News

China starts to vote role models

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-07-21 14:43

China on Monday kicked off a campaign to vote for the country's role models, with candidates coming from a wide spectrum of social sectors including the first Chinese astronaut Yang Liwei, NBA star Yao Ming and Kung fu master Jackie Chan.

The campaign, part of the country's drive to promote patriotism on the eve of its 60th founding anniversary, which falls on October 1, is conducted by 10 government agencies including the Publicity Department of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the General Logistic Department of the Chinese People's Liberation Army.

Voters are expected to choose 100 candidates from 150 as "heroes and role models who made outstanding contributions to the founding of the People's Republic of China," according to the campaign's organizing committee.

The 150 candidates, most of whom were Chinese revolutionaries born before 1949, also included foreigners such as Henry Norman Bethune (1980-1939), a Canadian physician known for his service with the CPC during the Second World War and Edgar Snow (1905-1972), an American journalist who interviewed Chairman Mao Zedong and spent 13 years in China.

Another list of 150 role models, which includes athletes, entertainers, writers, scholars and quake-relief heroes, comprises the candidates for "100 people who have moved China since its founding."

Basketball star Yao Ming and Kungfu star Jackie Chan were both nominated for their worldwide influence and contributions in philanthropy such as quake-relief donations.

Also on the list were the China women's national volleyball team who took five consecutive world titles from 1981 to 1986; Zhang Yimou, director of the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics and Lin Hao, a 11-year-old boy widely applauded for his heroic behavior during the May 12 magnitude-8.0 earthquake in southwest Sichuan Province.

All registered citizens can either cast their vote online, via mobile phone or send paper votes copied or cut from newspapers during the campaign, which is due to end on August 10. Citizens will be required to include their identification numbers with their votes to protect against voter fraud.

The 300 role models were selected by a judging panel from nominations and recommendations across the country from mid-May.

The work office has posted all candidates' information and photos in state newspapers and their affiliated Web sites and major Chinese portal web sites.