Madam 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 Consular General on January 18th to Sri Lanka's Ambassador to China Ranjith Uyangoda.

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, the Ministry of External Affairs said.

The Sri Lankan government has already appointed a Foreign Service Officer to the position of the Consul General in Guangzhou.

This will be Sri Lanka's third Consulate Office in China. Sri Lanka has established a Consulate General in Shanghai in 2007 and a 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.

An increased number of Sri Lankan companies continue to participate in the China Import and Export Fair held biannually in Guangzhou.