Guangzhou Consulate Count: In - Argentina, Ecuador,

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 GUANGZHOU 000602 SENSITIVE SIPDIS State for EAP/CM and INR/EAP USTR for China Office E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PREL ETRD SCUL PGOV CH SUBJECT: Guangzhou Consulate Count: In - Argentina, Ecuador, Ethiopia; Out - Sweden; New Total: 37 (U) This document is sensitive but unclassified. Please protect accordingly. Not for release outside U.S. government channels. Not for internet publication. ¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Ecuador and Ethiopia recently opened consulate offices in Guangzhou, and Argentina opened in name though its "presence" is currently limited to frequent visits by a nominated CG resident in Beijing. Budget cuts at Sweden's Foreign Ministry will lead to the closure at month's end of its Guangzhou Consulate. These changes will leave Guangzhou with 37 consulates, although there are rumors that Chile, Peru, and Sudan will open offices in the next year or two. Final para lists the current total of 38 nations represented. END SUMMARY. Two New Real Consulates; One Virtual Consulate -------------- - ¶2. (SBU) In recent months, three new Consulates were established in Guangzhou. Ecuador and Ethiopia have opened offices with one and two resident diplomats, respectively. Ecuador's Consul General, Ms. Mariela Molina, told the CG that she is new to diplomacy and that her family has had a long-standing commercial textiles connection to Guangdong which she claimed was probably why she was chosen to serve as Consul General. She left the impression that her family was footing the bill for their yet-to-be established office. Argentina claims a consulate here and the Guangdong Foreign Affairs Office accepts this too, but they have no resident staff. Beijing-based Mr. Jaime Juan Goldaracena has been nominated as their Consul General and he reportedly visits Guangzhou frequently. ¶3. (SBU) At the October 17 inaugural reception opening the Ethiopian Consulate, Ethiopia's Ambassador to China, Mr. Haile-Kiros Gessesse, emphasized the importance of Guangzhou to Sino-Ethiopian commercial connections as well as Ethiopia as an entrepot for Chinese firms investing in Africa. He also lauded China's substantial development assistance programs to Ethiopia and Africa. Ethiopian Airlines was mentioned several times (and given the banner advertisements may have footed the bill for the reception) as providing easy access with 14 flights weekly between China/Hong Kong and Ethiopia, including daily service to/from Ethiopia and Guangzhou. (Note: Ethiopia's diplomats reportedly approached the international school to admit their students at greatly reduced tuition rates.) Swedish Consulate Felled by Indiscriminate MFA Budget Axe -------------- -------------- ¶4. (SBU) Swedish Consul General Ms. Winni Fejne recently told the CG that in early 2009 she had been advised by Stockholm that their Guangzhou Consulate would close, and in August she was told to close down operations as of the end of October. She opined that MFA had given little consideration to the importance or value of their Consulate in Guangzhou and that this was the result of MFA's budget woes. She said the consulate's non-immigrant visa operations would shift to Norway and the few immigrant visas from her district would henceforth be processed in Beijing. Sweden would continue to fulfill its EU Presidency role until Spain takes over those duties at year's end. After that, Sweden's physical presence in Guangzhou would be reduced to one commercial officer, while the remainder of its staff will be absorbed by their Embassy in Beijing and Consulates in Shanghai and Hong Kong. A Beijing-based Economic officer will be dedicated to covering her consulate's areas; she predicted he would spend more time outside of Beijing than in it. While their work offices will close at month's end, Fejne said she would stay on thru November to wrap-up details before returning to Stockholm. Fejne said she had accompanied Sweden's Trade Minister GUANGZHOU 00000602 002 OF 002 seven years earlier to help open the Consulate; she predicted an early return once budgets improve. Current List of 38 Consulates -------------- ¶5. (U) The current list includes: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Cambodia, Canada, Cuba, Denmark, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Russia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, United Kingdom, United States, and Vietnam. GOLDBECK