The French embassy and the EU delegation in China teamed up to mark International Women's Day with a seminar on sexual harassment and discrimination against women last week at Peking University. The seminar was opened by Herve Dejean de la Batie, minister-counselor of the French embassy, and closed by Carmen Cano, the deputy head of the EU delegation to China. "The seminar was a good opportunity for French and Chinese experts to share their experience on a challenge which all our societies are facing, the implementation of the fundamental principle of equal rights for all," the EU delegation said in a statement.

Finnish President Sauli Niinist announced last week that he will appoint Counselor for Foreign Affairs Jari Gustafsson to head the embassy of Finland in China from Sept 1. Gustafsson transfers to Beijing from Tokyo, where he has served as Finland's ambassador since 2009. Gustafsson has previously served on the board of directors of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in London and as deputy director-general of the Department for Trade Policy of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Gustafsson has also worked as Counselor of Industry at Finland's Permanent Representation to the OECD in Paris, and has held various positions in the Ministry of Trade and Industry, the last position there being director of the Foreign Trade Group.

The Swedish embassy announced that the Swedish photographer Peter deRu will exhibit his catalog Sven this month at the Three Shadows Photography Art Centre in Beijing. De Ru is represented at several Swedish state institutions, including Swedish Radio, the Nobel museum, the Karolinska Hospital and the National Museum in Stockholm. The Beijing show opens on March 9 and continues until April 6.

German Ambassador to China Michael Schaefer recently presented the Grand Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany to former Chinese ambassador to Germany Ma Canrong, saluting Ma as "China's great diplomat and a great friend of Germany". Schaefer thanked Ma for his role in smoothing relations between Berlin and Beijing for nearly eight years beginning in 2002. "Today you are one of the best and most dedicated connoisseurs of Germany in China," Schaefer said at the medal ceremony attended by Chinese Minister of Science and Technology Wan Gang.

The German Embassy School will host a jazz concert by the Beijing International Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Maria Nauen on March 23 and March 24 at 4pm in the school auditorium. The program will include George Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue and other classics by Duke Ellington, Glen Miller, Astor Piazzolla. Another highlight will be contemporary classical music by Brent Parker, a New Zealander who is working and composing in Beijing.

Danish Ambassador Friis Arne Petersen hosted a combined event last week: the opening reception of the new "Young Artist Painting Exhibition" and a conversation with the Danish author Jan Sonnergaard. The exhibition featured new paintings by the artist Yu Jun, and the ambassador said the art shows in the embassy were designed to give guest Chinese artists a platform to express their thoughts through art and to reach a new and important audience. Sonnergaard also took part in the Capital M literary festival while in Beijing.

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

(China Daily 03/08/2013 page31)