1st Ld-Writethru: China Focus: CAS, CAE elect new members since voting restriction

The Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), the country's top academic institutions, have elected their first new members since revising their charters to cut administrative interference.

Sixty-one scientists from 157 candidates, with an average age of 53.9, have been elected CAS members, bringing the total membership to 777, the academy announced on Monday.

Of the 61 new members, nine are women, the greatest number of female scientists elected in a single membership expansion in about two decades. Jiang Jie, chief designer of the Long March 3A carrier rocket, is one of them.

Additionally, 12 foreign scientists from the United States, Britain, Germany, Finland, Sweden and Pakistan, including two Nobel Laureates, were elected to the CAS.

Scientists with notable achievements in satellites, big data and the Internet are among 70 new members of the CAE.

The total number of CAE members reached 852 after the additions.

The new members' average age is 56.2, the eldest being 73 and the youngest 47.

Of the 70 new CAE members, 67 are men, with 49 from universities and research institutes and 21 from businesses and hospitals.

In a letter addressing the new members, the CAE asked them to be prudent in accepting offers of public titles, and to "politely turn down offers with excessively high or inappropriate material benefits."

Bai Chunli, CAS president, told new members to show academic integrity, serve China and its people, and avoid entangling themselves in interest groups.

Membership of the CAS and CAE is the highest national academic title in science and engineering. It is held for life.

In June 2014, the CAS and CAE redrafted their charters to address a profit-making tendency and deprive governments, universities and enterprises of nomination rights in their member election and exit procedures.

Nominating rights are now limited to incumbent members and academic groups. Endi