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Chinese Consul General visits Nelson

On the heels of a monument being dedicated to Nelson’s Chinese community, China’s Consul General for BC and Yukon stopped in the city Sunday.
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Chinese Consul General Liang Shugen made a whirlwind visit to Nelson over the weekend and met with mayor John Dooley.

On the heels of a monument being dedicated to Nelson’s Chinese community, China’s Consul General for BC and Yukon stopped in the city Sunday.

Liang Shugen’s visit here was the first by a person in his position in about 35 years.

“This is my first time in Nelson and my stay is short, however I have a very good impression of the city,” he said. “Beautiful with a lot of history.”

Shugen came here as part of a rare tour of the interior, which also took him to Kamloops, where he celebrated Canada Day, and Kelowna.

In Nelson, he was feted at a banquet, met with mayor John Dooley, and saw the rock monument unveiled last month that pays tribute to the city’s Chinese pioneers.

Shugen said he appreciated the opportunity to “see the Chinese community who have built up the friendship between the Chinese and Canadian people, for which I’m grateful.”

He expected to discuss “future cooperation between China and the City of Nelson. “I’m sure there will be some business opportunities or cultural or educational exchanges,” he said.

Shugen added Canada and China “have had a good relationship for the last four decades or more, since we established diplomatic relations in 1970. I think the relationship’s been growing strong and steadily, especially in the last few years that trade has increased.”

He says trade between the two countries is expected to reach $60 billion per year by 2015.

This is Shugen’s second posting to Vancouver. A career diplomat, he was previously in BC from 1988-92, and has also had stints in England, Hong Kong, South Africa, and Australia.

He says by international practice, diplomats are normally assigned to a country for three or four years and then moved. He’s been here for 2½ years.

In addition to its embassy in Ottawa, China has consulates in Calgary, Toronto, and a new one in Montreal, “so the relationship has been increasing.”

King’s Restaurant proprietor Cameron Mah, who hosted the banquet on Sunday, said he was pleased Shugen was able to make it to Nelson.

“He was supposed to turn around in Grand Forks and go back to Vancouver, but we insisted he come out here,” Mah says. “The Chinese Freemasons from Kamloops brought him down here just for a few hours.”

Mah adds the last time China’s Consul General visited was 35 years ago. He spent about three days in the area, and toured Selkirk College in Castlegar, Cominco in Trail, and Notre Dame University in Nelson.

It’s the second official visit to Nelson by a high-ranking foreign dignitary this year. In May, Irish ambassador Ray Bassett attended a police board conference here.