Chinese company projects carried off 52 percent of the national science and technology advancement awards, sources with the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST) said Monday.

China's Fourth National Conference on Science and Technology opened at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Monday. Chinese President Hu Jintao delivered a speech at the meeting, and Premier Wen Jiabao announced the State Council's decision on the 2005 national science and technology awards, including the awards for science and technology innovation.

A MOST official said the winning companies had all developed their own technology and products with independent copyright, using expert teams and innovative productivity.

Among the prizewinners, the Shanghai Zhenhua Port Machine Group Company won first prize with its container crane technology. The technology strengthens crane hoisting capacities for overweight port containers, making China an exporter rather than an importer of port installation handling machines.

Fu Dunjian, the company's chief engineer, said the company had taken a 50 percent share of the global market for the product.

The MOST official also noted that 36.4 percent of the projects are the result of joint developments between companies, universities and research institutes. Another first prize winner -- vehicle sheet metal -- was developed by a laboratory, in which Shanghai Baosteel Group, Beijing University of Science and Technology, Shanghai Volkswagen Corporation, FAW-Volkswagen Automotive Company Ltd., and Northeast China University all have shares.

"Such products showcase the innovation-oriented progress of China's science and technology sector," the official said.

He stressed that private business firms took part in 17 percent of the winning programs, which showed that the private sector was playing a more positive role in the development of national science and technology.

(Xinhua News Agency January 10, 2006)