PESCARA, ITALY -- Chinese radio astronomer Li Di was awarded the Marcel Grossmann Award on Tuesday for his research contributions in the field of fast radio burst (FRBs).

Li, the chief scientist of China's Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical Radio Telescope (FAST), is the first Chinese scientist to receive the prestigious physics prize for achievements accomplished in China.

Li was awarded for his groundbreaking contributions to the scientific capabilities of the world's most sensitive radio telescope, including precise measurements of interstellar magnetic fields and advancing the study of FRBs to a high statistical significance, according to the committee of the 17th Marcel Grossmann Meeting, currently underway in Pescara, Italy, until Friday.

"Humans share the same sky, and the international opening of astronomy is inevitable," Li told Xinhua in an interview. "Strengthening China-EU cooperation, especially through the open sharing of astronomical data between the two sides, can greatly advance cutting-edge exploration and effectively prevent decoupling."