Diplomatic Pouch: With Mike Peters

Dozens of embassies and NGOs welcomed the public to Beijing's Chao-yang Park last weekend for a charity bazaar organized by Le Aimei, wife of the Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi.

Shoppers found great deals on Moldovan wine, Lithuanian crafts, Ukrainian pastries, Turkish ceramics, Russian vodka and much more, with proceeds doing to Lifeline Express, a mobile eye hospital train that provides cataract surgeries for needy patients in China.

Cross-cultural entertainers such as the Romanian singer Mugur Ciugancan, one-time winner of a Chinese singing contest on TV for foreigners, kept the crowd in a party mood.

The Swedish embassy in Beijing and the consulate in Shanghai are inviting Chinese nationals to compete in a photography contest, Swedish inventions through the eyes of Chinese. The competition is part of the exhibition Innovative Sweden, being shown at Tsinghua University in Beijing until Sept 26.

Between 30 and 50 finalists will have their photos published in a book on Swedish innovation. The public will be invited to vote for the best picture from the finalists, and prizes include a trip to Sweden for the top photographer, the embassy says on its website.

The winners will be announced at Tongji University when the exhibition moves there for a showing from Nov 2 to Nov 28, and all of the finalists will be on display.

EU and Chinese officials have announced a joint project to improve safety in coal mining and other high-risk sectors of Chinese industry. Koos Richelle, head of the EU's Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion, and Sun Huashan, vice-minister of the Chinese State Administration of Work Safety, meet on Sept 20 to launch the campaign. The goal is to achieve standards of work safety and health comparable with those prevailing in the EU, including the goal of a zero-fatality rate.

German Ambassador to China Michael Schaefer was on a panel in Cologne last week with his counterpart, Chinese Ambassador to Germany Shi Mingde, as the two launched a business and investors forum for about 400 managers and experts from both countries. Schaefer spoke at the opening of Dragon Dance in Cologne, a three-day festival celebrating the 25th year of Cologne's sister-city relationship with Beijing.

Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt ended her visit to China last week with a stop in Shanghai, meeting a delegation of CEOs and specialists in the maritime industries of both countries. Danish Ambassador Friis Arne Petersen, Danish Consul General Karsten Ankjaer Jensen, Chairman of Shanghai International Port Group Chen Xuyuan, CEO of Danish Maritime Jenny Braat, and CEO of Maersk Terminals Kim Fejferled led discussions about future cooperation in maritime shipping and shipbuilding.

Czech Ambassador to China Libor Secka and his wife, Sabrina, host the Emil Viklicky Jazz Trio for a reception and concert for embassy guests on Sept 21. The trio is in town to perform at Beijjing's 7th Ninegates Jazz Festival, in the Xicheng Cultural Center (Binfen Theater) on Sept 20.

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

(China Daily 09/20/2012 page31)