Diplomatic Pouch: With Mike Peters

Kristalina Georgieva, the European commissioner for international cooperation, humanitarian aid and crisis response, visited China last week to launch a new collaboration on disaster risk management. The EU will share its expertise to help China strengthen its national system of disaster risk management, while both sides will profit from much closer dialogue and cooperation in this area.

During her talks with State Councilor Ma Kai, the Chinese Academy of Governance and different ministries, the EU delegation said both sides agreed that an increasing number of natural disasters is being induced by the negative effects of climate change. The cooperation between China and the EU will cover disaster preparedness and prevention and institutional mechanisms and the stronger involvement of civil society in civil protection and emergency management.

The party for Queen Elizabeth II's diamond jubilee continues as celebrations of her 60 years on the British throne rippled from London to Beijing to Hong Kong and then picked up in Chongqing last month.

The British consulate-general, in collaboration with Hong Kong Land at its Yorkville luxury residential park, served up a selection of British cuisine luxury drinks brands including 21-year-old Scotch whisky from Royal Salute; the famous liqueur, Bailey's Irish Cream; and fine teas from Twinings. Three hundred people attended the jubilee event, and the British Council's Selector radio show (broadcast in Chongqing every weekend) provided music for the event from some of Britain's brightest and most innovative new bands and musical acts, the consulate said.

As the UK celebrated the queen's 60th year on the throne, the foreign office published the annual Diplomatic Service and Overseas Birthday Honours. Those receiving awards work in fields as diverse as business, justice, stabilization and development, education, healthcare, conservation, art and charitable work. This year's 94 awards to British citizens or those from a Commonwealth country included Anthony Nightingale, lately managing director, the Jardine Matheson Group, Hong Kong. The government said that Nightingale, who retired in March, "worked tirelessly to promote British business interests in Asia, the world's fastest growing region, leading massive business growth, and also increasing investment in the British economy".

'Fete del la musique", the French music festival organized by the Young French Chambres of Commerce and put on around the world since 1982, makes its debut in Beijing this year with free performances in clubs and restaurants around the capital with music ranging from rock 'n' roll, dub step, reggae, blues, jazz to electro with bands. The French embassy is a supporter and will host an event with the newly relocated Flo Brasserie restaurant. Chinese and French artists have been invited to stage a live performance.

The Serbian embassy hosted a celebration on June 23 for the Serbian School in Beijing to mark the end of the school year, with a concert and recitals.

Slovak Ambassador to China Frantisek Dlhopolcek hosted Slovak business days last week, with tourism destinations the focus on Wednesday, Slovak water and wine on Thursday and investment opportunities on Friday.

Send embassy news to michaelpeters@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 06/22/2012 page31)