Diplomatic Pouch

Vlad Lipschutz arrived in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei province, to serve as consul general in late September, the US embassy announced.
Previously, Lipschutz served as consular section chief at the US consulate general in Chengdu and the US embassy in Baku, Azerbaijan, as well as consular officer at the US embassy in Beijing. Prior to joining the US Department of State, he was a federal prosecutor with the Department of Homeland Security and attorney advisor for the Department of Justice.
He holds a doctor of jurisprudence degree from Temple University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree in government from Franklin and Marshall College. Lipschutz, who speaks Mandarin and Russian, is accompanied in Wuhan by his wife and daughter.
San Francisco Consul General Gao Zhansheng attended a grand banquet on Oct 7 celebrating the 63rd anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, held by the China National Day Foundation in Sacramento. About 400 overseas Chinese and guests attended the event.
Deputy Consul General of the Chinese consulate general in San Francisco Bi Gang attended a recent solo concert by Lang Lang, the internationally renowned Chinese pianist.
The concert was held by Sonoma State University to celebrate the inauguration of its Green Music Center. More than 1,800 people, including dignitaries such as US House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and California Governor Jerry Brown, were on hand as Lang Lang's skill and passionate performance gave the audience a musical feast. After the concert, Bi congratulated the artist on his wonderful show.
Sun Guoxiang, China's consul general in New York, recently hosted a reception for the 63rd anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and expressed his "sincere thanks to all the friends in the eastern region of the United States who have cared about China's development and supported the growth of China-US friendship".
"China has witnessed profound changes and achieved tremendous progress in various fields," especially since the initiation of the reform and opening-up policy, Sun said.
Send embassy and consulate news to michaelpeters@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 10/12/2012 page23)