A ground-breaking ceremony for the new consulate-general of the Republic of Korea (ROK) in Qingdao, a port city in east China's Shangdong province, was held on Sunday.

Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing, ROK Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Ban Ki-Moon, Shangdong Vice Governor Sun Shoupu, Qingdao Mayor Xia Geng, and Shin Hiung-Keun, ROK consul general in Qingdao, were among those attending the ceremony.

Qingdao Mayor Xia Geng said at the ceremony that the exchanges and cooperation between his city and the ROK in economy, trade, culture and sports have seen steady growth since China and the ROK forged their diplomatic ties in August of 1992.

ROK ranks the first among the overseas investors in Qingdao, with a total of 5,300 Sino-ROK joint ventures and a combined capital inflow of US$5 billion, Xia acknowledged.

He voiced the belief that the ROK consulate-general would play a vital role in deepening exchange and cooperation between his city and the ROK and boosting the image of Qingdao.

Shin Hiung-Keun said the economic ties between Shangdong province and the ROK have undergone rapid growth and the consulate-general was intended to provide still better service for the ROK citizens and enterprises settled in the city.

The new site of the ROK consulate-general, with a total construction area of 3,200 square meters, is located in Qingdao's rising international business district.

(Xinhua News Agency June 21, 2004)