Consulate is the general name of the consular representative office of one country in another city. According to the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, consulates are divided into general consulates, general consulates, vice consulates and consular institutions.

The consulate is responsible for the management of local nationals and other consular affairs, including visa issuance, certificate authentication, protection and assistance to nationals, etc.

An embassy is a permanent diplomatic representative office of a country in the capital of a country with diplomatic relations. The embassy represents the interests of the whole country and is fully responsible for bilateral relations. The curator is an ambassador, appointed by the head of state and performing his duties as a representative of the head of state. The primary duty of the embassy is to represent the sending country and promote political relations between the two countries, followed by promoting economic, cultural, educational and scientific relations. The embassy also has consular functions. Promoting relations between the two countries and non-governmental exchanges is an important duty of the consulate, but its main duty is consular work, such as safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of its citizens and legal persons, issuing or extending passports for its citizens and issuing visas for foreign citizens.

The duties of the embassy cover all areas of the host country, and the consulate is only responsible for the areas under its jurisdiction. Embassies are usually under the direct leadership of the government and the diplomatic department, while consulates usually accept the dual leadership of the diplomatic department and the embassy of the host country. Many countries have only embassies and no consulates in most countries. Whether or not to set up a consulate and what level of consulate to set up mainly depends on the number of overseas Chinese, consular business and the importance of the region, and in accordance with the principle of reciprocity. For example, China has an embassy and five consulates general in the United States, which are responsible for consular affairs within their respective jurisdictions. In some small countries, there are only consulates and consular officials in foreign countries. At present, China has 165 embassies and 8 1 consulates general in 172 countries with diplomatic relations (cited by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs as 20 13.438+0 1.04).

The diplomatic representative offices of Commonwealth member countries have an additional responsibility, which will provide diplomatic services to citizens of other Commonwealth member countries, provided that the countries where the citizens are assisted have no diplomatic relations with the countries they want to contact; The diplomatic representative offices of EU member states also have such additional responsibilities. (For example, South African citizens who need diplomatic services related to Thailand can seek assistance from Canadian diplomatic agencies)

The Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations guarantees the relevant rights of diplomatic institutions, such as diplomatic immunity. Another well-known but rarely discussed function is that diplomatic representatives (especially military attaché s) often engage in, direct or support their own intelligence activities in the host country.