Germany and China are planning a big expansion of joint research and investment in green technologies, including production of electric cars in China and development of carbon-capture systems. A series of business and inter-governmental agreements were signed between the world’s two largest exporters in Berlin on Tuesday.

Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao today said China may give Europe “a helping hand” with its current debt crisis – but warned in uncharacteristic tones for a second successive day against European officials and media that “meddle” in China’s affairs. Mr. Wen ended a goodwill jaunt through Europe that is partly intended to put a better face on China, experts say.

Youku Inc., China’s top online video site, said Tuesday it had signed a deal with Warner Bros. to stream hundreds of the studio’s new and old movies. Warner Bros. has been among the forefront of Hollywood’s efforts to gain access to China’s booming movie-going market. China currently limits the number of foreign movies for theatrical release to 20 per year.

The European charm offensive of Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao has been conducted with characteristic Chinese thoughtfulness and efficiency...But the fact remains that China may well be influencing people, and it has a highly impressive record of economic management to flaunt, but it is not exactly winning friends.

...I think it's a very interesting question because the Chinese have opened these organizations called Confucius Institutes... And part of the agenda of the Confucius Institute is to push the learning of Chinese language. They have seen - and not unrelated to our previous questions - they have seen their development, especially their military growth, is scaring people.

The Confucius Institute of the Autonomous University of Yucatan, the only test center in northeast Mexico, has held the HSK for three times since the first test in January 2010. Some 45 candidates took the test Saturday at three different levels.

With the establishment of its first academic research center on public diplomacy at Beijing Foreign Studies University and a well-publicized International Forum on Public Diplomacy in 2010, China has been taking some major steps forward as it tries to, in Vice Foreign Minister Fu Ying’s words, “effectively present its image to other countries” and overcome a lack of experience “in handling relations with the media and the public in foreign countries”.  T

Whether or not Shakespeare fits the political message Beijing wants to deliver, a viewing of “Hamlet” is in keeping with the populist brand of public diplomacy favored by Mr. Wen, who has often added cultural events to his visits abroad.