The Government of Canada remains committed to build and renew relationships with worldwide partners in order to increase trade, attract global investment, and grow Canada’s middle class.
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Investment cooperation is obviously on Trudeau’s mind, as the Canadian government is “looking very favorably” at the possibility of joining the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), Trudeau said.
While in Beijing, the Prime Minister also met with senior business leaders from the China Entrepreneur Club to promote investment into Canada.
Chinese and Canadian firms signed 56 deals worth more than C$1.2 billion (S$1.24 billion) at a ceremony on Thursday (Sept 1), Canadian Trade Minister Chrystia Freeland said in Shanghai. “We will continue to strengthen relationships with individuals and companies around the world, with the aim of growing our economy and middle class back home”, he said.
“I assure you that we will work hard to make sure that China’s consumers love the Canadian products”, Ma said.
“I do believe that your current visit to China will have an important influence on further deepening the strategic partnership between our two countries”, Zhang told Trudeau through an interpreter.
Before walking along the wall, Trudeau oversaw a quick ceremony to mark an agreement signed today between Parks Canada and its equivalent in China, the National Development and Reform Commission on the establishment, conservation and management of national parks systems.
China has been pushing for a free trade treaty with Canada that would be similar to the ones they already have in place with Australia and New Zealand. The Canada-China agreement builds on this by boosting cultural exchanges and the two-way flow of tourists.
Justin Trudeau set his sights squarely on China’s human rights record Thursday, painting Canada as a straight-talking champion of personal freedoms as he lectured an elite business crowd on the value of good governance and free expression.
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Shanghai has the world’s busiest container port, which handled 35.29 million TEUs (Twenty-foot Equivalent Unit) in 2014. According to Ottawa’s ambassador to Beijing, Guy Saint-Jacques, free trade talks between the two countries haven’t officially begun because of Canadian concerns over labour, the environment and Chinese state-owned enterprises.
