The British embassy in China plans to open a second visa center in China on March 3 in the southwestern municipality Chongqing.

Tim Summers, Consul-General of UK's Chongqing consulate, said the embassy will establish a nationwide visa application network in China by setting up 12 visa centers in major Chinese cities including Guangzhou, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Chengdu, Hangzhou and Nanjing. The country's first visa center is located in Beijing.

Summers said when the centers open, Chinese applicants can choose the nearest one and will not necessarily need to go to Beijing for a visa and interview.

The Chongqing center will receive applications from Chongqing and the neighboring provinces of Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou, Summers said.

Tony Mercer, Director of UK Visas China, said that the establishment of the visa center in Chongqing shows the development of the strategic partnership between the UK and China. "The new center will be more convenient for Chinese people making academic or business visits to the UK," he said.

(Xinhua News Agency February 24, 2005)