Events

Diplomatic Pouch >>With Mike Peters

The British embassy has partnered with Sina, the biggest web portal in China, to keep the online community connected with royal wedding excitement this week. It is the first time a royal wedding has had a significant digital presence in China, says embassy spokesman John Gallagher, who promised netizens "a fantastic online experience" live on the wedding day itself.

In addition to the live feed, Sina Weibo has featured advertisements for the wedding content. A special "Will and Kate Wishes" pages allows people to "offer their thoughts and hopes for the young couple and have a chance to win prizes", the UK embassy's website promises.

The official royal wedding website in Britain was launched on March 2 and has received 9.5 million page views as of April 19.

Chinese pianist and classical music superstar Lang Lang, 28, will present a recital of Bach, Schubertand Chopin at Oslo Concert Hall on May 10, according to the Norwegian embassy in Beijing.

Lang Lang's breakthrough came at the age of 17, when he was hastily invited to the Gala of the Century, a part of the Ravinia Festival in Chicago. Now familiar at the world's most well-known concert halls, he has performed at concerts with the Berlin Philharmonic, the Vienna Philharmonic and other top orchestras all over the world.

Lang Lang has also appeared in many showcase events, including the opening of the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008 and at the 50th Grammy Awards in 2008 with the legendary jazz pianist Herbie Hancock. His new recording of Beethoven's piano concertos Nos. 1 and 4 with L'Orchestre de Paris was nominated for a Grammy Award, and Lang Lang appeared on the Billboard New Artist chart in the highest position for any classical artist. In 2008, the Recording Academy named him its cultural ambassador to China.

The German Chamber of Commerce in Beijing will host its third "German Career Day" Job Fair on May 14 at the Swissotel. Forty German companies met more than 600 candidates at the 2010 fair, including budding young professionals from local elite universities, talented returnees from Germany and foreign local hires, which the chamber's website says "proves that German companies are regarding recruitment as a strategic imperative".

Czech Ambassador Libor Secka hosted an exhibition-opening party for the Chinese artist Zeng Pu, whose appearance and art was augmented by a short concert by Zina Blahuov on the electric violin. The program was part of the embassy's ongoing three-year Embassy Art series, underwritten by Czech automaker Skoda and Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei.

Danish Ambassador Friis Arne Petersen met last week with the vice-chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National People's Congress, Ma Wenpu. The Danish embassy says the two exchanged views on a number of the most important foreign policy issues today as well as the new 12th Five Year Plan and its impact on Chinese growth and sustainability. The ambassador and the vice-chairman first met each other in 1997, when Ma was vice-minister in the international department of the Communist Party of China and Petersen was permanent state secretary of the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Embassy news can be sent to: mike.peters.cd@gmail.com