Chinese President Hu Jintao (C) poses
with member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering Wang Zhongcheng (R) and
academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences Xu Guangxian (L), who won
China's 2008 State Top Scientific and Technological Awards, during the
presenting ceremony of the awards at the Great Hall of the People in
Beijing, capital of China, Jan. 9, 2009. (Xinhua/Ju Peng) Photo
Gallery>>>
BEIJING, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) -- China's 2008 State Top
Scientific and Technological Awards on Friday went to neurologist Wang
Zhongcheng and chemist Xu Guangxian for their outstanding contributions to
technological innovation.
President Hu Jintao presented the two 5-million-yuan
(730,000 U.S. dollars) awards to the scientists at the Great Hall of the People.
Premier Wen Jiabao said in a keynote speech that
scientific and technological strength decided the country's destiny and its
modernization would depend on the development of science and technology.
Wen said knowledge and technology were important
factors in sustainable development, especially during the present global
financial crisis.
He urged science and technology workers to help
businesses and rural areas to speed up development and become productive. They
should help improve management, develop new products and technologies, and
actively involve themselves in economic development.
Wang Zhongcheng, 83, a native of east China's
Shandong Province, is a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering and
director of the Neurosurgery Science Institute of the Chinese Academy of Medical
Sciences.
Xu Guangxian, 89, a native of east China's Zhejiang
Province, is an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and former
president of the Chinese Chemical Society.
Hu Xiaojun, vice-director of the State S&T Award
Office under the Ministry of Science and Technology, said the 2008 awards
recognized the awardees' foundational achievements and created a pro-innovation
environment.
Foundational innovation was considered a common
highlight of winning projects this year. The 2008 Awards for technological
invention and for scientific and technological progress won 840 invention
patents in total.
The Qinghai-Tibet Railway project received a State
Special Award for Scientific and Technological Progress. The Experimental
Advanced Super-conducting Tokamak (EAST) nuclear fusion reactor project and 25
other scientific achievements shared the first prize for scientific and
technological progress.
Two farmers who specialize in seed development were
among the winners. Shen Tianmin, a wheat-breeding farm expert from central
China's Henan Province, and Zhai Yanju, a corn-breeding farm expert from east
China's Shandong Province, shared the second prize for scientific and
technological progress.
The ceremony was jointly held by the Central
Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council.
Chinese President Hu Jintao (R) hands
over the award certificate to outstanding Chinese petrochemical scientist
Min Enze at the awarding ceremony to grant the State Scientific and
Technological Award for 2007 in Beijing, capital of China, on Jan. 8,
2008.(Xinhua Photo) Photo Gallery>>>
Chinese President Hu Jintao (R) hands
over the award certificate to outstanding Chinese botanist Wu Zhengyi at
the awarding ceremony to grant the State Scientific and Technological
Award for 2007 in Beijing, capital of China, on Jan. 8, 2008.(Xinhua
Photo) Photo
Gallery>>>
BEIJING, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- China granted its State
Scientific and Technological Award for 2007 here on Tuesday to petrochemical
scientist Min Enze and botanist Wu Zhengyi for their outstanding achievements.
Chinese President Hu Jintao, with other senior
leaders, presented the awards to two scientists, 5 million yuan (about 685,000 U.S. dollars) each, at the annual
national science-technology award ceremony at the Great Hall of the
People. Fulls tory
