New German consulate general opens in NE China

跟陌生人跳舞

SHENYANG, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- Germany has opened a new consulate general in Shenyang, capital of northeast China's Liaoning Province.
The consulate's Friday opening underlines the important role northeast China plays in bilateral exchanges, German Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle said.
The consulate is the fifth German consulate general in China following those established in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu and Hong Kong.
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the establishment of China-Germany diplomatic relations.
The two countries have made rapid progress in trade and exchanges over the past 40 years, Westerwelle said.
Liaoning had attracted investment from more than 373 German companies with a total volume of 1.2 billion U.S. dollars as of the end of 2011, according to official figures.
Companies like Siemens, BMW and Volkswagen have set up plants in the province. An international air route connects Shenyang with the German city of Frankfurt.

跟陌生人跳舞

Today, Germany and China celebrate 40 years of diplomatic relations, and tomorrow a new chapter in this partnership will be opened with the establishment of a new German consulate general in Shenyang, northeast China's Liaoning province.

This fifth German consulate will be in charge of the three northeastern provinces of Liaoning, Jilin and Heilongjiang.

Like the existing consulates in Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu and Hong Kong, this official representative office will not only provide services for German citizens living within its purview but also strive to enhance relations and foster common progress in such areas as investment, commerce, ecology, vocational training and education, culture and tourism.

For example, Changchun and Shenyang have become well known as important destinations for German investment in the automotive industry.

German companies in the two cities have had close, productive partnerships with their Chinese partners. Companies like Audi, Volkswagen and BMW, which also run wholly owned subsidiaries, seek to meet the ever-growing demand in China as well as to contribute to state-of-the-art technological development to serve the requirements of markets overseas.

During its early stages, the consulate will not yet have complete facilities at its disposal. Temporarily located in an office space at the Shenyang Kempinski Hotel, the consulate will not be able to provide visa service for long-term national visas or short-term Schengen visas, which enable holders to travel through 25 European countries .

The consulate has made it a priority to establish visa services in an adequate location that will allow it to facilitate procedures for Chinese citizens traveling to Germany, whether for business, training or private purposes.

The author is the new consul general of Germany in Shenyang.

For China Daily