A total of 325 people and 29 organizations under the China Association of Science and Technology were granted honors by the association. Another 21 medical workers who had sacrificed their lives during the SARS battle were also awarded posthumously.

Wang Zhaoguo, member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress, said at the award ceremony that all workers in the sci-tech field should learn from their colleagues.

Zhou Guangzhao, president of the association, said hundreds of thousands of workers within the sci-tech system had been involved in the battle since the outbreak of the severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS).

(Xinhua News Agency July 18, 2003)