Germany and France have been celebrating 50 years of postwar peace, codified in the Elysee Treaty that has been a hallmark of friendship after two world wars. The two countries' embassies in China have marked the occasion in a series of events. The latest: A demonstration flight last week of the Eurocopter, made by a German-French subsidiary of EADS, to highlight commercial cooperation between the two countries and the importance of helicopters in emergency medical services. French Ambassador Sylvie Bermann and German Ambassador Michael Schaefer took a joint flight over the capital on Wednesday, after telling the assembled press that their countries were eager to share experiences in civilian helicopter operations with China.

At the invitation of the Chinese government, Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand is visiting China through April 11.

Montevideo's Ambassador Rosario Portell marked 25 years of diplomatic relations between Uruguay and China by hosting fellow diplomats and embassy guests at the opening ceremony of Oriental Tango: Three Visions of Tango in Uruguay. The photography show will be at the Capital Library of Beijing through April 8.

The embassy of Sweden and the China National Textile and Apparel Council will present a new case study on the China's textile industry this week at hotel forums in Beijing on April 9 and Shanghai on April 11. The programs will focus on how corporate social responsibility trends in the Chinese manufacturing industries may affect businesses and stakeholders. More information is available at www.swedenabroad.com.

The Polish embassy hosted guests at the Forbidden City Concert Hall last week for a strings performance by the Lutoslawski Quartet. Composer Witold Lutoslawski is well-known to this crowd, of course. Dai Bo, a young pianist who specializes in Polish modern classical music, wowed a Chinese Lunar New Year's reception at the embassy with an impromptu performance of the composer's Piano Etude No 1.

Sweden's embassy in China announced that Swedish Nobel Laureate Tomas Transtromer will be honored in Hong Kong at the biannual festival of international poets. New translations of Transtromer's works will be published and presented at a festival event at City University. Translator Chen Maiping will participate and recite some of the newly translated poems. The program also includes an audio presentation of poetry and music by the Nobel laureate.

Pakistan's trade authority brought seven leading exporters of fabrics to the fair, which was attended by 16 countries from Europe and Asia. Another 29 Pakistani textile companies set up their stalls displaying textile-related items. Last year, Pakistan exported textiles and textile articles worth US$2.1 billion to China, the embassy reports.

The Danish embassy in Beijing opened a pavilion at the 9th International Conference on Green and Energy-Efficient Building and New Technologies and Products Expo on April 1. The Danish pavilion covered an area of 180 square meters and featured seven Danish companies active in the building sector of the Chinese market.

The conference was opened by Qiu Baoxing, Chinese vice-minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development. Susanne Nors, commercial counselor at the Danish embassy in Beijing, spoke about green buildings and energy efficiency in China.