Rajeev Suri, president and CEO of Nokia, won the prestigious Marco Polo Award on Thursday in Beijing for his company's contribution to China's network communication technology innovation.

Named after the Venetian traveler who first promoted friendship and trade between China and the West, the award is a top honor bestowed on a foreign business leader for contributions to Sino-US business cooperation. It is organized by the China Association for International Exchange of Personnel, the US-China Foundation for International Exchanges and the State Administration of Foreign Experts Affairs.

The award recognizes corporate vision in various fields for advancing economic and cultural communication between China and the United States.

Nokia is a global leader in the fields of network infrastructure, location-based technologies and advanced technologies. It has three strong business, namely Nokia Networks, its network infrastructure business; HERE, location intelligence business; and Nokia Technologies, which is focused on technology development and intellectual property rights activities. Rajeev Suri is also a member of the global CEO commission under the Chinese People's Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries.

Former recipients of the award include former United States President George H. W. Bush.