On 19 June, a ceremony was held in the Embassy, during which the Professor Ma Xipu was awarded the Gold Medal for his merits in strengthening Serbian-Chinese friendship through the promotion of Serbian history. On behalf of the President of the Republic of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, Ambassador Maja Stefanović presented the award to the Professor Ma.

In his address, Professor Ma expressed gratitude for the award, which is not only a recognition of his academic work, but also of the long-term ties between the two nations. Prof. Ma said the award is a great boost to his research efforts, which, despite his age, he will continue as long as his health allows. He sent his best wishes for the progress of Serbia and the well-being of Serbian people.

Ambassador Maja Stefanović pointed out in her speech that the scientific work of Prof. Ma, which covered topics from Serbia's past and present, contributed to Serbia's visibility in Chinese academic circles and additionally drew attention to issues of our vital concerns globaly.

In addition to the laureate and his wife, the ceremony was attended by the Deputy Director of the Institute of World History of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Mr. Liu Jien, the director of the Institute of Global and Regional Studies of Capital Normal University, Mr. Liang Zhangjien, representatives of the MOFA of China, Beijing University of Foreign Studies, as well as local and national media.