BEIJING - Chinese netizens have been invited to vote for "China's Good Samaritans" of the year.

Initiated and sponsored by Xinhua News Agency, netizens can vote for their favorites at www.xinhuanet.com and www.qq.com, as well as via microblogs and smartphone applications, between December 1 and December 20, according to a jury panel statement.

A total of 10 individuals or groups will be selected from 60 candidates.

Last week, 10 individuals and groups chosen by netizens as "China's Good Samaritans" for the fourth quarter of 2012 were unveiled after seven days of polling by web users.

The 10 latest winners joined 30 others chosen in the previous three quarters and 20 candidates nominated by the jury to contest the final ballot.

According to the statement, the nominees include Luo Yang, head of the production phase of the J-15, who suffered a heart attack and died in hospital at the age of 51 last month. He spent days observing tests of jet landings on China's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning.

Zhang Lili, a middle school teacher in Northeast China's Heilongjiang province, who lost her legs while saving two students from an onrushing bus, is also a candidate.

The final decision will be made after online voting and reviews by the jury panel, which consists of experts and media representatives.

A ceremony will be held in January next year where the final laureates of 2012 will be unveiled, the statement concluded.

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