Diplomatic Pouch: With Mike Peters

Cyprus' Ambassador to China Ioanna Malliotis and EU Ambassador to China Markus Ederer met the press in Beijing to mark the July 1 assumption of the EU presidency by Cyprus.

Malliotis said her country was seeking economic assistance from the EU because of the financial crisis but that will not impede its role in the presidential chair nor preclude the country from seeking investment from China and elsewhere. She said the embassy will host a series of cultural events over the coming months to introduce the Chinese people to Cyprus.

Ederer gave a preview of bilateral relations ahead of the EU-China strategic dialogue that begins July 9 and the 15th China-EU summit scheduled this autumn in Brussels.

"Since I read a lot of negative news about the EU in the press lately," he said, "let me remind you that with a GDP of $12.6 trillion, the EU remains the biggest economic force in the world and the biggest market for China in the world."

Noting there has been much discussion about achieving a balance of trade, Ederer said that will require closing off some of Europe's markets, "which nobody wants", or opening up new sectors in China to Europe, particularly banking, logistics and other service industries, and public procurement.

"Europe is the most open public procurement market in the world," he said, "and Chinese companies are very successful there."

Malliotis, who arrived in Beijing five months ago, said she was excited by the challenge and the opportunity that the EU presidency presented.

The French embassy hosted the National Center for Dairy Industries of France last week for a French cheese promotion party in Beijing, offering information about the culture of the country's cheese and tastings of brie, Camembert and other dairy products to Chinese guests.

The Danish parliament's foreign policy committee recently visited Beijing and Qinghai province to explore and discuss China's environmental, social, economic and political challenges as well as foreign policy.

In Beijing the committee met Vice-Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Ismail Tiliwaldi, Vice-Chairman Ma Wenpu of the NPC Foreign Affairs Committee, Vice-Minister Zhu Weiqun of the United Front Work Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, Vice-Minister Liu Jieyi of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee and Xie Hangsheng, vice-minister of foreign affairs. The group also met several foreign and domestic observers and representatives from civil society and universities.

The EU-China River Basin Management Program recently held its closing ceremony in Beijing, with a review of five years of work to establish cooperation on water resources management. Speakers included Chen Lei, minister of water resources of China; Markus Ederer, head of the European Union delegation to China and Mongolia; and Tadeu Soares, ambassador of Portugal to China.

The Spanish Cultural Center, or Cervantes Institute, recently hosted Dia E, celebrating the Spanish language in Beijing. The fun included music, a table football tournament, salsa workshops, karaoke in Spanish, food tasting and information booths from Spanish-speaking countries.

Send embassy news to michaelpeters@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 07/06/2012 page31)