John W Thompson, Chairman and CEO of Symantec Corporation, won the Marco Polo Award yesterday in Beijing for his work in promoting Sino-US personnel and friendship.

Thompson's company actively supports American professional volunteers to work in China, according to the China Association for International Exchange of Personnel, which presented the award.

Thompson led the company to become the global leader in information security solutions for individuals and companies providing a broad range of software, appliances and services.

It set up the first China office in Beijing in 1998 and organized a localized team.

Symantec China now has three offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. In June 2004, Symantec established a service centre in Beijing with a team of technical experts to address customers' technical problems.

Named after the Venetian traveller who first promoted friendship and trade between China and the West, the award is given to foreign business leaders for their contributions to Sino-US exchanges of experts in various fields, and to others for their work in economic and cultural communication between China and the United States.

Former recipients of the award include former United States President George H W Bush, Chairman and CEO of Kodak George Fisher, and Raymond Gillmartin, chairman and CEO of Merck.