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发表于 2018-12-2 09:31:44
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A New Beginning
It did not take long to outgrow the Consulate building on Shamian Island and in July 2013, a new state-of-the-art building was opened in Zhujiang New Town. The buildings and compound were designed to maximize the connection with Chinese culture specifically that of China’s southern coastal Lin’an culture in which trees, riparian plant materials, and public spaces are seamlessly woven together. The Department of State emphasized energy efficiency and sustainability when designing the new Consulate. It was constructed with materials known to have low life-cycle costs and high quality. The use of extensive natural light keeps energy costs down while providing efficient work areas for employees. Daylight is provided without heat gain through the use of recessed exterior glazing and wooden louvers. Storm water is retained on site and filtered through a series of “bio basins” or sunken gardens filled with indigenous grasses and plantings. In addition, “Green” roofs with growing plants and white, sunlight-reflecting roofs, along with state-of-the-art mechanical systems demonstrate the United States commitment to the environment.
China, and particularly the Pearl River Delta (or PRD, the region surrounding the Pearl River from Shenzhen to Zhuhai) has been extraordinary. Since 1980, the GDP of the Pearl River Delta region has grown annually at 16 percent and about 1/3 of all of China’s global exports originate from this area of 35 million people. Today the Consulate’s economic and political officers report on the developments of the Consulate district (Guangdong, Guangxi, Fujian and Hainan provinces), comprising more than 200 million Chinese people and 33,000 U.S. citizens.
As South China has historically been the home for most Chinese immigrants to America, Guangzhou was designated as the sole immigrant visa processing post for all of China in the early 1980s. Additionally, in 1992 all adoption processing was assigned to Guangzhou. To date, Americans have adopted more than 90,000 children from China. Immigrant and non-immigrant visa numbers have also risen in the past 30 years. Whereas in 1979 the Consulate processed about 27,000 visa applicants (both nonimmigrant and immigrant visas), today it adjudicates annually over 1 million applications.
The city of Guangzhou today barely resembles old Canton of generations past. While many ancient pagodas and historical sites remain, modern high rises and expressways dominate this still-vital commercial port and provincial capital. The current nature and character of America’s diplomatic presence is also in dramatic contrast to earlier efforts. The U.S. Consulate continues to strive to more effectively meet the needs of American citizens and U.S. companies, as well as promote the diplomatic goals of the United States government. Much as Guangzhou has acted as the world’s window into its most populous country, so the Consulate will continue to serve as America’s link to South China. |
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