Exchanges

Saudi Crown Prince Visits China

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud in Beijing on March 13， pledging to strengthen strategic partnership of the two countries.

Hailing Saudi Arabia as Chinas good friend， brother and partner in the Middle East and Gulf region， Xi said developing a bilaterally friendly relationship is Chinas established and long-term policy， and that the two sides should maintain high-level exchanges and support each other on issues concerning their respective core interests.

China backs Saudi Arabias efforts to maintain stability in the region and is ready to increase coordination with Saudi Arabia in this respect， Xi said.

Salman conveyed the greetings of Saudi Arabia King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al Saud to President Xi， and said his visit aims to enhance the strategic partnership with China.

Saudi Arabia hopes to increase communication and cooperation with China in various fields based on mutual respect and benefit. Saudi Arabia condemns the terrorist attack in Kunming City of southwest China and expressed condolences to the Chinese people and families of the victims.

Yang Jiechi Visits France， U.K. and Netherlands

Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi visited France， the U.K. and the Netherlands from February 25 to March 1， 2014. During his talk with French President Fran？ois Hollande， Yang Jiechi said that since the establishment of SinoFranco diplomatic relations 50 years ago， bilateral relations have steadily progressed. China is willing to make joint efforts with France to systematically plan and comprehensively advance exchanges and cooperation in various fields， and make bilateral ties more strategic and internationally influential so as to elevate their relationship to a higher level. Hollande said that France ardently looks forward to visits from Chinese leaders to mark the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.

In his meeting with British Prime Minister David Cameron， Yang pointed out that the Chinese side is willing to promote practical cooperation and reinforce coordination and cooperation in international affairs to upgrade China-U. K. relations. Cameron said that the British side is willing to expand mutually beneficial cooperation and personnel exchanges， and to reinforce communication and coordination in international and regional affairs， so promoting bilateral relations to achieve more outcomes.

During his talk with Dutch Deputy Prime Minister Lodewijk Asscher， Yang said that China is willing to make joint efforts with the Dutch side to enhance high-level exchanges and promote people-to-people and cultural exchanges as well as strengthen communication. China commended the great efforts that the Netherlands had made for the upcoming 2014 Nuclear Security Summit. China is willing to collaborate with the Netherlands and all relevant parties to make the summit a success. For his part， Asscher said the Netherlands advocates free trade and is against trade protectionism， adding that his country will actively contribute toward advancing EU-China relations. Asscher thanked China for its support on the 2014 Nuclear Security Summit， vowing to maintain close communication with China.

U.K. Launches Internship Project for Chinese-speaking Graduates

The U.K. government has launched a pilot project to connect British companies with Chinese graduate students from U.K. universities through so-called Great Ambassador internships. The University of Sheffield will lead the project. According to Tom Rhodes， head of the International Relations Office at Sheffield， the internships will last two to six months. The number of participants and the specific majors it will cover shall be determined on the basis of the employment demands and how the studentsmajors match the companiesneeds. The Great AmbassadorChina scheme may be extended to other universities depending on the evaluations from students and companies. This approach is expected to consolidate existing alumni networks in China as well. There are currently over 130，000 Chinese students studying in the U.K.， accounting for over one quarter of the total of international students there. Around 95，000 of these Chinese students are pursuing higher education.

Zhou Xun Awarded Chevalier Medal

Popular Chinese actress Zhou Xun was awarded the Chevalier medal in the Order of Arts and Letters for her achievements in film， her public welfare efforts and contribution to Sino-Franco cultural exchanges at the French Embassy in Beijing on February 21， 2014. French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius presented the award to Zhou on behalf of the French President. Zhou said that she was happy that film had brought her closer to the world， including France. She would like to be a bridge between Chinese and French culture and hoped to do more to improve Sino-Franco cultural communications. In 2010， Zhou provided the voiceover for French director Luc Bessons film Home. Covering 54 countries， the film captures earths most amazing landscapes， showcasing its incomparable beauty and acknowledging its vulnerability.

The Order of Arts and Letters was established in 1957 to recognize eminent artists and writers as well as people who have contributed significantly to furthering the arts in France and throughout the world. Before Zhou Xun， Chinese actor Jiang Wen and actresses Gong Li， Michelle Yeoh and Zhang Ziyi also received this honor.