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
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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