Two of the award winners - Charles Y. Yang, an American Chinese, and Canadian Chinese Mao Huanyu - received the highest honour for foreigners.

The four other winners were Germany's Micheal Petzet, Japan's Kuroda Yoshimasu, Brazil's Jose Israel Vargas and Sweden's Bjorn Erik Wilhelm Nordenstrom.

Xu Guanhua, minister of science and technology, stressed at the awarding ceremony that international co-operation in science and technology has played a huge role in boosting China's social and economic development.

"Now that China has become a member of World Trade Organization (WTO), scientific and technological co-operation and exchanges have become even more important than before," said Xu.

Following the winners' example, increasingly more foreign scientists, engineers and experts are expected to devote themselves to bilateral and multilateral co-operations in science and technology, Xu said.

According to the ministry, a total of 26 foreign scientists have received the annual award since it was formally launched in 1995.

Micheal Petzet (Germany)

Born in Germany in 1933, former vice-director of the Central Institute for History of Art in Munich, former curator of Lenbachhaus' Former Home Museum, former director of Bavarian State Conservation Office. Currently board member of the Bayerische Landesstiftung and chairman of International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS).

In 1992, experts from China and Germany jointly started the protection research project for the Terra cotta Warriors statues and the co-operative research project between China and Germany in which Petzet became the chairman of the project committee.

During the co-operation, the German side supported the research project by dispatching its specialists to the field, providing equipment and relevant information and training Chinese technicians.

With the support of Petzet, experts from both sides jointly developed the protection and exploration for some historical relics sites, such as the Great Buddha Temple in Bin County and Shuilu Temple in Lantian in Shaanxi Province.

Charles Y. Yang (USA)

Born in 1931, Chinese-American, former pathologist in Asian Vegetable Research and Development Centre (AVRDC) and head of the Department of Plant Pathology and Legumes. Currently director of Thailand Outreach Programme, AVRDC, regional director of AVRDC, chairman of International Soybean Rust Association and consultant of Asian Development Bank and Vegetable Project of United Nations.

Yang helped Chinese researchers breed nine kinds of crops such as soybean and mungbean and donated US$300,000 for experiment in China. Yang visited more than 20 provinces in China to give technical consultations and training.

He also provided financial support for Chinese scientists to attend training courses and international symposia in foreign countries.

Bjorn Erik Wilhelm Nordenstom (Sweden)

Born in 1920, academician of Royal Academy of Radiology of United Kingdom, member of American Society of Radiology, chairman of Nobel Assembly of Karolinska Institute on Sweden in 1967-86, president of the International Association of Biological Closed Electric Circuits from 1991-99.

In 1983, Nordenstom founded the theory of "biological closed electric circuits (BCEC) in the human body."

Based on this theory, he invented the new technique of treating lung cancer with BCEC.

In 1987, he came to China to give lectures on BCEC and the new technology.

He transferred the patents of the new techniques to China without any charge and established long-term science and technology co-operation with the China-Japan Friendship Hospital.

Many patients with middle or advanced cancer that could not be treated with surgery or chemotherapy have been treated with this technology effectively.

Huanyu Mao (Canada)

Born in 1951, Chinese-Canadian, graduated from Hunan Normal University in 1982 and got a PhD in electrochemistry at University of New Finland, Canada.

To assist the development of high-energy rechargeable lithium ion cells in China, he came back to the motherland and was employed by the Tianjin Institute of Power Sources. He and other members of the research group set up a pilot-product line and solved a series of key technical issues related to production.

In 1997, China's first pilot-production line of Lithium ion cells was established, and the product was awarded a certificate of "National Major New Product" in 1998.

He was appointed chief engineer and director of the R&D centre at the newly founded Tianjin Lishen Battery LTD Co. With other staff members, he continued to solve many technical issues in mass production, including nationalization of raw materials.

Kuroda Yoshimasu (Japan)

Born in 1927, famous Japanese petrologist and geochemist, former councillor of Japan Science Congress and president of Geological Society of Japan.

Kuroda has long been an active member of the Japanese-Chinese Friendship Association. He made great efforts for China to join the International Union of Geological Science.

Since 1990, Kuroda has devoted himself to the complicated process of setting up the Research Centre for Mineral Resource Research and Exploration (RCMRRE). With the combined efforts of China and Japan, the RCMRRE, equipped with a modern, multi-method geo-chemical lab system, was completed in September 1994.

Kuroda has done much work in improving the bilateral scientific exchanges between Chinese and Japanese scientists.

Jose Israel Vargas (Brazil)

Born in 1928, received a PhD in 1959 from Cambridge, England, former chairman of the Technological Centre of Minais Gerais, state secretary for Science and Technology, Minais Gerais, chairman of the UNESCO Executive Council and president of the Third World Academy of Science. Currently scientific adviser to the Brazilian President.

Vargas has always paid great attention to and supported Sino-Brazilian space technology co-operation.

After becoming the Minister of Science of Technology, Vargas signed the Protocol on the Main Points for the Further Joint Development of the China-Brazil Earth Resource Satellites.

With his efforts, both sides signed the Minutes of Understanding on the Strengthening and Expansion of the China-Brazil Space Technology Co-operation. He also proposed jointly developing the third and fourth CBERS satellites and carrying out co-operation with China on the development of Brazil's next generation telecommunications satellite.

(People's Daily July 17, 2002)