The German National Tourist Board (GNTB) opened a new office here in China Thursday. Werner Mueller, German Minister of Economics and He Guangwei, director of the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA), attended the opening ceremony.

"The official opening of the new office of GNTB in Beijing marks an important step forward in tourism cooperation between China and Germany," said Ursula Schorcher, chairwoman of the Management Board of GNTB.

The office will contribute to the tourism cooperation and renew ties in various forms between two nations, said He.

Since the GNTB opened an office in Hong Kong in 1996, it has held promotions in southern China and applied for Authorized Destination Status (ADS) from the Chinese government.

Schorcher said China has become an important source tourist market for Germany and achieving ADS will further extend the tourism cooperation.

Some 250,000 Chinese people went to Germany last year, mainly on business trips. The number of young people who have gone to study in Germany has also been on the rise in recent years.

Some 240,000 Germans traveled to China last year, up 60 percent compared with that of 1994.

(Xinhua News Agency 11/01/2001)