Diplomats and officials from China and the Dominican Republic toast the opening of the consulate general of the Dominican Republic in Shanghai on May 29, 2023. Photo: Feng Yu/Global Times

The Dominican Republic launched its consulate general in Shanghai on Monday with diplomats and officials from the Embassy of the Dominican Republic and China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Shanghai municipal government attending the event to celebrate the inauguration.

The Consulate General of the Dominican Republic in Shanghai is the first Consulate General of the Dominican Republic established in the Chinese mainland.

"Five years ago, China and the Dominican Republic established diplomatic ties on the basis of the one-China principle, ushering in a new chapter of friendly cooperation between our two nations. It's a great pleasure to gather here today to witness the inauguration of the consulate general," said Wu Xi, director-general of the Consular Affairs Department of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs. 

Victor Nicolas, consul general of the new consulate, said that "for the Dominican Republic, the establishment of this consulate is of great importance to the hundreds of its nationals settled in this beautiful land. In addition, it will offer support to the more than 3,000 Dominican tourists who are expected to arrive annually in China." 

The jurisdiction of the consulate general covers Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui and Jiangxi provinces. The consul general said that "the territories have a thriving economy, with which we hope to develop an exchange within the framework of mutual benefit, through the transfer of knowledge that they have in the urban, industrial, agricultural, academic and logistical areas, among other aspects, extrapolating this valuable experience to the Dominican people."

"Bilateral trade between the two countries has increased 195 percent since 2018. In the field of investment, eight Chinese enterprises have registered in the free trade zone in the Dominican Republic," said Dominican Republic Ambassador to China Briunny Garabito Segura. 

The opening of the Consulate General of the Dominican Republic in Shanghai not only opens a window for us to understand and get acquainted with the Dominican Republic, but also builds a bridge of friendship to promote exchanges and strengthen cooperation," said Zhang Xiong, a deputy secretary general of the Shanghai municipal government.