DIPLOMATIC POUCH >> WITH MIKE PETERS

The Irish Times last weekend proclaimed: "Dublin officially twinned with Beijing" as the city's Lord Mayor Gerry Breen swept through Beijing to sign a sister cities' agreement between the two capitals.

Breen and Vice-Mayor of Beijing Hong Feng shared the inky moment at a ceremony at Ireland's embassy. Breen said three main areas should benefit from the "twinning" - third-level education, tourism and business - all via foreign direct investment. There are about 4,000 Chinese students in Dublin at any one time, and the Chinese community is about 30,000 strong in the capital, according to the embassy.

Hong got some insights about the Dublin Bike program, which has massively encouraged bicycle travel in the city. While Beijing is famous for its bicycles, years of economic growth produced a dramatic decline in their number. Some officials have expressed eagerness to bring back the bikes as the capital streets are becoming thronged with cars. Hong also applauded efforts to make Irish visas easier to come by for Chinese tourists, including recent plans to give a visa waiver to Chinese tourists who visit Britain first.

China's President Hu Jintao last week announced the appointment of Liao Li-qiang as ambassador to Belgium, replacing Zhang Yuanyuan. Hu named a total of six envoys for postings worldwide "in accordance with a decision made by the National People's Congress Standing Committee", the foreign ministry website said.

Three leading Chinese conservationists last week were saluted for their work on shark protection by British Ambassador Sebastian Wood. Ding Liguo (legislator), Wan Jie (member of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference) and Zhang Xingshen (North Asia director of The Nature Conservancy) received the 'Shark Champion' awards from Richard Peirce, chairman of The Shark Trust, a UK-based conservation charity.

Wan was recognized for initiating a proposal on March 7 calling for legislation preventing the trade in shark fins. This proposal was supported by 45 CPPCC members.

Sharks are a vital link in ocean food chains, which ensure healthy marine eco-systems.

The ever increasing demand for shark products, notably fins for shark-fin soup, has resulted in this vulnerable group of creatures being unsustainably fished all over the world. Sharks mature late and mostly have low reproductive rates, so are particularly vulnerable to over fishing.

"The Trust hopes that recognizing the conservation actions of the 'Shark Champion' award recipients will mark the beginning of building alliances and friendships in China that will lead to more effective shark conservation efforts," Peirce said.

Shark Trust, established in the UK in 1997, works to advance the worldwide conservation of sharks through science, education, influence and action.

The Trust says that the future health of oceans depends on establishing fisheries that only allow the harvesting of species on proven sustainable levels. "Sharks are an essential part of the marine eco-system, and protecting the health of the shark population is a global effort, important to the wider health of our oceans," Wood said.

"It is well known that China is the largest consumer market in the world for shark fins used in shark fin soup. The three Chinese conservationists who we are honoring as Shark Champions today have made valuable proposals to legislators in China, and we should applaud their efforts."

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