Beijing, February 9, 2012 \u2013<\/strong>\u00a0The Canada China Business Council (CCBC) and the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) are honoured to host the Prime Minister of Canada, the Right Honourable Stephen Harper, and Vice-Premier of the State Council of the People\u2019s Republic of China, LI Keqiang, at the 5th Canada-China Business Forum. With over 500 delegates in attendance, this forum represents the most important gathering this year of Canadian and Chinese business and government leaders, and provides an opportunity for delegates to meet and interact with companies active across a broad spectrum of sectors in China.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI congratulate [the CCBC]\u00a0for helping build\u00a0stronger trade relations\u00a0between Canada and China,\u201d said the\u00a0Right Honourable Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cRelationship bridges at the most senior levels of government are essential to the long-term economic growth of Canada and China,\u201d said Peter Harder, President of the Canada China Business Council. \u201cCCBC members benefit a great deal from the Prime Minister\u2019s visit to China, and we are honoured by his attendance at this 5th CCBF.\u201d\u00a0The Forum, which features three plenary sessions with prominent business leaders from Canada and China, also includes a signing ceremony that, witnessed by the Prime Minister, will recognize nearly 50 Canadian and Chinese firms with major partnership deals to announce.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cTangible evidence of the success of Prime Minister Harper\u2019s visit are the many significant signings taking place today which involve organizations of all sizes and interests,\u201d said Peter Kruyt, Chairman of the Canada China Business Council. \u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThe critical and long awaited Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement which was 20 years in the making as well as multiple framework agreements in many key industrial sectors are also testament to the great success of this visit.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAs our trade volume with China increases, especially in resources, it is essential for businesses to grow their economic activities with a focus on our obvious complementarities such as energy & resources, but also on areas of potential growth, where many SMEs are succeeding. The signing ceremony shines a spotlight on those companies that are succeeding in these important markets, and recognizes the myriad of opportunities that exist for Canadian businesses investing abroad,\u201d said Harder.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cCanada has great technology, and China has enormous needs.\u00a0 But one of the challenges is that most of the technology is in the hands of small and medium-sized enterprises, and it is particularly hard for SMEs to do business a long way from home,\u201d said Sarah Kutulakos, Executive Director of the Canada China Business Council.\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cCCBC is very pleased to work together with CCPIT and to be able to support so many of these firms with their successes in China. 20% of today\u2019s agreements are from SMEs in the cleantech or environment sector.\u00a0 Some marry Canadian technology with Chinese market access.\u00a0 It is also a sector that figures heavily in China\u2019s 12th<\/sup>\u00a0five-year plan.\u00a0 CCBC always tells companies that if they want to succeed in China, they need to understand the five-year plan, and the diversity of these deals shows that there are many aspects of energy-saving and environmental sectors in this plan that can be explored.\u00a0 Agreements range from equipment to water treatment to mobile workforce solutions in the solar energy sector.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Prime Minister Harper\u2019s China visit featured a variety of cultural experiences, including a performance at the 5th CCBF by oil and sand painter Guo Quanhong, whose performance delighted the audience of 500 Canadian and Chinese business people.\u00a0Master Guo has participated in art competitions in China, as well as in Japan and Germany.<\/p>\n -30-<\/p>\n