Carles Puigdemont, Mayor of Girona, receives a delegation from Hangzhou, China

From http://www.girona.cat/alcalde/cat/noticies2.php?idReg=4080&titol=Recepcio-de-la-delegacio-de-Hangzhou-Xina- (in Catalan)

The Mayor of Girona, Carles Puigdemont, together with other two elected members of Girona city council, Carles Ribas and Maria Àngels Planas, has recently received a delegation from the council of the city of Hangzhou (China). This meeting is included in the 5-day visit to Spain of the Chinese delegation, whose members are seeking to share experiences in the management of public affairs with the cities they visit.

Hangzhou is the  capital of the Zhejiang province, in the People's Republic of China, and its metropolitan area already reached over 6 million inhabitants in 2003. In 2010 the city hosted some events of the World Expo, where the Colla Vella dels Xiquets de Valls performed and raised one of their renowned human towers ("castells").

The members of the Hangzhou delegation that visited Girona and met the Mayor Carles Puigdemont were Song Chuanshui, Director of the Commission on Culture and History (CPPCC Hangzhou Committee); Zhong Liping, Chairwoman, (CPPCC Gongshu District Committee); Deng Xingshun, Deputy Director of Commission on Proposals (CPPCC Hangzhou Committee); Zhang Yalian, Vice Chairwoman (CPPCC Lin'an Committee); Ni Sunong, General Office Director of Commission on Culture and History (CPPCC Hangzhou Committee); and Han Tianying, Interpreter, Hangzhou Exit and Entry Administration for Public Affairs.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="420"] The Mayor of Girona, Carles Puigdemont, receives the delegation from Hangzhou, China (pictures from the official site of the Mayor of Girona)[/caption]

China in the new world geopolitics, a conference in Barcelona

From http://www.casaasia.eu/actividad/detalle?id=207472 (in English)

The Barcelona Center for International Affairs (CIDOB), a Barcelona-based think-tank about international relationships, Casa Àsia and Plataforma Editorial are organizing a conference on July 5th, 2012, about the role of China in the geopolitics of forthcoming world arising after the crisis. Some of the questions that will be examined during the lecture are have the attitudes of the Chinese elites in the last years changed? What kind of geopolitical tensions are being gestated in Asia-Pacific? Which is the geoeconomic dimension of the boom of China? For Europe, is the crisis an opportunity or a challenge? How does the crisis of the Euro affect the relationship between Europe and China? And, finally, which are the options of Spain to promote their relations with China bilaterally and through triangulations: Spain-China-Latin America and Spain-Europe-China?

The speech will be delivered by Julio Arias, Diplomat of the Office of Operations of the Foreign Service of the Euopean Union in Brussels and consultant for 10 years in Beijing. Jordi Vaquer, Director of CIDOB, and Rafael Bueno, Director of Politics and Society of Casa Àsia, will act as moderators.

The conference will take place at the Maragall Hall, at the CIDOB headquarters in Barcelona, at 12 Elisabets street, and it will start at 6:30 pm. Admission is free prior registration. For further information, contact yparicio@casaasia.es.

You can download a brochure of the event as a pdf file from Casa Àsia website.

Conference in Barcelona on labour market and job opportunities in China and India

From http://www.casaasia.eu/actividad/detalle?id=207431 (in English)

This session's goal is to analyze which are the current trends on the China and India labour markets and which are the most requested professional profiles. The event is organized by Casa Àsia in Barcelona, with the collaboration of China Europe International Business School (CEIBS), Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) Business School, Indian School of Business (ISB) and La Caixa Foundation and it will take place on July 5th, 2012. Admission is free prior registration and the session will be entirely conducted in English.

Programme

5:45 pm Registration

6:00 pm Opening speech by Amadeu Jensana, Director of Economy and Business of Casa Àsia and Rosa Maria Molins, Director of Scholarships and Postgraduate Studies of La Caixa Foundation.

6:15 pm MBA Studies in China and India, by Roy Chason, Senior Marketing Manager, MBA Admissions, China Europe International Business School; Chris Tsang, Executive Director, MBA/MSc Programs, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Business School; and V.K. Menon, Senior Director Admissions and Career Advancement Services, Indian School of Business.

7:00 pm Labour Market and Job Opportunities in China and India. Debate with Speakers and Interns of the Scholarship Programme La Caixa-Casa Asia, moderated by Amadeu Jensana.

7:40 pm Open discussion

8:00 pm Networking

The event will take place in the headquarters of Casa Àsia, at Diagonal Avenue, 373, in Barcelona. for further information, please contact cbedoya@casaasia.es.

You can download a brochure of the same event in Madrid as a pdf file from Casa Àsia website.

Workshop on the legal and financial aspects of Spanish business investments in China

From http://www.casaasia.eu/actividad/detalle?id=207353 (in English)

A successful business implementation strategy and/or for the import-export of goods and services depends in China on the detailed assessment of the legal and financial aspects of the Chinese market. China has a special legal and cultural complexity that requires of special skills for business development, something that will be discussed in this workshop. It will also be used to discuss the potential role of Spanish companies to act as bridge between China and Latin America. The event is organized by the Open University of Catalonia (UOC) in collaboration with Casa Àsia and it will take place one June 26th, 2012, at Cosmocaixa, Isaac Newton street 26, Barcelona.

Program

9:30am - 10.15am Registration

10:00am - 10:30 am Opening ceremony by Dr. Agustí Cerrillo Martínez, Director of the Studies of Law and Political Science of the Open University of Catalonia; Mr. Jaume Giné Daví, General Secretary of Casa Àsia; and Dr. Ana María Delgado García, Professor of Financial and Tax Law of the Open University of Catalonia.

