Diplomattic Pouch: With Mike Peters

Danish Ambassador Friis Arne Petersen missed the dinner reception for Chinese wind power executives this week, a long-scheduled event that was part of a seminar preceding the three-day China Wind Power 2011 exhibition in Beijing. He was accompanying Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi to Denmark this week at the invitation of Villy Sovndal, the country's new foreign minister, and Helle Thorning-Schmidt, the new prime minister.

Standing in at the wind power reception was the embassy's deputy head Soren Jacobsen, who applauded 20 years of wind-energy exchanges between the two countries, going back to the first windmill erected in China, a Danish model that still produces electricity in Xinjiang.

The European Union's two top leaders, EU Council President Herman Van Rompuy and EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso, along with Androulla Vassiliou, EU commissioner for education, culture and youth, will attend the closing ceremony on Monday for the 2011 EU-China Year of Youth in Beijing's Olympic Green.

The theme year is the first since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the EU more than 35 years ago. Youth exchange programs covered areas including volunteering, youth participation, education, culture, employment and entrepreneurship, innovation and creativity.

The Austrian embassy has announced two month-end art exhibitions. A show titled Chuan Men, opening Oct 22 in Beijing features 20 Austrian artists and five artists from other European countries to show their pieces created during their residence time in China. The exhibition runs through Nov 9 at Amelie Art Gallery in the 798 Art District.

The second exhibition, held in the National Art Museum of China is titled From Secession to Expressionism and it showcases works of Austrian painter Willy Eisenschitz. The event is part of the celebration of 40 years of Austria-China diplomatic relations this year. The exhibition runs between Oct 26 and Nov 8.

China's Vice-Foreign Minister Fu Ying met last week with Andrea Javor, director general of the Directorate for Extra-European Bilateral Cooperation of the Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Fu applauded China-Croatia relations, while Javor said that Croatia attaches great importance to the relations with China and welcomes investment from Chinese businesses. After accession to the EU, Croatia will be devoted to promoting the development of China-EU relations, China's foreign ministry website quoted her as saying.

The German Chamber of Commerce will host the annual German Ball on Nov 5 at Beijing's Kempinski hotel. Embassy insiders in Beijing joke that the German and Scottish St. Andrew's balls (December) are the only two such soirees where people actually dance. German ball ticket buyers who aren't down with the finer points of social dancing are spending Wednesday nights this month with Ken Wiland at Beijing Ballroom, for either an introduction or a brushing-up on all the fancy footwork require for the big night. The evening features a three-course gala dinner and three international bands from China and Germany.

Embassy news can be sent to mike.peters.cd@chinadaily.com.cn