The Beijing municipal government is offering a maximum reward of 50,000 yuan (US$6,185) for individuals who show outstanding bravery.

In a key move to encourage people to fight crime and help just causes, the municipal Civil Affairs Bureau has raised the highest cash award from 20,000 yuan (US$2,466) to the current level.

This year, families of three individuals who were killed while fighting crime received 50,000 yuan.

Authorities have also urged heroes to pick up the cash within 30 working days, according to the Beijing News.

In China, there is no universal standard of rewarding people for just causes or even being wounded or killed when fighting crimes.

Some families have ended up in financial trouble after their loved ones were injured or even killed fighting armed suspects.

In May, the family of Meng Jun, a security guard in Liaoning Province, received reportedly the highest reward of 700,000 yuan (US$86,300) after he was killed fighting a knife-wielding bandit. A third of the cash was from the government.

But in the capital, the cash reward remains relatively low and around 220 individuals, including seven killed, have been given "hero" titles since August 2000 yet received less than in other regions.

(China Daily July 25, 2005)