The Chinese government on Wednesday awarded 50 outstanding security guard companies and 100 security guards, the second time in the country.

Luo Gan, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and secretary of the Committee of Political Science and Law under CPC Central Committee, met with the individual awardees and representatives of the awarded companies.

Wang Zhaoguo and Zhou Yongkang, both members of the CPC Central Committee Political Bureau, issued certificates to the awardees.

In 1984, China's first security guard company was set up in the southern city of Shenzhen, the first special economic zone in the country. Since then, the number of security guard companies has reached 2,169, with a total staff of nearly 1 million.

Between 2001 and 2004, 119 security guards were killed on job, while 10,181 were injured.
 
(Xinhua News Agency December 8, 2005)