Press Release

        
Public Affairs Section
American Embassy, Beijing
Tel: 65321161  Fax: 65322951
Chinese website: http://embassyusa.cn
English website: http://eng.embassyusa.cn                             Date November 20, 2008

The United States Consulate General in Wuhan, China
Opens on November 20, 2008

November 20, 2008: Today, the United States established the newest Consulate General in Wuhan, Hubei Province, under the provisions of the 1981 U.S.-China Agreement on Consular Facilities.  Wendy Lyle arrived in November 2007 to assume the position as the first U.S. Consul General. 

U.S. Consul General to Wuhan Wendy Lyle, U.S. Ambassador to China Clark T. Randt Jr., and a representative of the Hunan Foreign Affairs Office at the opening ceremony

U.S. Ambassador to China Clark T. Randt, Jr., led over 20 U.S. Embassy officials and assistants to preside over the ribbon cutting.  Ambassador Randt, together with representatives from central China's four main provinces and officials from Wuhan City, jointly cut the ribbon in front of over 100 guests and media.

Ambassador Randt participates in the ribbon cutting to open the U.S. Consulate General in Wuhan

At a welcome reception the same evening, Ambassador Randt delivered remarks on the close cooperation Consul General Lyle has received from Hubei, Hunan, Jaingxi and Henan provincial government officials, business and cultural specialists, academics, and the media in the establishment of the new Consulate General.

More than 220 U.S. and Chinese guests from 15 cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, and the four central Chinese provincial capitals, toasted the historic occasion. 

Consul General Lyle, Ambassador Randt, and Chinese officials join a toast to the new Consulate General		Guests at the welcome banquet listen to Ambassador Randt speak

Initially, the Consulate General will focus on providing emergency services to American citizens in the region, promoting U.S. exports and fostering commercial and economic relations, and expanding academic and cultural exchanges between the United States and the four provinces of Hubei, Hunan, Henan and Jiangxi in central China. 

The Consulate General will not be able to issue visas without a significantly larger staff and facilities.  American citizens in the region who need assistance should contact the American Citizens Service section of the U.S. Embassy in Beijing.  Applicants interested in applying for U.S. non-immigrant visas should apply with the U.S. Embassy in Beijing.

In January 2009, the United States of America and the People Republic of China will celebrate the Thirtieth Anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties. The opening of the U.S. Consulate General Wuhan is a milestone on the US-China shared journey.  The establishment of the Consulate General in Wuhan is a concrete demonstration of the strong and growing ties between the United States and China.

The choice of Wuhan as the site of the first new US diplomatic post in China in more than 20 years was based on a number of factors.   It is established now as part of Secretary Rice’s larger effort to shift personnel from U.S. embassies in Europe and elsewhere to the new front lines of diplomacy in countries such as China.  Central China is increasingly important economically, educationally, politically, culturally, and commercially.  A United States presence in Wuhan allows the U.S. to reach out to Chinese citizens and provide services to American citizens and American companies in this important region.  China is one of the most important bilateral relationships for the U.S.   The United States and China must work together to resolve the many challenges that the two nations face in the international community in a constructive and diplomatic manner.  

Consulate General Wuhan Contact Information: 027-8555-7791 (phone), 027-8555-7761 (fax)

 

# # #