Suqian City, Jiangsu Province, 14 October 2016. Members of the Consular Corps of Shanghai were invited by the Jiangsu Province Foreign Affairs Office as part of its series of Study Tours for the Consular Corps to Suqian City, Jiangsu Province. Suqian, a prefecture-level city approved by the State Council in July 1996, lies in the north of Jiangsu Province. With an overall area of 8,555 km2, the city has a population of 5.8 million. The Consular Corps was warmly welcomed by City Mayor Wang Tianqi, Deputy Mayor Fen Yan, members of the provincial and city Foreign Affairs Office and other high officials. Consul General Wilfredo R. Cuyugan was represented by the Consulate’s Head of Consular and Cultural Affairs, Vice Consul André Peter C. Estanislao.

The Consular Corps was shown the expansive Santai Mountain Forest Park where along with local officials they planted symbolic trees of friendship at the park’s Memorial Forest for International Relations. They also visited the beautiful hometown of King Xiangyu, ate delectable local cuisine and were briefed on the potential of investment and business opportunities.

Economically, as it is situated in the interior of the Yangtze River Delta, Suqian boasts of its unique position and convenient transportation as a joining area of East Longhai Economic Belt, Coastal Economic Belt and Yangtze Riverside Economic Belt. In 2015, Suqian GDP was 21.2 Billion RMB or 3.085 Billion USD. The public budget fiscal revenues stood at 23.57 Billion USD while its fixed assets in investment posted at 184 Billion RMB.

Culturally, the city is characterized by a long, extensive history as the city is believed to contain some very early relics and evidence of civilization. Fossils of gibbons discovered in Suqian have been so far the earliest ones in Asia. The cultural relicas of Xiacaowan are knows as the earliest site of ancient humans discovered in Jiangsu Province. In the year 113 BC, ancient Sishui County established its capital in Suqian which lasted for 132 years.

Now, Suqian, with a population of close to 6 million inhabitants is positioning itself to be a tourism and investment power house of Jiangsu Province. Capitalizing on its expansive area and its beautiful lakes and organic trees and flowers, the city endeavors to build itself as an eco-tourism hot spot. Suqian has been recently named one of China’s Outstanding Tourism Cities and is also known to be a National Garden City, National Sanitary City and New Demonstration of Environmental Protection and Energy Savings by the United Nations.