On 3 September, 2007, on behalf of Giorgio Napolitano, the President of the Republic of Italy, the Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi presented the honour of the Knight of the Grand Cross (Cavaliere di Gran Croce) to Evergreen Group Chairman Dr Chang Yung-Fa. The ceremony took place in Mr Prodi’s official residence in Rome. 
The order of the Knight of the Grand Cross as presented to Dr Chang is the highest ranking honour in the Republic of Italy. It is only conferred upon those individuals who make significant contributions in fields such as economics, literature, society, humanity and public affairs. In Dr Chang's case, the award is in recognition of his achievements, contributions and innovations in international transportation and trade.
Dr Chang, who is the first Asian entrepreneur to be so recognised, was granted honorary citizenship of Italy in 2002.
Italy is situated in a strategic position in the centre of the Mediterranean at the crossroads of several major international trade routes, most notably that between the Suez Canal and Gibraltar.
Evergreen Marine Corporation chose the Italian port of Livorno when it inaugurated its Far East/Mediterranean container service in 1978 and established a representative office there.
Twenty years later, as part of the Italian Government's privatisation program, the Evergreen Group was invited to acquire Lloyd Triestino, the flagship of the Italian merchant marine for some 160 years. In 2006, Lloyd Triestino changed its name to Italia Marittima, reflecting the company's ambition to strengthen its Italian national identity worldwide.
Recognising its strategic location, Evergreen was keen to build its own container hub in Italy. In 2001, Evergreen selected the Port of Taranto in the south of the country and invested in the construction of the Taranto Container Terminal (TCT). TCT is now Evergreen's major transhipment hub in the Mediterranean region allowing its mother ships to connect with feeders to many ports around the Mediterranean, including North Africa and the Black Sea.
For Dr Chang, his recent trip to the Europe has been a series of highlights. In addition to the Italian honour, he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Transport and the title Honorary Academician by the Russian Academy of Transport in St Petersburg, Russia. He also attended the Evergreen Symphony Orchestra's two debut concerts in Europe, on 25 August in Arendal, Norway and in London on 30 August.