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BEIJING, Jan. 8-- President Xi Jinping presented China's top science award to Liu Yongtan and Qian Qihu on Tuesday for their outstanding contributions to scientific and technological innovation. Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, granted award medals and certificates to them at an annual ceremony held in Beijing to honor distinguished scientists, engineers, and research achievements. Liu Yongtan, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), is from the Harbin Institute of Technology, and Qian Qihu, a CAE academician, is from the Army Engineering University of the People's Liberation Army. Xi shook hands with them and expressed congratulations. Other leaders, including Li Keqiang, Wang Huning, and Han Zheng, all members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, were also present. Tuesday's ceremony honored 278 projects, with 38 winning the State Natural Science Award, 67 the State Technological Invention Award, and 173 the State Scientific and Technological Progress Award. Five foreign experts won the International Science and Technology Cooperation Award. On behalf of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, Premier Li Keqiang extended congratulations to the award winners and thanked foreign experts for their support to China's science and technology development. | 
