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| Yearly review－－ what 2002 meant for those famous people |
| CCTV.COM 2002-12-29 13:12:31 |
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Over the past nine days, we have offered an overview of China's developments in 2002 in many fields: from politics and foreign affairs to the economy, from culture to sports. We tried to present the nation's progress by focusing on important events and stories. But stories always involve people －－ their wishes and feelings, what they do, and the impact of their actions. Today, we profile several famous men and women, and show what 2002 meant for them.
1. Wang Xuan and Huang Kun: big sci－tech winners
A big check for 5 million yuan！ What a great gift for Spring Festival！
On February 1, about a week before the 2002 Chinese lunar new year, two senior scientists were honored with the State Preeminent Science and Technology Award of five million yuan （600,000 US dollars） each.
The two lucky men are 65－year－old Wang Xuan, known as "the father of Chinese language laser typesetting," and 82－year－old Huang Kun, an expert in solid state physics. The big money awards were given as China put greater emphasis on its science and technology development.
2. Liu Xiaoqing: fallen star
The bigger they are, the harder they fall.
In July, noted Chinese actress Liu Xiaoqing, the country's self－proclaimed first female billionaire, was arrested on charges of large－scale tax evasion in the firms she runs.
In recent years, the rapid growth in tax revenues has been accompanied by loopholes and violations like tax fraud. Tax authorities have vowed to continue reform and strengthen supervision.
3. Gong Li: Venice jury president
Meanwhile, another Chinese film star made a grand showing at the 2002 Venice Film Festival in late August. Her arrival was enthusiastically welcomed by her overseas fans.
Gong Li, the 1992 winner of the Best Actress Award in Venice, was the president of the international jury at this year's event.
It was also at this ceremony that Chinese director Tian Zhuangzhuang's film, "Springtime in a Small Town," won the San Marco prize for cutting－edge technique.
4. Liu Hairuo cheats death
A journalist who has covered some of China's biggest stories has been under the media spotlight herself. Hong Kong Phoenix TV anchorwoman Liu Hairuo cheated death during a horrible train accident in England this May.
At one point she was believed to be brain dead. But a dramatic turn occurred after she returned to China. Thanks to the combination of western and traditional Chinese medical treatment, Liu has been slowly recovering in Beijing Xuanwu Hospital, and is expected to be discharged next summer.
5. Wang Xuan: defender of national honor
How long will a person pursue justice？ This 50－year old Chinese woman has spent one－10th of her life struggling in a lawsuit, but not for herself. Wang Xuan, head of a non－governmental plaintiff group of 180 people, filed a lawsuit against the Japanese Government five years ago, demanding an apology and compensation to Chinese victims of Japanese germ warfare in World War Two.
This August, the Tokyo court became the first Japanese court to recognize in a ruling that the Japanese army had engaged in germ warfare in China, but rejected the claim for compensation. Wang Xuan views it as a partial victory in a long hard fight, which will continue in the future.
6. HIV－infected girl: new bride
It was chilly in November but love made it warm for a Guizhou girl from Southwest China. The HIV carrier finally married her sweetheart of five years. The unusual marriage sparked a heated debate on the rights of HIV/AIDS sufferers to marry and have children.
The debate saw widespread tolerance and increased understanding among society for the victims, compared to the past when the disease sparked panic from people who knew little about it. The change exemplified the theme of this year's International AIDS Day, "Live and Let Live."
7. Adili: prince of the tightrope
In May a Uygur acrobat defeated strong winds, rain and dust storms to claim a new world record after spending 22 days on a tightrope. However, instead of champagne and sleep to celebrate his feat, 31－year－old Adili Wushouer decided to dance with death for a few more days to make his record unbeatable. On the 25th day, he finally quit the wire, adding another pinnacle to his career.
8. Milutinovic bids China farewell
The Chinese waved farewell in July to outgoing soccer coach Bora Milutinovic, known affectionately as "Milu." After two－and－a－half－years of service, the Yugoslav resigned after China's poor showing in the 2002 World Cup finals.
Acclaimed a "magical coach" who steered five countries including China into the World Cup, "Milu" confessed to feeling downbeat when leaving China. Although the Chinese team lost all group matches and scored no goals, China hailed the man as a national hero, as he helped the country end a 44－year absence from the widely－watched sporting event.
9. Yao Ming: Great Wall on NBA court
For the first time in NBA history, a foreign player with no experience in US leagues had been selected as the top pick of the NBA draft. He is Yao Ming from Shanghai, China, selected by the Houston Rockets in July for a four－year contract totaling nearly 18 million US dollars.
So far the towering, two－meter legendary center has earned his pay. Yao Ming ranks first in field goal percentage in the NBA, and has an average of 13.2 points per game. He has already proven wrong many of his critics, who predicted he would never score 20 or 30 points in a single game.
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Editor: Han Ling CCTV.com
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