China has granted its State Supreme Science and Technology Award for 2009 to scientists Gu Chaohao and Sun Jiadong in Beijing on Monday, People.com.cn reports.

Chinese President Hu Jintao, with other senior leaders, presented the top award and other prizes to prominent scientists and enterprises that have made remarkable progress in technological innovation at the annual national science-technology prize awarding ceremony.

Gu Chaohao, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, is a prominent mathematician, and is also a leading scientist for China's "nonlinear science" research, a key state project.

Sun Jiadong, also an academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences, is an expert in carrier rocket and satellite technology.

The two scientists were awarded five million yuan each (about $600,000) at the ceremony.

Launched in 2000, the State Supreme Science and Technology Award of China is the highest prize annually awarded by the Chinese president to scientists in China, and it is granted to no more than two outstanding scientists each year. So far, a total of 16 scientists have been honored for their achievements.

Wang Zhongcheng, a pioneering neurologist in China and Xu Guangxian, a chemist for rare-earth element studies, won last year's top awards.

(CRIENGLISH.com January 11, 2010)