Minister Chagger addresses Canada China Business Council annual general meeting

Strong people-to-people ties will be the foundation for mutual prosperity and growth, especially during the Canada-China Year of Tourism in 2018

TORONTO, Sept. 21, 2017 /CNW/ - Canada has strong ties with China, and the Government of Canada is committed to building on this strength to develop business and tourism connections that help grow trade and support the middle class in both countries. This is the message that the Honourable Bardish Chagger, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister of Small Business and Tourism, delivered at the Canada China Business Council annual general meeting in Toronto.  

Minister Chagger talked about the importance of the Canada-China trade relationship and highlighted the Canada-China Year of Tourism in 2018 as an excellent opportunity to further expand people-to-people ties through tourism. The Minister also spoke about the strong business ties between Canada and China and how Canada's New Tourism Vision and the Government's Innovation and Skills Plan will help create new opportunities for Canadian companies to expand to, and grow in, the Chinese market.

Quote

"Canada and China have a long and deep relationship. The many Canadians who have Chinese heritage?more than 1.5 million?tie our countries together. This deep personal connection also helps to strengthen our two countries' commercial ties, with the ultimate goal of creating jobs, strengthening the middle class and building up our economies. With the Canada-China Year of Tourism coming in 2018, and our mutual commitment to double bilateral trade by 2025, I am confident that that our relationship will only continue to get stronger. I very much look forward to working with my Chinese colleagues as we approach 2018, and I welcome the great progress that we will achieve."
? The Honourable Bardish Chagger, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Minister of Small Business and Tourism

Quick facts

• China is Canada's second-largest single-nation trading partner. Two-way merchandise trade between Canada and China totalled almost $86 billion in 2016.
• Canadians of Chinese descent account for roughly 4.5 percent of Canada's population.
• China is one of Canada's fastest-growing tourism markets and is now our third-largest tourism source market. In 2016, more than 610,000 Chinese nationals visited Canada and spent an estimated $1.25 billion.

Associated links

• Canada China Business Council

Follow Minister Chagger on social media. 
Twitter: @MinofSBT 
Instagram: minofsbt

SOURCE Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada