China recognizes foreign experts

Editor's note: The International Science and Technology Cooperation Award, the highest award of the Chinese government given to foreign scientists who have made significant contributions to the development of science and technology in China, honored seven foreign experts this year. China Daily received responses from six of the winners on their feelings about the award, the recent sci-tech boom in China and their careers here.

Evgeny Velikhov, 81, from Russia, is a world-leading expert in nuclear fusion, a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, member of European Academy of Sciences and foreign member of the US National Academy of Engineering. Velikhov is an initiator and key player of the ITER Project - an International nuclear fusion research and engineering project. Under the help of Velikhov, Russia donated a T-7 superconducting tokamak (a device that uses a magnetic field to shape plasma) to the Institute of Plasma Physics affiliated to the Chinese Academy of Sciences. China became a partner of the ITER Project in 2003 and is playing an increasingly important role.

My own country has already delivered me the highest state glories - I became a full Knight Order of Merit. Additional recognition that I am receiving from my good Chinese friends and comrades is of course a vast privilege to me.