On February 1, the Chengdu Municipal Government held the Consular Reception 2018 in Chengdu, to celebrate the upcoming Chinese New Year together with consuls general and some consular officials from foreign consulates in Chengdu and Chongqing.

At the event themed "Friendship and Cooperation", Mr. Christopher Meng How Lim, Consul General of the Consulate General of Australia in Chengdu, said that while keeping a rapid economic growth, Chengdu offers top-quality life to its 16 million inhabitants. He is highly curious about how the city can strike a balance between its booming economy and laid-back lifestyle.

Mr. Jeff David, Consul General of the Consulate General of Canada in Chongqing, extended a warm welcome to Chengduers to visit his home country as 2018 is the China-Canada Year of Tourism. He noted that Canada had set up a visa center in Chengdu in 2017, providing more convenience for local residents to apply for visas to Canada.

Mr. Dr. Klaus Otto Schmidt, Consul General of the Consulate General of the Federal Republic of Germany in Chengdu, said that this January the consulate general saw an 18% increase of the applications for German visas in Chengdu. It shows that Chengdu citizens become more enthusiastic about travelling in Germany.

Mr. Jang Jehak, Consul General of the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in Chengdu, said Chengdu and its surrounding areas boast many places of interest that are worth visiting, and he gravitates toward the city's long history and fascinating culture.

Mr. Alistair Crozier, Consul General of the Consulate General of New Zealand in Chengdu, expressed that strengthening cooperation with Chengdu is one of the shared goals of foreign consulates in southwest China. In his opinion, the city's development in the international education and healthcare is a common concern for them.

Mr. Pang Chee Wee, Consul General of the Consulate General of the Republic of Singapore in Chengdu, sincerely hopes to further the partnership with Sichuan, especially with Chengdu in many aspects, and make a significant contribution to the Belt and Road development.

Ms. Phantipha Iamsudha Ekarohit, Consul General of the Royal Thai Consulate General in Chengdu, revealed that a Sino-Thai business promotion conference was held in Thailand in 2017, at which she told Thai entrepreneurs that Chengdu is an ideal place to develop business in western China.