VANCOUVER (CP) - Two of China's most powerful politicians encouraged Canadian investors to look for new trading and business opportunities in China on Monday.
Speaking to the Hong Kong-Guangdong Business Forum, Donald Tsang said Canadians have a golden opportunity to use his city to gain faster and safer access to mainland China. "The world is beating a path to the mainland market, and China is becoming a global trading juggernaut," Tsang, the Hong Kong government's chief executive, told 1,500 forum delegates.
The fastest growing part of China is Guangdong province, right next door to Hong Kong.
Huang Huahua, the governor of Guangdong, said that growth is creating unlimited business opportunities for investors from Canada.
"We sincerely hope that this forum will create more business opportunities for the Canadian industrial, commercial, financial and enterprise circles," he said.
Guangdong's import-export trade value last year reached $357.1 billion U.S., which is about one-third of China's national total.
Federal Industry Minister David Emerson said the Chinese invitation is something the country won't ignore.
"China is Canada's second largest bilateral trading partner and its fourth largest export market," he said.
In 2004, Canadian exports to China grew by 40 per cent while imports went up by 30 per cent.
"The story is good, but we could do a lot better," said Emerson. "We can develop a powerful economic engine that will drive a powerful economic future for China and for Canada."
B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell told delegates there is enormous opportunity for trade with China in health care, transportation, education, resources and energy.
Campbell noted that the people of Guangdong province are world leaders in travel.
He said Canada could use favoured travel status from the Chinese government.
"By the end of this year it is hoped that Canada and China will have concluded the approved-destination status agreements that are necessary for us to expand our tourism markets," he said.
That could mean an extra 700,000 people visiting Canada from China.
