The French Chamber of Commerce and Ambassador to China Sylvie Bermann will welcome business partners and invited French nationals to celebrate the country's July 14 national day, more colorfully known as Bastille Day, in Beijing's CBD. Tastings of French cuisine and wines are planned, the embassy website says, and French consulates in Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou will also host festivities.

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The Royal Society awarded the King Charles II medal to Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao during his recent state visit, the British embassy in Beijing announced. The medal was awarded at a special ceremony at the Royal Society, where Wen gave a speech during his UK visit.

Since taking office in 2003, the embassy said, Wen has "overseen one of the most ambitious programs of national research investment the world has ever seen. Science and technology have been placed at the heart of China's planning and national development and it is recognized as a common value to human kind through school and university education."

Wen has a professional background in geology and engineering.

The King Charles II medal is awarded to foreign heads of state or government who have been leaders in furthering scientific research in their countries.

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The Venezuelan embassy hosted about a thousand guests on July 5 to mark the bicentennial of the signing of the Declaration of Independence of Venezuela. Two weeks earlier, at the Simn Rodrguez Cultural Center of the embassy, the embassy kicked off a campaign for Venezuelan cinema in China's capital with the presentation of the latest production by Venezuelan director Roman Chalbaud, Days of Power.

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Ministers from the member states of the European Free Trade Association (EFTA) - Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland - and Hong Kong recently signed a Free Trade Agreement (FTA). The FTA will further enhance the economic ties and promote trade and investment between the two sides. For the first time, the EFTA negotiated a free trade agreement with a separate chapter on trade and environment.

The EFTA-Hong Kong, China FTA was signed by ministers of the four European countries and by Gregory So Kam-leung, acting secretary for commerce and economic development of Hong Kong.

The Norwegian embassy website said the deal is "an important contribution to ensuring that our trade with Hong Kong is contributing to sustainable development". The EFTA ministerial meeting in 2010 agreed to include a chapter on trade and sustainable development in all future negotiations on free trade agreements.

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Pakistan's ambassador to China, Masood Khan, praised the record number of Pakistani students - 108 - who received diplomas last week from Xinjiang Medical University.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony in Urumqi, Khan expressed hope that with more and more Chinese universities offering the courses in English, the number of Pakistan students seeking higher education across China would increase to 10,000 in the coming years.

Currently, close to 600 overseas students from 21 countries are studying at the Xinjiang Medical University; more than 480 are from Pakistan.

Embassy news can be sent to mike.peters.cd@gmail.com.

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