Since then, consulates have been established in San Francisco, Yokohama, Kobe, Osaka and commercial ports where overseas Chinese live in Southeast Asia.
The establishment of consulates abroad by the Qing government reflects the transformation of Qing government diplomacy from feudal diplomacy to modern diplomacy.
The main reason why the Qing government set up a consulate was that Guo Songtao witnessed the terrible situation of China people being abused in foreign countries. Therefore, he decided that "it is necessary to set up consuls and other officials in various countries to protect Chinese workers so as not to be laughed at by foreign countries and despise the heart of China".