Ford Motors announced in Beijing Tuesday that it will launch the fifth Environment Prize in China.  

The prize aimed at ordinary people, who shoulder great responsibility of protecting the environment. Ford's action should be praised as a qualified corporate citizen, said Pan Yue, deputy director of the State Administration of Environmental Protection of China.

The prize demonstrated Ford's decision to support China's environmental protection and sustainable development, said Chen Meiwei, chairman and CEO of Ford China.

The total volume of the prize this year will reach one million yuan (US$125,000) and will be shared by 17 winners. Three catalogues will be included in the prize, namely environmental protection, environment education and prize for university students.

As one of the largest environment prize in the world, Ford Environment Prize covered over 50 nations and regions. In the past four years, some 62 excellent Chinese individuals and persons were awarded the prize.

(Xinhua News Agency April 28, 2004)