Canadian officials headed to Beijing on business mission

Two top economic officials from Canada will travel to China next month to co-chair a meeting with key Chinese counterparts.

Canada Minister of Finance Bill Morneau, and Minister of International Trade Diversification Jim Carr will visit Beijing from Nov 10-13 to co-chair the Economic and Financial Strategic Dialogue (EFSD) with China.

The meeting to strengthen the economic and financial relationship between the two nations will be hosted by State Councilor Wang Yong and China's ministers of Finance and Commerce.

Lawrence MacAulay, minister of agriculture and agri-food, will also participate in the dialogue.

Canada and China share a long history of strong people-to-people ties and growing commercial relations, said a statement by the Department of Finance Canada on Monday.

"Expanding opportunities for Canadian businesses of all sizes, especially in such a fast-growing market, is a priority for the government of Canada and an important part of creating the new jobs and economic growth that will further strengthen and grow the middle class," the statement said.

"Expanding and diversifying our relationships, particularly with fast-growing economies such as China, helps create stronger economic growth and more good, well-paying jobs for middle-class Canadians," said Morneau. "I am looking forward to building a stronger platform for more Canadians to compete and succeed in China."

"China presents enormous opportunities for Canadian businesses looking to diversify into new markets," said Carr. "Through the dialogue, we will discuss ways to collaborate with this important partner and advance the dialogue to grow our trade relationship."

The ministers also will promote Canadian investment opportunities and address the Canada China Business Council in Beijing on Nov 12.

China is Canada's second-largest single-country merchandise trading partner. In 2017, two-way merchandise trade between the countries reached nearly $94.5 billion, accounting for 8.4 percent of Canada's merchandise trade. Trade in services between Canada and China reached $6.2 billion.

Contact the writer at renali@chinadailyusa.com