Diplomatic Pouch: With Mike Peters

Greece's Ambassador to China Theodore Georgakelos was in Tianjin last week to visit the Center of Byzantine Studies at Nankai University. He met the university's vice-rector, Zhang Shiqi; the vice-director of the Office of International Academic Exchanges, Lin Runhui; the director of the Center of Byzantine Studies, Chen Zhiqiang; and with professors and students.

Georgakelos said this year marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries. He discussed politics and trade, cultural relations and Greek jewelry, and presented books to the center's library.

Zhang thanked the ambassador for the support, including student scholarships and books. The Greek embassy's website says that the director of the center, Chen, is the most renowned researcher of Byzantine history in China.

Sixty-four years after Wu Chengzhang first set foot in Britain to play Olympic basketball for his country, he was back for this year's Games. The 88-year-old former athlete wrote to Sebastian Wood, the British ambassador in Beijing, to express his desire to see his team play in London once more, the embassy says.

In 1948, when he was 24, Wu traveled to London as part of a 33-man Chinese squad eager to bring home the gold. He scored 32 points in a game against Iraq, setting a record for the highest personal score for one game. His team did not get beyond the quarter-finals in 1948 but defeated Britain, 54-25. This year China lost to Britain, 90-58, and was knocked out of the tournament.

Aart Jacobi, the new Dutch ambassador to China, assumed office last week, saying the posting in Beijing is "a long cherished wish of mine that has been realized. The Netherlands has a comprehensive relationship with China and these relations are of growing importance. I look forward to further shape them".

Jacobi graduated from the University of Leiden, where he studied Japanese language and culture; he is also a graduate of Kyoto University, where he specialized in Japanese constitutional law. "My previous long-term stay in Asia has enriched me with some knowledge about the region," Jacobi says, adding that he is eager "to apply this knowledge again and bring it up-to-date". Previously the Netherlands' ambassador to Surinam, Jacobi is an avid swimmer, literature lover and soccer expert. He is married and has two children.

A group of about 20 students completed a study tour of China's energy developments last week, including a visit to the Yanqing county solar tower plant operated by the Institute of Electrical Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Organized by the EU delegation to China, the European students also took part in a workshop on barriers to and benefits of international cooperation between China and Europe, and visited the Tianjin Eco-city, the solar complex in Dezhou and Tsinghua University.

Citizens of Finland, a member state of the European Union, Iceland and Norway with a municipality of residence in Finland who are currently living in China may vote in Finland's municipal elections in advance beginning Oct 17. Citizens of other states who have had their municipality of residence in Finland for a continuous period of at least two years also have the right to vote. Details and schedules for voting at the embassy in Beijing or in consulates at Shanghai and Hong Kong are online at www.finland.cn.

Send embassy and consulate news to michaelpeters@chinadaily.com.cn.

(China Daily 08/17/2012 page31)