10:30am - 11:15am Fiscal aspects affecting the Spanish business investments in China, by Dr. Ángel Urquizu Cavallé, Permanent Teacher of Financial and Tax Law of the Universitat Rovira i Virgili. Director of the Master in Business Relations between Europe, China and Latin America. He will be introduced by Dr. Ana María Delgado García.

11:15am - 11:30am Discussion

11:30am -12:00am Coffee break

12:00am - 12:45pm Internationalization of Spanish Companies in China, by Dr. Maria Victòria Sánchez Rebull, Permanent Teacher of Accounting of the Universitat Rovira i Virgili and Director of the Department of Business Management. She will be presented by Dr. Rafael Oliver Cuello, Professor of Financial and Tax Law of the Universitat Pompeu Fabra.

12:45pm - 1:00pm Discussion

1:00pm - 1:45pm Transference Prices in China, by Dr. Antonia Anguita Morera, Universitat Rovira i Virgili. Coordinator of the Master in Business Relations between Europe, China and Latin America. She will be presented by Dr. Rafael Oliver Cuello.

1:45pm - 2pm Discussion and closing ceremony

Free admission until room capacity, prior registration.

Dialogues on China's sea frontier

From http://www.cidob.org/en/actividades/asia/dialegs_maritims_a_l_altra_frontera_de_la_xina (in Catalan)

The Barcelona Center for International Affairs (CIDOB), a Barcelona-based think-tank about international relationships, is organizing a dialogue between experts Manel Ollé, Seán Golden and the invited professor Zheng Yangwen about China's sea frontier and its importance to shape present day commerce and history. This event is organized by InterAsia Research Group (Autonomous University of Barcelona), Entremons Magazine (Pompeu Fabra University), Autonomous University of Barcelona and CIDOB, and will take place at 5:30 pm at the Sala Maragall of the CIDOB headquarters, Elisabets street 12, Barcelona.

Zheng Yangwen was born and raised in China. She received education from the Oberlin College (B.A 1995) and the University of Cambridge (King’s College, M.Phil 1997 and Ph.D 2001). Later she worked for the University of Pennsylvania (2002-04) and the National University of Singapore (2004-06) before joining the University of Manchester in 2007. Trained as a Qing dynasty (1644-1911) historian with a focus on China's maritime trade, she was fascinated with the foreign goods/things that went into China and the ways in which they became Chinese or indigenised. She is author of several books, including China On the Sea: How the Maritime World Shaped Modern China and The Social Life of Opium in China. She is also editor of several books on Asian affairs, and has also written many journal articles and book chapters. She is also an Editorial Board Member of the journal Modern Asian Studies and an Executive Board Member of Universities' China Committee London (UCCL).

To register for the event, please visit the following link at the CIDOB website - http://www.cidob.org/en/activities/registration_to_activity?act=33369.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Image from CIDOB website[/caption]

Chinese language dragon year summer camp (西班牙龙年汉语夏令营) in La Bisbal, Girona province

From http://innovaservei.wordpress.com/colonias-chinas-dragon/ (in Spanish)

Two summer camps to learn Chinese language addressed to children between 6 and 16 years old are being organized at the Casa de Colònies Pou del Glaç, in La Bisbal (Girona province). Program 1 starts on June 24th until July 6th and the cost is 1,195 €, whereas Program 2 goes from June 24th until June 30th and its cost is 640 €. The summer camp will include 4 hours/day of Chinese language classes given by native Chinese teachers, plus several other activities related to Chinese culture (kungfu, Chinese calligraphy and painting) and sports. A pdf file with a detailed explanation in Spanish of this summer camp can be downloaded from http://innovaservei.files.wordpress.com/2012/03/programa-colonias-chinas-dragc3b3n-verano-20122.pdf.

Conference on Chinese Megacities in Barcelona's Casa Asia headquarters

From http://www.casaasia.eu/actividad/detalle?id=207268 (in English)

Casa Àsia in Barcelona is organizing a second important activity for June 21st, 2012. If in the morning it will host the business seminar entitled "Hong Kong: Commercial Platform of the Sector of the Spanish Food and Agriculture and Wine Sector in China", in the afternoon it is going to host a free conference by Stephen Siu Yu Lau on "Chinese Megacities: Tendencies and Issues for a Sustainable Urban Development".

Stephen Siu Yu Lau, has a degree on architecture by the University of Hong Kong (HKU, 1979) and a Master's Degree by the University of London (1981). He is the Director of the Faculty of Architecture at the Hong Kong University, Co-chair of Research, Design Coordinator and Supervisor of the Environmental Teaching Laboratory. He is also an expert in environment and sustainability, more specifically on the design of green buildings, low emission of carbon and sustainable cities. He is a Board Member of the Steering Group of the Hong Kong Professional Green Building Council (香港綠色建築議會), and an appointed member to two of Hong Kong Government's Appeal Panels for Architects and Noise Control Ordinance.

The conference will be in English without translation and will take place in the Casa Àsia headquarters, Tagore Auditorium, Diagonal Avenue 373, Barcelona, at 7 pm.

The event will bep resented by Rafael Bueno, Director of Politics and Society of Casa Àsia; Anna Vicenza Nufrio, architect, Marie Curie COFUND researcher, Superior Technical School of Architecture of Madrid (ETSAM/UPM); and Felipe Pich-Aguilera, architect, President of the Green Building Council España (GBCe), Director of the Chair of Industrial Building and Environment (CEIM) and teacher of projects and the Superior Technical School of Architecture of the International University of Catalonia ESARQ-UIC.

You can download a brochure of the event as a pdf file from Casa Àsia website.

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="512"] Skyline of Hong Kong from Victoria Peak. Photo by DAVID ILIFF. License: CC-BY-SA 3.0[/caption]