The five winners, specialized in the non-ferrous metal industry, agricultural technologies research, and popularization, were conferred with three different titles as well as the monetary prizes of 500,000 yuan, 300,000 yuan and 200,000 yuan respectively.

Forty percent of each prize belongs to the winners themselves, and the rest is to be used in their research.

The Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region put a set of provisional rules for awarding outstanding scientific and technical personnel into effect in 1999, in a move to accelerate the progress of science and technology and increase social respect for such brainpower.

China's State Council issued a circular in February this year to allocate monetary awards to a number of scientists and technicians annually for their great contributions to the country's national economy and social progress.

Wu Wenjun and Yuan Longping became China's first two winners of the five million yuan State Supreme Science and Technology Award for the Year 2000.

The circular urged China's scientists and technicians to play greater roles in promoting the country's social progress and modernization drive.

(People's Daily 04/09/2001)