Serge Pairoux and Catherine Patronis at their home in Brussels. The couple remain devoted to promoting cultural exchanges with China.[Photo by Wen Zongduo and Fu Jing/chinadaily.com.cn]

As Belgium is a kingdom of cartoons, comparative studies of Tin Tin of Belgium and San Mao of China may bring about new generations of cartoonists.

Even children could be encouraged to tell, paint, or write about the image of the corresponding country in their minds, he said.

Belgium dates its exchanges with China to the early Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), when Ferdinand Verbiest (1623-1688) came to China in 1658, served in the reign of Emperor Kangxi and died at an imperial post. Emperor Kangxi, one of the most respected rulers in ancient China, left a note to "let all people learn of our friendship" at the funeral of the scientist priest.

Belgium Queen Dowager Elizabeth visited Beijing in autumn 1961, 10 years before the two countries established formal ties. Pairoux, still in his 20s, happened to be a member of her visiting delegation and stayed in China as a language teacher for nearly eight years during the 1960s and 1970s.

Today, varied associations, guilds and universities of Belgium are involved in cultural, scientific, economic and other exchanges with China. The Brussels University of Liberty, where Pairoux taught after returning from China, held a China Week recently. The Catholic University of Louven and the New University of Louven are also engaged in cultural exchanges with China.