BEIJING, Sept. 13 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday signed a presidential order to award national medals and national honorary titles to 15 individuals on the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

The order came after the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, voted to adopt a decision to confer the honors during a meeting earlier in the day.

Four people were awarded the Medal of the Republic.

Wang Yongzhi, a missile and rocket expert and a pioneer of China's manned space program, was honored posthumously.

The other three honorees are Wang Zhenyi, a medical scientist known for breakthroughs in leukemia treatment; Li Zhensheng, an expert in wheat breeding; and Huang Zongde, a war veteran.

Dilma Rousseff, president of the New Development Bank and former Brazilian president, was awarded the Friendship Medal.

Ten individuals were awarded national honorary titles.