A design sketch of Xiamen consulate area’s main building, which is scheduled to come into service by the end of 2016. [Photo / xmnn.cn]

The main building in Xiamen consulate area completed its preliminary construction on Dec 29 and is set to start operations by the end of 2016.

The consulate area covers 26,898 square meters and is composed of eight villa consulate buildings and a 15-storey main building. The eight villa consulates have been completed with an overall floorage of 12,000 square meters. The main building started its construction in October, 2013, was capped on Dec 29, and is set to complete all construction by the beginning of 2016 and come into service at the end of that year.

Xiamen consulate area will be a top-notch integrated office space for international organizations, foreign consulates and visa application centers by providing exclusive areas for diplomatic affairs, economic, trading and cultural exhibitions, diplomatic activities, conferences, and dining.

Consulates are symbols of a city’s internationalization, and a consulate area will better serve local residents who wish to go abroad and help attract more foreign enterprises to invest in Xiamen, according to an official in charge of constructing Xiamen’s consulate area.

Xiamen already has three foreign consulates set up by the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. Only 17 cities in China have foreign consulates, 11 of which have 2 or more consulates. Xiamen is the only one possessing foreign consulates in China’s five special economic zones, which also include Shenzhen, Zhuhai and Shantou in Guangdong province, and Hainan province. Xiamen became the fifth city in China to have a consulate area after Shanghai, Guangzhou in Guangdong province, Chengdu in Sichuan province and Xi’an in Shannxi province.