Qieyang Shijie, the first athlete from Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region to win a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympic Games Photo: VCG

China on Wednesday announced plans to award 30 individuals and 19 groups and organizations the 27th edition of the national May 4th Medals to mark their contributions to the country in crucial fields including the military, space science and technology and sports.

The medal winners chosen by the Central Committee of the Communist Youth League of China and the All-China Youth Federation come from a variety of fields and have made outstanding contributions and played exemplary roles in their industries. 

These outstanding representatives of youth have had their ideals and life values advance together with the motherland, develop with the times, and share destiny with the people, engraved in the practice of scientific and technological innovations, rural revitalization, grassroots services and emergency response.

Among the winners, Ma Xiaoyun, a pilot who was born in December 1991, from the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA), completed high-risk flight missions for important aircraft models and made contributions in saving important national weapon and equipment platforms during several instances of major flight dangers.

Sun Jinlong, 33, another PLA soldier winner, won three gold and four silver medals as well as one honorary medal in two international small arms shooting competitions. 

Other winners include young scientific and technological experts and groups who have made extraordinary contributions to the key areas crucial to the national development and destiny. 

Gan Lin, 35, an assistant director of the National Supercomputing Center in Wuxi and deputy director of the Institute of High Performance Computing of Tsinghua University, has been the head of the research and development team of the "Sunway TaihuLight" supercomputer. 

Li Min, 40, a professor at Wuhan University and deputy director of the key laboratory of the Ministry of Education in satellite navigation and positioning, has developed precision orbit determination software systems for more than 20 domestically developed satellites, which greatly increases the accuracy of real-time orbit determination for China-made satellites.

Also awarded was a 96-member team from Shenyang Aircraft Co of the Aviation Industry Corp of China, which is responsible for the research and development of carrier-based aircraft. It has solved advanced and sophisticated new technology problems with nine new technology methods, 37 new material applications and 154 subjects. 

The 189-member design team for China's smart high-speed trains from CRRC Changchun Railway Vehicles Co and the design team of the small mechanical arm of Wentian, the first lab module of China's space station from the Harbin Institute of Technology, are also among the winning groups for the China Youth May Fourth Medal. 

Some frontline personnel and groups who have been protecting people's lives and property as well as athletes were also on the list, such as Xu Naichao, a policeman from the Inner Mongolia General Station of Exit and Entry Frontier Inspection, and Qieyang Shijie, the first athlete from Southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region to win a gold medal at the 2012 London Olympic Games. 

The China Youth May Fourth Medal has been bestowed on exceptional individuals and groups since 1997 and usually takes place around China's Youth Day on May 4 with the aim of inspiring the country's youth to embrace and preserve the May 4th Movement spirit and encourage them to contribute to the development of the country. 

Global Times