Chinese Nobel laureate Mo Yan awarded order of merit in Algeria

Algeria on Monday awarded Chinese Nobel laureate Mo Yan with the National Order of Merit Medal "El Athir" in honor of him and the Chinese culture.

The medal was awarded to Mo by Prime Minister Ahmed Ouyahia on behalf of President Abdelaziz Bouteflika, as Algeria and China celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, and as part of the kickoff of the Algiers International Book Fair in which China is the guest of honor.

Mo expressed his appreciation, saying the medal is "a great encouragement for the work he has been doing."

Prime Minister Ouyahia hailed the award to Mo as "a brilliant moment that is added to what has been done together between China and Algeria in the 60 years of common path, a path ... with diplomatic, political and partnership achievements."

"Both sides have builded up a strong platform for cooperation, and honoring Mo Yan is another precious cultural and popular brick for this platform," he noted.

Mo, 63 years old, won Nobel Prize for Literature in 2012. On Tuesday, he is to give a lecture at the Algiers International Book Fair.

The book fair kicked off on Monday, attracting around 1,000 local and foreign publishers from 47 countries and regions. As many as 300,000 works of literature, history, science and other areas will be exhibited.