreign Citizens for its deliberation. The list of recipients is to be reviewed first by Shanghai FAO and then by the Municipal Government, before it is submitted to the Standing Committee of the Shanghai Municipal People’s Congress for its final approval. As a general rule, only recipients of Magnolia Gold Award are eligible for applying for Honorary Citizenship of Shanghai.

II. Other Procedural Matters

1. Magnolia Silver Award, Magnolia Gold Award and Honorary Citizenship of Shanghai are selected and awarded once every year. Nominators are requested to submit all the required documents to Shanghai FAO by March 15th of each year. Should circumstances require, any change of schedule will be announced by Shanghai FAO separately.

2. Certificates of Magnolia Gold Award and Honorary Citizenship of Shanghai are signed by the Mayor of Shanghai and conferred by the Mayor or an entrusted vice mayor. Certificates of Magnolia Silver Award are conferred by the Director-General or an entrusted deputy director-general of Shanghai FAO.

3. Magnolia Gold Awards are usually conferred to all recipients at once in a single ceremony before National Day of P. R. China (October 1st). Magnolia Silver Awards are usually conferred to all recipients at once in a single ceremony prior to the conferment of Magnolia Gold Award. Under special circumstances, Magnolia Gold and Silver Awards can be conferred on individuals on separate occasions.