Fifty-three Chinese who lived and worked near Moscow during World War II were honored on Wednesday at a medal ceremony at the Russian embassy in Beijing.

The event was the latest of 60 high-profile activities planned by China and Russia to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II and highlight the close ties between the two nations.

"Russia and all Russian people thank you for your contribution to the victory of the Great Patriotic War," Russian Ambassador to China Andrei Denisov told the 32 veterans in attendance to whom he presented Jubilee Medals. "Our country will remember the heroes who protected and liberated the Soviet Union and contributed to the anti-fascist war, no matter which country they come from."