Observing the success of The Voice of China, a television show produced by Zhejiang TV Station, the Dutch embassy reports on its website that Chinese media have recently noted the show originated from the immensely popular The Voice of Holland.

At its peak on Sept 30 last year, the Chinese show achieved a record-high audience rating in excess of 6 percent nationwide. From ads and copyright sales of the first season's 10 episodes, the program made a profit of over 300 million yuan ($48.4 million;37 million euros), according to Chinese media.

Du Fang, vice-president of Zhejiang TV Station, is quoted as saying: "We are still weak in putting good ideas into shape here in TV circles in China. We may have very original ideas, but we are unable to develop them into standard formats of good aesthetic form or satisfactory design. We refer to The Voice as a role model."

The Netherlands ranks third in the world in terms of TV program exports, the embassy said. The Dutch government adopts a non-interference policy toward the creative industry, but works to promote the industry's growth and remove trade barriers, and organize better intellectual property-rights protection.

Counselor Mikael Broman of the Swedish embassy attended last week's inauguration of the Beijing Alignment Academy. Founded by Swedish companies Car-O-Liner and Josam, the school will offer collision-repair training courses to technicians, insurance personnel, car manufacturers, technical instructors and schools within the automotive industry. Car-O-Liner and Josam produce vehicle collision-repair systems and are part of the promotion project "Swedish Sustainable Transportation Solutions" that aims to guarantee safe vehicles and a safe transportation system.

EU Ambassador Markus Ederer gave a lecture on "European history: how the rule of law has shaped the European Union" to more than 100 students and faculty members of the China-EU School of Law, at the China University of Political Science and Law on April 10.

In his meeting with CUPL President Huang Jin, the ambassador reconfirmed the EU's continued commitment to the future of CESL's development as an internationally renowned law school and plans for a joint EU-China center of excellence for academic exchanges and research in the rule of law. Ederer also noted the recent leadership change within the CESL management, welcoming the new Chinese co-dean, Liu Fei, and the new European co-dean, Aalt Willem Heringa, to the CESL project.

Finnish Ambassador to China Lars Backstrom and his wife Brigitta hosted a reception at their residence on April 8 for Sauli Niinisto, Finland's president, and his wife Jenni Haukio.

The couple was in China for the Boao Forum for Asia, held in the Hainan resort city of Sanya. China's President Xi Jinping learned that Sunday was the Finnish first lady's birthday and surprised her with a big cake at the official lunch.

A healthcare delegation headed by Swedish Minister for Health and Social Affairs Goran Hagglund will visit China from April 14 to18.

Hagglund will meet with his Chinese counterpart at the National Health and Family Planning Commission, Li Bin, and attend a Sino-Swedish seminar on value-based healthcare in Beijing. He will also visit the China Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the State Food and Drug Administration.

Send embassy news to michaelpeters@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 04/12/2013 page31)