Diplomatic Pouch: With Mike Peters

Dramatic black-and-white business suits with elegant high heels from the fashion house Donna Rosi kicked off a runway show at the Slovakian embassy this week, as representatives from a dozen couture and jewelry designers pitched their wares for the media and Chinese buyers.

The women's wear will take some time to reach retail stories, says Slovak Fashion Council CEO Zuzana Bobikova, who organized the show with the embassy's economic counselor Ivana Magatova, but the opportunity for the group to meet buyers with such a presentation was "enormous".

Ambassador Frantisek Dlhopolcek also treated about 200 guests to a supper buffet and a tasting of 17 Slovak wines presented by Elesko CEO Martin Marsalek.

The event was not the first foray into China by the family-owned Donna Rosi, says the firm's representative Alexandra Madrova, who was in Beijing to outfit the athletes and delegation from Slovakia for the 2008 Olympic Games. The milliner was back in 2010 for a similar role at the Shanghai Expo.

Wednesday's runway show also featured the knits-dominated line of Dana Kleinert and a new collection from Katie's Bag presented by Katarine Feix.

EU Ambassador to China Markus Ederer and China's Vice-Minister for Water Resources Jiao Yong say they will launch a China-Europe Water Platform at the 6th World Water Forum in Marseille this month. The project, announced last week after a meeting that also included Portuguese Ambassador Jose Tadeu Soares and Danish Ambassador Friis Arne Petersen, will promote water sector reforms and improvements, capacity-building, research and business cooperation. The effort follows the five-year EU-China River Basin Management Programme, which was supported by a EU grant of 25 million euros ($33.3 million), the EU Delegation says on its website.

"Water scarcity still poses many challenges to China's growth," Jiao said.

"In a global context," Ederer said, "water will be the new gold and will be one of the most important strategic issues in relation to future world security."

Germany's ambassador to China, Michael Schaefer, spoke last week at the opening round of Renmin University's Jessup International Law Moot Court, "the fourth year I have the honor to address this exciting gathering of young lawyers from China".

China has competed in each of the past nine years, and Schaefer said that the event covers various aspects of international law such as state responsibility in armed conflicts, the legitimacy of the use of force, human rights and the protection of world heritage in armed conflicts. "Chinese participants have performed very well in the international rounds," he told the crowd, which included Renmin University's president Chen Yulu.

Wine in China magazine, which focuses on marketing wine culture in the Asian country, recently saluted Eugenio Bregolat, Spain's ambassador to China, and Carl Worker, New Zealand's ambassador, with awards for "Outstanding Contribution to Wine Promotion".

The magazine has a nationwide circulation of almost 70,000 copies and announced its 2011 Rubis Awards, a list of the Top 100 wines which are currently available in the Chinese market.

Embassy and consulate news can be sent to michaelpeters@chinadaily.com.cn