The sale of "cathedral seeds" from the Shanghai Expo UK Pavilion recently won online auction website Taobao's top award.

Eight thousand seeds were sold out within two minutes after the sale was open on Taobao.com in October, the embassy announced on its website. More than 60,000 transparent rods, each containing a rare variety of seeds from the Kew Millennium Seed Bank partnership, were used to construct the distinctive, award-winning architecture of the Expo pavilion, informally known as the "Seed Cathedral". Each seed rod auctioned was issued a limited-edition serial number and an official certificate of authenticity from the UK Pavilion.

In early January, UK Deputy Ambassador Chris Wood accepted the award at Taobao's 2010 annual award ceremony held in Beijing's Water Cube. Wood also presented a check for 2.63 million yuan collected from the sale as a donation to Shanghai Cerecare, a charity founded to provide recovery training and accommodation for children who suffer from brain paralysis.

UK pavilion officials announced in October that almost all of the 60,000 acrylic rods which comprised the "cathedral" would be auctioned by Taobao. Some rods were given to botanical institutions of the two countries, while others were presented as souvenirs to heads of state and other VIPs who visited the pavilion.

Ten rods with the signature of UK Prime Minister David Cameron were put into auction, with a trigger price from 100,000 yuan, regarded as "Treasures of the Pavilion". Cameron signed his name on the 10 rods when he visited China in November 2010 to support the auction.

The sale of cathedral seeds won Taobao's top award because it combined "tuangou" (group purchase) and "miaosha" (a Chinese online consumer phenomenon in which an online store will announce that at a given time they will sell an expensive product at a low price far below market value).

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Danish Ambassador to China Friis Arne Petersen recently hosted 30 Danish wind-energy subcontractors who attended a seminar held at the embassy. The event was the first membership meeting of Danish Wind Energy Group China in 2011.

"The Chinese wind market has kept a fast and stable growth rate," Petersen said. "It's good to see so many Danish wind companies being involved and I hope Danish wind sub suppliers will attract even more Chinese customers in the new year." The ambassador noted that in the upcoming 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015), China will invest even more in non-fossil energy, including the wind sector.

Danish Wind Energy Group China (DWEG China) was established in 2009 by the Danish Export Association and now includes 46 companies - All Danish wind-power sub-suppliers active on the Chinese market.

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Three German scientists and a French scientist were honored with this year's "International Science and Technology Cooperation Award" recently by the Chinese government. In a ceremony in the Great Hall of the People, President Hu Jintao presented former German environment minister and head of the UN Environment Program Klaus Tpfer the award for his outstanding achievements in environmental cooperation. Two other German scientists, astrophysicist Albert Hermann Gerhard Boerner and building materials expert Folker Helfrid Wittmann were honored for their close scientific cooperation with China.

French physicist Roger M. Bonnet's early work focused on solar physics: In 1963, he ran the first French space astronomy experiment on board the Vronique rocket from Hammaguir in the Sahara. Bonnet's award citation applauded his contributions to international cooperation with China in space-related areas.

A US scientist, Gao Zhongxue, also won the international prize. The awards were conferred at a ceremony held for China's annual national science and technology awards in the Great Hall of the People.

The International Science and Technology Cooperation Award was launched in 1994 by the State Council. Up to 10 foreign individuals and organizations each year can receive it.

State Councilor Liu Yandong honored the international prize winners in a special reception, and she underlined the great importance of international research cooperation for the economic and social development of China.

(China Daily 01/30/2011 page5)