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Chinese communist official's family at Paris debutantes ball

Japan PM asks China's defence chief for 'transparency': govt
Tokyo (AFP) Nov 27, 2009 - Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama called on China's defence chief Friday to enhance the "transparency" of the communist giant's military build-up, the foreign ministry said. Hatoyama made the request in a meeting with Chinese Defence Minister Liang Guanglie, who held talks with his Japanese counterpart earlier Friday and agreed to promote mutual visits and hold joint maritime rescue drills. Liang arrived here on Thursday as the first Chinese defence minister to visit Japan since Hatoyama took office in September. The premier told Liang that China's defence budget has increased "by two digits every year" and that he wanted Beijing to "enhance its transparency more than ever," the ministry said in a press release.

The Chinese defence minister replied China had been "making effort to enhance the transparency," the statement said. "China is pursuing national defence policy that is defensive in nature and that will not become a threat to any country," Liang was quoted as telling Hatoyama. A Chinese budget report in March said that military spending was to rise 15.3 percent in 2009 to 472.9 billion yuan (69 billion dollars). For the last two years, China has announced military budget increases of over 17 percent. In the ministerial talks, Liang and Japanese Defence Minister Toshimi Kitazawa "agreed to make their positive contribution to peace, stability and prosperity in the region and the world," according to a joint press statement. "They agreed to promote their comprehensive, strategic relationship of reciprocity between the two countries through continued and stable exchanges in defence matters," the statement said.

During the meeting, the two ministers in particular agreed to continue reciprocal visits with Kitazawa now scheduled to travel to China in 2010, the statement said. They also agreed to carry out joint drills for rescue operations against maritime accidents or disasters, with Japanese warships scheduled to make a port call in China next year. "For us, the relationship with China is unquestionably one of the most important bilateral relations," Kitazawa told a news conference. Liang said: "China and Japan are important neighbours. We agreed to secure safety and stability in the region by strengthening our defence exchanges." At the news conference, Liang, who visited Pyongyang on his way to Japan, made no remarks on North Korea, where he met its reclusive leader Kim Jong Il. Liang was the latest top Chinese official to visit the isolated nation since Prime Minister Wen Jiabao went there early last month as the two nations celebrate the 60th anniversary of bilateral ties.
by Staff Writers
 Paris (AFP) Nov 27, 2009
 Blessed by the privilege of wealth, birth or both, 24 teenage girls on Saturday descend on Paris' debutantes ball, an aristocratic tradition that survived France's guillotining of royalty over 200 years ago.

But in a sign of changing times, the likes of the late princess Diana's niece Lady Kitty Spencer, 18, will this year be joined by Jasmin Li, 17, granddaughter of Jia Qinglin, fourth ranking member of China's Communist party.

A highlight of Europe's society calendar, the ball at the Crillon Hotel marks the "coming out" of daughters of the rich and famous, including Clint Eastwood's daughter Francesca, 16, and the granddaughter of Macau casino mogul Stanley Ho, Ariel.

Bringing together 24 debutantes from 12 countries, the event includes for the first time Australia and Venezuela. Turkey will be represented by national ski team member Gulsah Alkoclar, and India by the last descendant of the maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir.

The quintessentially English event was intended as an opportunity for young girls to be presented at court where they might find a future husband from a suitable bloodline.

But with the execution of much of France's aristocracy in the wake of the 1789 revolution, the tradition also died out, until it was resurrected as a public relations event by Ophelie Renouard.

The proceeds will be donated to charity, making the event "less trivial," according to host Stephane Bern.

"The tradition has lost nothing of its appeal but it perpetuates itself by abandoning the vestiges of aristocratic glory: there are more and more debutantes from families that have made a name for themselves other than simply by being born," explains Bern.

"The debutantes ball is thus less trivial and more useful thanks to its defence of a humanitarian cause. Participants are more and more conscious of their privileges and undertake a lot of things during the year, which doesn't stop them dreaming of an evening on the Place de la Concorde in a haute couture dress," added Bern, a society journalist.

Last year saw singer Phil Collins accompany his daughter to the event, which also saw the coming out of Maria Abou Nader, niece of former Lebanese presidents Amine and Bachir Gemayel.

This year, the likes of Angelica Hicks, great granddaughter of Lord Mountbatten, the late British statesman, will choose their own fashion stylist for the evening but all will wear jewellery from Adler, one of the ball's sponsors.

The two Chinese debs, for instance, have chosen Dior and US designer Carolina Herrera.

Miss Eastwood will wear a dress specially created by Dolce and Gabbana, while Cosima Sarno-Pigozzi, granddaughter of the creator of the now defunct Simca car, will wear something by Frenchman Stephane Rolland.

During dinner, the debutantes walk around with their devoted companions and are presented to the master of ceremonies. During coffee, host Bern will open the ball by dancing a Strauss waltz with the youngest girl present.

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