A special group of people, those who personify the spirit of innovation and have achieved remarkable success in their respective fields, was honored last evening, at the 5th AMG National Spirit Achievers Awards, in Guangzhou, Guangdong province.

The late Steve Jobs once said that innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower. This is the spirit it takes to step out of the comfort zone, to excel, inspire and make a difference, and that was what these people characterize.

The seven members of the group were Li Na, the first Asian to win a Grand Slam tennis championship; Zeng Fanyi, a female scientist who made a breakthrough in genetics and developmental biology; artist Liu Xiaodong; musician Guo Wenjing; architect Liu Jiakun; and entrepreneurs Yu Liang, president of the China Vanke Group, and Wang Wei, founder of tudou.com.

They were also recognized for their resilience and have made a name for themselves on the international stage and are certainly the pride of China.

The awards ceremony, initiated by AMG, the high-performance Mercedes-Benz brand, is now into its fifth year and has had the honor of recognizing 42 inspiring Chinese achievers in all.

Klaus Maier, president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz (China) Ltd, said that he can still clearly remember that he gave his first speech in China at the first award ceremony when he took the position five years ago.

"The award perfectly fits AMG brand as their passion and dynamism truly echo AMG's high performance and core values of will, power and dream. And more importantly, we hope the award and our brand can further inspire Chinese young generation to pursue their dreams."

"As we see a long-term development in China market, it's important for Mercedes-Benz and AMG to continue to support the award for many years," said Maier.

What made this year's awards ceremony especially noteworthy was that it not only recognized exemplary people from creative, entrepreneurial fields, but those from the fields of sports and science as well.

One symbol of innovation is Zeng Fanyi, whose research in cloning was called one of the "Top 10 medical breakthroughs around the world" by the US' TIME magazine. This is also the case for tennis darling Li Na, whose exceptional moves have inspired many budding tennis players in China.

In similar fashion, innovation has been the lifeblood of Mercedes, the automotive pioneer, since its founding 125 years ago. Its AMG brand has won the hearts of car lovers who pursue individualized, dynamic power on wheels.

The brand has continued its upsurge since entering the China market in 2007, with a line-up of eight distinct models, and has seen amazing growth, with sales of over 1,547 units in the first 10 months of this year.

The annual award ceremony was not merely a night for honoring these outstanding Chinese and their enterprising spirit. Up there on stage to share the limelight was Jutta Benz, the great-grand-daughter of the inventor of the automobile, Carl Benz, who was there to share the passion and legacy of an automobile, an institution, that has lasted for more than a century.

"Throughout Mercedes-Benz's 125 years, we've never stopped pursuing our dream. And now, as we end this remarkable year, we hope that in the coming years the award will be able to join hands with more potential stars so that together we will witness further development of the national spirit," Maier said.

(China Daily 11/20/2011 page3)