CCBC/COF Canadian Leaders Mission China 2008 an outstanding success: over 600 Chinese executives meet more than 200 Canadian business leaders
The Canada China Business Council (CCBC) and Council of the Federation (COF) Canadian Leaders’ Mission, China 2008 exceeded expectations Nov. 3-7 in Beijing, Chongqing and Shanghai. It brought more than 600 Chinese senior executives together with more than 200 members of a very strong Canadian delegation of business leaders. The Mission was the largest single country delegation ever to visit Chongqing, the economic gateway to China’s west.
The Mission led to dozens of direct business opportunity meetings taking place over four days between like-minded Canadian and Chinese executives. MOU signings were conducted representing over $600 million in business contracts.
Four Premiers attended the Mission: Dalton McGuinty of Ontario, Manitoba’s Gary Doer, Shawn Graham of New Brunswick, PEI’s Robert Ghiz, and, representing Québec, former Premier Pierre Marc Johnson. They met in the three cities with senior Chinese government leaders including Foreign Minister YANG Jiechi, NDRC Vice Chair ZHANG Xiaoqiang, Vice Minister of Science and Technology LI Xueyong, Party Secretary BO Xilai in Chongqing and Shanghai Party Secretary YU Zhengsheng. They also held discussions with the Vice Governors of Hebei, Henan, Shandong, and Hunan, provinces with total population exceeding that of North America.
Jointly organized by CCBC and COF, the Mission was one of the largest and most far-reaching delegations to visit China. The combination of the broader CCBC delegation with provincial delegations from environmental, educational and aerospace companies, gave the Mission a clear sectoral focus. Plenary and Sectoral sessions in the three cities offered Canadian business leaders in-depth briefings and discussion on the current economic realities in China in the three sectors. Following the briefings, sectoral matchmaking meetings brought Canadian executives together with their Chinese counterparts to begin discussing specific opportunities for co-operation and business partnerships.
China’s Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) was host for the Mission. CCPIT organized the Chinese business delegation under the banner of the 2nd Canada China Business Forum. “No other medium like this exists,” said CCBC President Peter Harder in Beijing. “The Forums are literally unmatched in the opportunity they provide by putting CEOs face to face to find common ground and to look for partnerships that are going to directly benefit both the China side and the Canada side.”
The first Forum occurred during the visit of Chinese President HU Jintao to CCBC in Canada in 2005.
