Pakistan on Thursday opens its third consulate general in China in southwestern Sichuan Province.

The consulate general in Sichuan will deal with affairs between Pakistan, Sichuan and other local administrations in southwest China -- Chongqing Municipality, Yunnan Province and Guizhou Province, said Pakistani ambassador to China Salman Bashir.

Visiting Pakistani Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz said at the inaugural ceremony of the consulate general that he hoped Pakistan's consulate general in Chengdu build up a new platform for exchanges between his country and China's western provinces and bring bilateral cooperation in personnel, education, culture, aviation, space-flight and scientific research to a new level.

Vice Governor of Sichuan Huang Xiaoxiang said Sichuan and Pakistan enjoy close economic and trade relations.

According to Huang, Sichuan's exports to Pakistan totaled US$136 million in 2006 and there are now 16 major bilateral cooperative projects.

The projects include Pakistan's cooperation with Dongfang Electric Corporation on thermal and hydro power, environmental protection and railway equipment, with Sichuan Electric Power Import and Export Corporation on transformer substations and with Sichuan Petroleum Administration on oil-well drilling.

A total of 7 countries -- the United States, Germany, South Korea, Thailand, France, Singapore and Pakistan -- have now established consular institutions in Sichuan.

Prior to the Chengdu consulate general, Pakistan opened bureaus in Hong Kong and Shanghai.

(Xinhua News Agency April 20, 2007)