Sri Lanka Sets up a Consulate General in Guangzhou as the third Sri Lankan Consulate Office in China

25th January 2012, www.ft.lk

he Government of the People’s Republic of China has given concurrence to Sri Lanka to set up a new Consulate General in Guangzhou, the capital of Guangdong Province of Southern China.

Yu Hong, Vice Director General of the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China presented the formal agreement giving concurrence to the opening of the Consulate General on 18th January 2012 to Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to China Ranjith Uyangoda during a special meeting held in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing.

The Consulate General in Guangzhou will facilitate the expansion of bilateral relations between Sri Lanka and China in areas of economy, trade and tourism while further strengthening people to people contacts between the two countries. Sri Lanka Government has already appointed a Foreign Service Officer to the position of the Consul General in Guangzhou.

This will be the third Sri Lankan Consulate Office in China, following the establishment of the Consulate General in Shanghai in 2007 and the Consulate in Chengdu in 2009.

Guangzhou, popularly known as Canton, is the main manufacturing hub of the Pearl River Delta and one of China’s key commercial and manufacturing regions. The China Import and Export Fair, also known as the ‘Canton Fair’ is held biannually in Guangzhou. Sri Lanka, with the increased number of companies, continues to participate at this trade fair.