Minister Yelich Highlights Deepening Commercial Ties with China

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Foreign Affairs, trade and Development Canada Mar 04, 2014

The Honourable Lynne Yelich, Minister of State (Foreign Affairs and Consular), today concluded a four-day visit to Hong Kong, Guangzhou and Beijing, China, where she engaged with government and business leaders to help position Canada as a partner of choice for trade and investment and to highlight the strong and growing ties between Canada and China. The visit—the Minister’s first to China—took place from February 23 to 27, 2014.

“Deepening Canada’s trade and investment with China is key—even more so now that China is our second-largest trading partner and Hong Kong our sixth-largest,” said Minister Yelich. “Whether we are talking about business, education, culture or innovation, with over 1.5 million Canadians of Chinese descent, we value the strong people-to-people ties Canada enjoys with China and Hong Kong.”

During her visit, Minister Yelich:

witnessed the signing of an important memorandum of understanding between Canada’s Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization - International Vaccine Centre (VIDO-Intervac), located at the University of Saskatchewan, and Chinese entities to expand collaboration in international business and research partnership health initiatives;
visited Sanyuan Dairy Farm to highlight the growing cooperation between Canada and China in the agriculture and agri-food industry. During her visit, she advocated for the continued expansion of collaboration in the beef and dairy industries;
delivered remarks to the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, where she thanked business leaders for their contributions to the many advances in commercial relations between Canada and Hong Kong;
laid a wreath at the Cross of Sacrifice in the Sai Wan Cemetery to honour the Canadian soldiers who fought to defend Hong Kong during World War II;
met with representatives of the China National Nuclear Corporation and the China General Nuclear Power Group to emphasize Canada’s interest in promoting and facilitating mutually beneficial bilateral nuclear energy cooperation. In these meetings, Minister Yelich said she looked forward to future uranium exports to China from her home province of Saskatchewan;
reinforced the importance of collaboration in education to the future prosperity of Canada, Hong Kong and China and highlighted Canada’s International Education Strategy;
met Chinese government officials and business people who will attend the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) International Convention, Trade Show and Investors Exchange being held from March 2 to 5, 2014, in Toronto, Ontario; and
held a number of meetings with government and business leaders, including Lai Tung-kwok, Hong Kong’s Secretary for Security; Zhao Yufang, Vice-Governor of Guangdong Province; Wang Shouwen, China’s Assistant Minister of Commerce; Xie Hangsheng, China’s Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs; and Xie Zhenhua, Vice Chairman of the National Development and Reform Commission, to discuss how Canada’s frequent high-level engagements with Hong Kong and China are helping to deepen relationships.

Minister Yelich also met with Canadians who are living and working in Hong Kong and China to discuss their role in increasing trade, improving educational services and enhancing people-to-people ties. She reiterated the Government of Canada’s commitment to offering Canadian citizens in China a full range of effective and efficient consular services through the embassy in Beijing and consulates general in Chongqing, Guangzhou, Shanghai and Hong Kong.