Premier McGuinty To Lead Third Mission To China
Mission Will Promote Open Ontario Plan In World’s Second-Largest Economy
Premier Dalton McGuinty
Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty will lead his third mission to China this fall.
The mission will begin October 30 and run through to November 3. It will build on the results of previous missions and deepen the province’s relationship with China by focusing on the Open Ontario Plan. It’s the latest effort in a 25-year relationship with China that began when Ontario and Jiangsu became sister provinces.
Premier McGuinty will be joined by Minister of Economic Development and Trade Sandra Pupatello and Minister of Tourism and Culture Michael Chan. They will meet with Chinese officials and business leaders to highlight Ontario expertise in clean water technology, financial services, international education and other areas.
The mission will also promote Ontario as a tourist destination now that China has extended Approved Destination Status (ADS) to Canada. On Saturday, Chan welcomed Dr. Du Jiang, Vice Chairman of the China National Tourism Administration to Ontario. Dr. Du is leading the first group of 400 tourists from China — the first official visit of Chinese tourists since the ADS agreement was signed in June.
The Open Ontario Plan was unveiled in the 2010 Speech from the Throne. It is a five-year plan to strengthen the economy and create more jobs by matching Ontario’s strengths with opportunities in global markets.
QUICK FACTS
- Over 75,000 visitors from mainland China visited Ontario in 2008. There were also an additional 46,000 visitors from Hong Kong that year. Approved Destination Status is expected to boost the yearly rate of travel to Canada from China by up to 50 per cent by 2015.
- The mission will travel to Shanghai, Nanjing and Hong Kong.
- In 2005, Premier McGuinty led a multi-sector trade mission to China with over 100 delegates. His second mission, in 2008, resulted in agreements valued at over $600 million.
