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n an effort to provide more services to Indonesian citizens living in China, the Indonesian government inaugurated its new Consulate  General in Shanghai on Thursday, the Indonesian Embassy in Beijing announced.

The Consulate was opened by Indonesian Ambassador to China Imron Cotan in Shanghai on Thursday. The opening ceremony was also attended by Shanghai Municipality’s deputy director general for foreign affairs Fu Jihong and members of the Indonesian community.

“The opening of the Consulate General marks another milestone in bilateral relations between the two countries, and is expected to strengthen and expand existing good bilateral relations and contribute to meeting various targets of bilateral relations,” the embassy said in a statement sent to The Jakarta Post on Friday.

The new office, according to the Indonesian Embassy, is expected to cater to the needs of Indonesian citizens living in Shanghai city as well as Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces.

With more than 23 million people, Shanghai is not only China’s largest city but also a major hub in commerce, culture, finance, media, education, fashion and technology. It has the world’s busiest container port. The city also is a magnet for the expatriate community. Indonesia is no exception.

According to Indonesian diplomats and Indonesians living in China, there are more than 2,000 Indonesians, mostly students, businesspeople and women married to Chinese and employees of Indonesian companies, living in Shanghai.

The Consulate opening comes before President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s state visit to China on March 22-24. Last year, bilateral trade between the two countries hit a historic high of US$60 billion.

China, the world’s second largest economy, and Indonesia, which is Southeast Asia’s largest economy, signed a strategic partnership agreement in 2005. Both countries have been cooperating and interacting in the areas of trade, investment, education, culture, defense, agriculture, fisheries, mining and infrastructure.

During the President’s visit to China, First Lady Ani Yudhoyono will open China’s first Bahasa Indonesia Study Center at the Beijing Foreign Language Studies University.