China's new consul general to Manchester held his inaugural reception on Wednesday and vowed to help strengthen regional cooperation and promote cultural exchanges between the United Kingdom and China.

Tang Rui said he has had extensive contact with local government, business, education, and local Chinese communities in the UK, and that he sensed the strong desire of Northern England to deepen China-UK regional cooperation.

"Twenty years ago, I worked at the Chinese embassy in the UK and developed a strong interest in the North of England centered around Manchester," said Tang. "Today, to embark on a new diplomatic journey here fills me with a deep sense of responsibility and honor."

Tang said the consulate general will focus on several key tasks to consolidate and strengthen regional cooperation, bring more practical benefits, and promote mutual development.

Noting that Northern England was the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution and that it has become a hub of technological innovation and transformation, Tang said the consulate will help advance bilateral regional cooperation in high-technology fields, including green development, biomedicine, advanced materials, and digital innovation.

In 2022, the bilateral trade in goods between the two countries exceeded $110 billion and cumulative direct investment reached more than $50 billion. China was the No 1 source country of imports in Manchester last year.

Northern England is also the main population center for Chinese people in the UK after the capital, London, and is home to 200,000 overseas Chinese and 70,000 Chinese students.

Tang said the consulate general will be committed to cooperation in education, culture, tourism, sports, and other areas and continue supporting flagship events organized by the local Chinese community, such as the Spring Festival celebration and dragon boat festival, and uphold the concept of "diplomacy for the people" by providing strong support and services for overseas Chinese and Chinese students in the region.

Yasmine Dar, the lord mayor of Manchester and a city councilor, attended the reception, along with around 100 guests from government and the business and education sectors.

Dar said she cherished the friendly relationship between Manchester and its sister city Wuhan and that she looks forward to closer cooperation in the future.

She also recounted the pleasure she had of hosting Manchester-China Friendship Program students from the University of Manchester earlier this year, and said the program is an excellent example of the importance of ensuring mutual understanding between all communities that live, work, and study in the city.

"We look forward to continuing our warm and productive relationship, and I'd like to take the opportunity to thank all the consulate staff for the important work they do to support the Chinese community within our city and to once again extend our warmest welcome to Mr Tang Rui as consul general to Manchester," she said.

Contact the writers at xingyi@chinadaily.com.cn