Wang Yongzhi, chief designer of China's manned space program,
won the country's top science and technology prize along with
renowned geologist Liu Dongsheng on Friday.
The two ace Chinese scientists each won the 5-million-yuan
(US$604,500) State Preeminent Science and Technology Award for 2003
at an award-giving ceremony held in Beijing Friday.
Wang, a 72-year-old academician of the Chinese Academy of
Engineering (CAE), has been the chief designer of China's manned
space program in the past dozen years since 1992.
China launched its ever first-manned spacecraft Shenzhou-5 on
Dec. 15 last year and planned to send the second one, Shenzhou-6,
by 2005.
Liu Dongsheng, a noted geologist and academician of the Chinese
Academy of Science (CAS) born in 1917, is one of the eminent
pioneers in China's geographic environmental research, especially
the research on loess.
China annually presents five state science and technology
awards, namely, the State Preeminent Science and Technology Award,
the State Natural Science Award, the State Technological Invention
Award, the State Scientific and Technological Progress Award and
the International Scientific and Technological Award.
The 5-million-yuan State Preeminent Science and Technology
Award, established in the year 2000, is granted to two persons at
most every year.
The winner receives 500,000 yuan and the remaining 4.5 million
yuan is used for future scientific research under his guidance.
(Xinhua News Agency February 20, 2004)