The problem in a city like Beijing: to regularly see friends leaving. And me still stuck here.
Our “old friend” Dirk Moens is calling it a day in China, after working for Inbev and then as Secretary General of the EUCCC (European Chamber of Commerce in China) for the past years. Dirk will head back to his native Belgium but also to Portugal where he is restoring a farmhouse – an interesting choice we discussed about. I am also asking myself where to retire, in China or? Portugal seems an interesting choice. Both Dirk and myself speak Portuguese.
Dirk is leaving behind many friends. On 29 March the EUCCC organized a farewell drink in Nearby The Tree (where else?). Davide Cucino, the current president of EUCCC and Adam Dunnett, the new Secretary General (also old friend) thanked Dirk for his contribution.

Found these quotes in the FCCC Newsletter No 308, interesting as it illustrates some of China’s current priorities.
“It is no good to be poor in a beautiful environment, nor is it good to be well-off and live with environmental degradation. We will need to develop a clear understanding of water and ground pollution safety before we can solve this problem”.
“There is great space for further unleashing productivity through reform and there is great potential to make sure the benefits of reforms will reach the entire population”.
“Sometimes stirring vested interests may be more difficult that stirring the soul. But however deep the water may be, we will wade into the water. This is because we have no alternative.
Reform concerns the destiny of our country and the future of our nation.”
Premier Li Keqiang, at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, March 17, 2013.

As reported by the SCMP on 22 March, Wang Cheng, a Hangzhou-based lawyer and social activist, sent a letter to the nation’s highest court, alleging that Zhang Dejiang’s election to the National People’s Congress was invalid. In the document, he said Zhang’s election violated China’s constitution, Article 65 in particular. The article stipulates that no one on the Standing Committee of the NPC shall hold office in any of the administrative, judicial or procuratorial organs of the state.
The lawyer might be perfectly right but he is attacking the basic rules set by the top government. First of all, the Constitution is never allowed to be used in a court of law, whatever the government says about the importance of the Constitution. It is a dead piece of paper. Would be nice of course if that would change. Furthermore, the government has made it perfectly clear (read China Daily, commenting on the lianghui two years ago) that there will be no separation of the 3 powers (“No separation of executive, legislative and judicial powers”) as it is the case in the West. In China there are parallel worlds: what the government says and what it does.
On the other hand, the new team at the top shows promising signs of changes. Let’s hope we will not be disappointed.