Stockwell Day, Canada’s Minister of International Trade and Minister of Asia-Pacific Gateway, has just concluded a 10 day trade mission to China and Japan where he got quite a lot accomplished. The mission’s purpose was to promote Canadian businesses in building systems (wood frame and light steel construction), and energy-efficient construction (building products, technologies and design, including retrofitting, energy and water conservation, heating and cooling equipment, new building materials, cold climate building technologies, and architectural services). While there, he also participated in four separate trade missions covering a variety of sectors: 1) transportation firms and organizations promoting the Asia-Pacific Gateway as a key North American corridor; 2) information and communications technology companies; 3) construction companies with expertise in energy-efficient products and building designs; and 4) a medical devices delegation.
For China specifically, Minister Day signed a new trade logistics agreement to further support trade and transportation between countries, an action plan for collaboration in the transportation sector, and also an agreement on cooperation in civil aviation industries. He wasn’t done there however, as it was also announced that Canada will open two new trade offices in Chengdu and Shenzhen by July 1, with four others to be open by year’s end. These six new offices will complement Canada’s four existing offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chongqing.
Chengdu is a vital economic, transportation and communication center in the southwest, and according to the US Commerical Service, the most important commercial center in West China. Its key manufacturing sectors are electronics, machinery, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, metallurgy and food processing industries. Shenzhen on the other hand is noted as being China’s first and so far, most successful Special Economic Zone. It attracts a lot of foreign investment, is the second busiest port in mainland China (following Shanghai), is where quite a few of China’s high-tech companies are headquartered, and is considered one of the fastest growing cities in the world. The Shenzhen Stock Exchange as well is located there.
Photo from http://www.international.gc.ca/commerce/visit-visite/jap-chi-2009-photos2.aspx
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