Diplomatic Pouch: With Mike Peters

Embassy staff from 91 countries, including Spain, Portugal, Italy and Denmark showcased beautiful garments from their countries at the fourth annual Diplomats' National Costume and Oriental Fashion Show in Beijing last weekend.

The event also featured a traditional Chinese costume show, during which diplomats were invited to present qipao-like evening dresses and formal suits featuring red patterns of peony flowers and phoenixes. The garments were designed by the celebrated Chinese fashion designers Zeng Dan, Liang Zi and Zhang Wei.

The one-hour show, organized by the Beijing Chaoyang Commission of Commerce and the China International Friendship and Culture Festival Committee, aims to present well-made clothing in a cultural exchange setting.

Androulla Vassiliou, European commissioner for education, culture, multilingualism and youth, was in Beijing last week to meet ministers and senior officials, and take part in the closing ceremony of the 2012 EU-China Year of Intercultural Dialogue. Vassiliou and Chinese Minister of Culture Cai Wu adopted a new joint declaration on EU-China cultural cooperation, and the commissioner also attended the launch of the first Online EU Film Festival in China and a conference on multilingualism aimed at promoting the teaching of EU languages in China and Mandarin in Europe.

Romania's Ambassador to China, Dorum Romulus Costea, and his wife, Claudia Ana, hosted a reception for their country's 94th celebration of its National Day on Nov 28 at Beijing's Marriot Northeast hotel. Costea, who assumed his post at the beginning of this year, also recently marked Romanian Army Day.

"Representatives from over 60 Chinese enterprises are visiting Romania these days and two Romanian economic delegations are going to visit Beijing and other parts of China," Costea said in an interview with People's Daily, noting that recent economic and trade cooperation includes major investment projects in renewable energy, electric power and infrastructure.

After an elegant speech that quoted Henry Kissinger and saluted 40 years of diplomatic relations between his country and China, Luxembourg's Hereditary Grand Duke Guillaume raised a glass of champagne to the ballroom crowd at Beijing's Four Seasons Hotel, toasting future ties and the business executives present who are engaged in trade between the two nations. Luxembourg's ambassador to China Carlo Krieger hosted the reception that also included Etienne Schneider, the country's minister of economy and foreign trade, who is leading a trade mission to China this week.

Fine Czech art glass made a splash in Beijing last week as the embassy's commercial counselor Petr Vavra helped to launch the Czech Glass Gallery. The new display of art was right at home - the building already includes shops that sell more commercial glassware - such as table settings, goblets and vases. Jan Hebnar, a former commercial officer at the embassy who runs the gallery's business development, also represents the high-tech crystal brand Bomma. Special guests at the opening included Sabrina Secka, wife of the Czech ambassador, and Guan Donghai, glass artist and professor at Tsinghua University.

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

(China Daily 11/30/2012 page31)