City team to foster ties in China

The City of Victoria is leading an economic development mission to China this spring to promote key capital region sectors.

"In these economic times, it is something the city can really do to help our local economy," Victoria Mayor Dean Fortin said.

The delegation will visit Suzhou to mark its 30th anniversary as a sister city of Victoria, as well as several other cities in China, he said, adding Shanghai is a possibility.

The trip gives Victoria the chance to build on federal and provincial initiatives with China, Fortin said. The goal is to expand on the current relationship by fostering economic ties through its post-secondary, high-tech and tourism sectors.

China plays a major role in the global economy. The Toronto Stock Exchange slid last week partly because of worries that China may tighten its monetary policy, even though it had a powerful 10.7 per cent GDP growth in the fourth quarter of last year.

Fortin anticipates being part of the delegation and said the decision on who else will be going from the city has yet to be made.

The trip, probably 10 days or less, will be paid for through a provincial grant from the province under its Asia Pacific Initiative and no city money will be spent, he said.

Victoria is working with Sasha Angus, economic development officer with the Greater Victoria Development Agency, to plan the event, which will likely take place in the third week in April. Further meetings are being held this week to arrange the trip.

It takes less than an hour on a train to reach Suzhou from Shanghai, where the province of B.C. and the federal government each have representatives, Angus said yesterday. Suzhou, with a population of more than six million, is on the lower portion of the Yangtze River in eastern China.

Fortin said that participants can expect 16-hour long work days. Angus, who has been on previous missions to China with Alberta's economic development ministry, said during these type of events "you hit the ground running and don't stop."

Suzhou has an "enormous" technology park, Angus said.

Last month, Canada and its tourism industry won approved destination status from China, a key step in attracting visitors from that market. Prior to this, the Canadian Tourism Commission had not been able to market directly to consumers.

Potential for Greater Victoria post-secondary institutions includes increasing the number of foreign students here. Angus expects the Victoria delegation to promote educational services both to Chinese citizens and to corporations.

Local universities have already forged relationships in China and the mission hopes to build on these.

This is Victoria's latest delegation to China. Former Victoria mayor Alan Lowe led delegations to Asia in recent years.