The European Union Chamber of Commerce in China set up its fourth office Thursday in Chengdu, the capital of southwest China's Sichuan Province.

The Chamber, founded in 2000, is a non-profit membership fee-based organization with three Chinese offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Nanjing.

Luxembourg Ambassador to China Marc Ungeheuer, whose country now holds the rotating EU presidency, said at the inauguration ceremony that Sichuan, with its brilliant culture, long history, and economic potential, has become an important base of China's development in its western region.

All Sichuan enterprises are welcome to join the Chamber to create more commercial opportunities for both Sichuan and the EU, he said.

According to the Chamber's Executive General Manager Giorgio Magistrelli, the chamber now comprises more than 570 European businesses, providing guidance for these enterprises to invest in China.
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(Xinhua News Agency April 9, 2005)