Events

Diplomatic Pouch >> With Mike Peters

Slovak Ambassador Frantisek Dlhopolcek will host his country's first Tourist Day in China on April 12. Presentations will include opportunities for thermal water and spa holidays, and a reception afterward will showcase Slovak wines and food, says embassy spokesman Michal Horvat.

Dlhopolcek hosted similar events with the Slovak Tourist Board when he was posted at the embassy in London, and he hopes to make the program in Beijing an annual event.

The Danish embassy officially launched its microblog on Sina this week, with a quiz contest on Danish design and architecture. Competitors can win an exclusive tour of the residence of Danish Ambassador Friis Arne Petersen.

The amabassdor's home includes includes "some of the best examples of furnishings and design from his country", including furniture by the celebrated Danish architect Arne Jacobsen.

Although the microblog became "official" this week, it went online with a soft opening three weeks ago, and embassy spokesman Lasse Karner says the blog is already the fourth largest embassy microblog on Sina.com, with more followers than those of France and Australia. Only the US, UK and Japanese embassies have more followers, he says.

The embassy also announced that Danish exports to China increased by 17 percent in 2010. Chinese consumers and companies bought Danish goods worth 1.84 billion euros last year, more than doubling the value of exports five years ago.

Top-sellers: machines and accessories for manufacturing, medical and pharmaceutical products. Another figure reflecting expanding trade: About 400 Danish companies are now operating in China.

The Swiss embassy presented the exhibition "From Pyramids to Spacecraft" during the month of March in China, after the show toured the United States, Japan and Singapore.

On display at the Beijing University for Astronautics and Aeronautics, the show highlighted projects of the design studio Architecture and Vision, founded by Swiss architect Andreas Vogler and Italian architect Arturo Vittori. The architects say the chosen projects highlight the "precious value of resources like water, energy, food and air".

The two architects also hosted conferences about landscape and environment, with invited professors from the Federal Institute of Technology Zurich and the University of Applied Sciences in Berne.

The EU and China have announced a joint five-year trade project designed to provide technical assistance to support China's economic reforms and boost sustainable trade and investment.

Dacian Ciolos, European Commissioner responsible for agriculture and rural development and Chen Deming, Chinese Minister of Commerce, presented the agreement focused on strengthening infrastructure for agriculture, food safety, rural development, business climate, international trade, intellectual property management and public procurement procedures.

The new cooperation program is funded by the European Commission (20 million euros) with a contribution in kind from the Chinese government worth up to 5 million euros, according to an EU statement.

At the invitation of China's Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, Federal Foreign Minister and Deputy Chancellor Guido Westerwelle of Germany will pay an official visit to China from March 31 to April 2.