Two dozen diplomats joined a bamboo-planting ceremony for Earth Day last week, as the International Bamboo and Rattan Network hosted an Ambassador's Day program.

Zhao Shucong, head of the State Forestry Administration, led the VIPs speaking at the event, joining INBAR staff and diplomats from many of the 38 countries that are members of the bamboo network. Speakers gave a special acknowledgement to envoys in the group who have recently come to China, including Guy Saint-Jacques of Canada, Michael Kinyanjui of Kenya, Mahesh Kumar Maskey of Nepal, Abdoulaye Fall of Senegal, Muhammad Azizul Haque of Bangladesh, Carmenza Jaramillo of Colombia, and Jose M. Borja of Ecuador.

Spain's new ambassador to China, Manuel Valencia Alonso, opened an embassy-sponsored exhibition, From Picasso to Barcelo. Spanish Sculpture of the 20th Century, at the National Art Museum of China on April 22. The exhibition, which runs through June 30, features works from more than two dozen artists, including Salvador Dali, Pablo Picasso and Joan Miro, and shows the development of 20th-century Spanish sculpture. Alonso didn't have a chance to enjoy all of the opening festivities, however. After his speech, he left the museum to meet President Xi Jinping to formally present his credentials.

Israeli Ambassador Matan Vilnai hosted a reception to celebrate the 65th anniversary of the nation's independence last weekend at Beijing's Kempinski Hotel. The event featured an exhibition by Leonid Padrul, head of the photographic department of Eretz Israel Museum in Tel Aviv, whose main interest is photographing the Dead Sea.

Celebrating 25 years of diplomatic relations between Uruguay and China, Uruguay's Ambassador Rosario Portell hosted an exhibition that included digital images by Laura Olivera, a student from that country at Beijing Foreign Studies University.

The EU delegation to China hosted the annual general meeting and the elections of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China on April 24. In his capacity of honorary president, Ambassador Markus Ederer welcomed around 100 EUCCC voting corporate members and delegated the conduct of the election to Christophe Besse, first counselor and head of the trade and investment section of the EU delegation. The chamber's president, Davide Cucino, was re-elected for a third term.

French Ambassador to China Sylvie Bermann and EU Deputy Head of Mission Carmen Cano met with European researchers at the French embassy recently, as more than 100 researchers from Europe and China came together for a cooperative workshop.

The Norwegian embassy hosted about 30 students from Beijing International Studies University on April 17 for a briefing on the Scandinavian nation and its foreign policy. Afterward, the embassy hosted a reception for the students at the residence of Ambassador Svein O. Saether.

Cambodia's Ambassador to China Khek M. Caimealy presented Beijing photographer Rita Zhao's latest multimedia exhibition about ASEAN countries last week at Guangxi University for the Nationalities. Khmer Smile features 90 photographs and oil paintings by Zhao with the theme of Cambodia's nature, history, art, culture and people.

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

(China Daily 04/28/2013 page5)