Chinese VP Visits Antwerp’s Diamond Center

Chinese Vice-President, Xi Jinping visited Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC) on Friday, receiving a welcome from the heir to the throne, Prince Philip of Belgium. Jinping toured the AWDC Diamond office, the inspection office for Belgian diamond imports and exports and the HRD Antwerp diamond lab.

AWDC CEO Freddy J. Hanard explained the importance the sector has for the diamond trade between Belgium and China. He went on to detail the growth seen in the trade, citing the position China holds as a consumption market.

“Diamond exports to China reached a record high in the first half of 2009,” said Hanard. “While the international diamond market is facing a sluggish demand, China has a strong domestic consumption, especially in the wedding market, reaching a record high of $300 million in the first half of 2009. This represents an increase of 12.7 percent compared to the same period of 2008.”

China is the world’s third largest diamond consumers market. Polished diamond exports from Belgium to China have increased by 34.2 percent by volume in September 2009, compared to September 2008.

“We therefore want to enhance and stimulate further the diamond trade and enforce a common ‘diamond culture’ between both diamond centers,” Hanard added.

During his tour of the Antwerp diamond center, the vice-president was presented with a two-carat "blue flame" diamond, inscribed by a laser with the Chinese flag. The "blue flame" is an 89-facet cut introduced in January.

He was also gifted with a Chinese flag pin containing five diamonds representing the five stars on the Chinese flag, and 60 rubies symbolizing the 60th anniversary of the declaration of the People's Republic of China. The pin was accompanied with HRD Antwerp's first jewelry report.

Prince Philip was given a gold necklace featuring a solitaire 1 carat brilliant cut diamond.