On July 1, the delegation of the European Union in China, led by Ambassador Markus Ederer, celebrated two milestones at its embassy in Beijing. The EU welcomed its 28th member, Croatia. It also celebrated Lithuania, who will hold the presidency of the Council of the EU for the next six months.

Lithuanian Ambassador to China Lina Antanaviciene said European integration and its openness was a big stimulus for Lithuania itself to implement ambitious reforms two decades ago. "That is why it is our deep belief that EU should continue to motivate its neighbors by offering them closer integration," she said.

Earlier in the morning, Croatian Ambassador Ante Simonic hosted a small, emotional gathering at his residence for neighboring-country diplomats, who watched as the Croatian envoy raised the blue-and-gold EU flag alongside that of Croatia's for the first time in China.

US Ambassador Gary Locke welcomed Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs Zheng Zeguang and hundreds of other visitors to the embassy's official Independence Day celebration, also known as the 4th of July in the US. Visitors enjoyed traditional American food and helped celebrate the theme of Road Trip USA.

"The lure of the open road is a favorite theme in US popular culture," the embassy says on its website. "Immortalized in literature, music and film, the so-called Great American Road Trip is a rite of passage for youth seeking adventure and is also a popular vacation choice for families." A PDF featuring potential stops around the nation is available on the website.

Chinese Ambassador to Zambia Zhou Yuxiao toured Lusaka Stadium, which is being built by Shanghai Construction, declaring, "The fast pace of the project is impressive!" Liu Zhengjie, political counselor of the Chinese embassy, and Lee Mukupa, Matero Constituency Muchinga Ward councilor for Zambia, made the trip at the end of June, the Chinese Foreign Ministry reports.

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of women's right to vote in Norway, the Norwegian consulate general in Guangzhou co-sponsored a seminar on gender equality and women's position in the labor market. The "Women Leadership Forum Innovation and Empowerment" included representatives from multinational companies, the manufacturing sector, UN Women, NGOs, academia and local media.

The debate continued at a reception at the residence of Consul-General Espen Rikter-Svendsen.

Danish scientist and professor Uffe Haagerup from the University of Copenhagen was recently awarded an honorary doctoral degree from East China Normal University in Shanghai. The award was given for his contribution to pure mathematics. Lars Christiansen, attache at the Danish Innovation Center in Shanghai, congratulated Haagerup in a speech that highlighted the professor's prolific career.

Christiansen also noted that it is the third time that a Danish scientist has been so honored. In 1985, the award was given to Aage Niels Bohr, Nobel laureate and nuclear physicist from University of Copenhagen, and in 1997, it was given to Jens Lindhard, professor and theoretical scientist and former president of the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences and Letters from Aarhus University.

Last week, UK consular teams across China launched a new platform to interact with their nationals. WeChat, or Weixin as it is known in Chinese, is a popular mobile app which allows users to communicate with large groups of people. "As more and more expats sign up for WeChat in China," the embassy said on its website, "we'll be using this channel to inform you of important updates, point you to travel advice changes and give you some hints and tips on staying safe in China." WeChat users can simply search for "UK Consular" in the official accounts section.

Harvey Dzodin contributed to this report.

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

(China Daily 07/07/2013 page5)