Gary Locke advises successor to visit rural China  

骆家辉将于3月回美国 建言继任者“多到乡村走走”

Locke(2nd R) attends a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the completion of an expanded visa service center in the American Consulate General in Chengdu, Sichuan province, on Jan 16, 2014. [Photo: China News Service / An Yuan]

Chengdu (CNS) -- In an interview Wednesday with China News Service, Gary Locke, the Chinese-American ambassador to China, advised his successor to focus on rural areas of China.

Locke attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the completion of an expanded visa service center in the American Consulate General in Chengdu, Sichuan province, on Wednesday.

Locke said the new visa service center will provide service for more citizens in west China, improving civil communication between the region and the US, a sign of the importance attached to Sino-US relations.

Facilitating visa applications is one of Locke's achievements. The waiting time for Chinese visitors has been shortened to five days from more than 70 days, he said, and some can get visas within only one or two days.

Locke suggested that Max Baucus, the new ambassador, should visit more areas in China, especially rural ones, as "Beijing doesn't represent all of China."

Locke told reporters that he will leave Beijing on the morning of March 1. "I miss my wife and children," he said.

He added: "My family feels sad to leave China, but the children should go to high school in the US, so I have chosen to go back to Seattle."

Locke didn't reveal much about his plans after resignation, but said that whatever he does, he and his wife will be devoted to strengthening Sino-US ties.

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