On behalf of the Head of State Rumen Radev, Vice President Iliana Iotova presented the Order of Sts. Cyril and Methodius, first degree, to Professor Ma Sipu, the press office of the president reported.

The award was presented at an official ceremony at the Beijing Foreign Studies University and is awarded to the Chinese scholar of Bulgarian studies as a sign of gratitude for his great contribution to the popularization of Bulgarian history, language and culture in China.

Professor Ma Sipu graduated from Sofia University. His research interests include the Balkan countries with an emphasis on Bulgaria. Together with his graduates, he published a two-volume Bulgarian-Chinese and Chinese-Bulgarian dictionary. He has also written a textbook on the history of Bulgaria in Chinese.

Vice President Iotova also presented the university library with a number of Bulgarian books.

Editor: Ivo Ivanov

Publication in English: Al. Markov

Photo: President.bg