Europe may have its share of problems – as Guy Verhofstadt told us the same evening – such as, a lack of unity, total inertia (in dealing with the current crisis). At least in Beijing we feel happy all together as a big Europe – joining the Europe Day party organized in the EU delegation, thanks to our sympathetic Ambassador Serge Abou.
I felt bad there – so much good-looking food from all the EU countries and I couldn’t touch it really because of my other dinner the same evening.

I did take a few pictures of – well yes – our Belgian Ambassador Bernard Pierre who again showed his singing talents (I have two of his CDs…). And of course (being me) of cute girls performing.
Sometimes Beijing sucks but we do have our rewards. Believe me.
So later I was in the residence of the Belgian Ambassador to have dinner with former Belgian Prime Minister Guy Verhofstadt who talked about his books – and I walked away with a signed copy of his Chinese version “The United States of Europe”. He promised to send us a copy of new book “The Way out of the Crisis. How Europe can save the world”.
The former PM is not too optimistic with the lack of action in the EU towards the economic downturn. He might have a point. But contrary to the USA and China where we need more and better railways, highways, bridges and other infrastructure, the EU has not so many obvious infrastructure projects to do – except if it builds the “bridges to nowhere” like in Japan. But it is true that drastic reforms in the banking sector – among others – are badly needed. The lack of action in the past in Japan on that level resulted in a long and difficult recovery – the bad scenario awaiting the EU.