The 90-year-old, who served the organisation as vice president for Asia for nearly four decades, was named as a recipient of the award at the start of the FIL Congress in Lake Placid this week.

The Taiwanese, the long-standing deputy director of the Forest Bureau in his native country, had already been appointed honorary vice president of the FIL after his years of service.

However, he wasn't in attendance in Lake Placid to accept the accolade in person.

Elsewhere, the FIL silver medal of honour was awarded to Poland's Michal Jasnosz and Latvia's Peters Cimanis, Dace Gods-Romanovska, Aivars Kalnins, Dr Zane Kruze, Janis Liepa and Janis Ozolnins.

Bronze medals of honour were handed to Germans Peter Rühl, Volker Schönhuber and Peter Lamprecht.

Milan Gerdelán of Slovakia and Russians Liliya Leontievna Korolchuko, Igor Viktorovich Karasev, Petr Ivanovich Dolgikh and Yevgeny Ivanovich were also handed the bronze award.