The Danish Ambassador to China, Friis Arne Petersen, opened the new Danish Consulate General in the provincial municipality of Chongqing in Western China the 27th of November.
At the opening Vice Mayor Ma Zhengqi of Chongqing Municipality as well as Consul General Hans Halskov participated.
“It is only natural that Denmark strengthens its presence in China,” says Danish Foreign Minister Villy Soevndal.
“China’s importance to the world economy, growth opportunities, resources as well as other areas can not be overstated”
The new consulate general will cover a large area of about one million square kilometers and a population of 200 million.
The economic centers in this region are the cities of Chongqing and Chengdu, which since 2005 has been among the fastest growing areas economically in China.
Despite the substantial economic opportunities, there are still only five European countries represented by consulates general in the region. The upgrade to consulate general helps to strengthen Denmark’s first-mover position in Western China.
The Western China region is quite different from the Eastern China region in terms of investment opportunities, and several Danish companies have benefited from the Danish diplomatic mission in Chongqing.
“Carlsberg has a very strong and growing presence in the West of China. We are supported well be the existing Chongqing Consulate in many aspects ranging from building government relations to meaningful connections with the local communities. The upgrade of the Consulate to Consulate General is not only a strong message from the Danish government about the importance of this region but a vigorous effort to continue to support Danish companies to expand in China successfully and to the benefit of the local Chinese communities and businesses with which they operate. Carlsberg sincerely congratulates the upgrade to Consulate General,” says Stephen Maher, China CEO of Carlsberg Group.
The opening of the Consulate General means that there will be increased staffing at the Consulate General, which specifically means that there will be an extra employee in the trade department, who will focus on Health Care & Food sectors.
