Industry Minister Tony Clement to Meet with Canadian and Chinese Business Leaders in Hong Kong and Shanghai

Shanghai, China, September 11, 2010 — The Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Industry, arrived in Hong Kong for a five-day tour of China. During this tour, the Minister will meet with local business leaders in both Hong Kong and Shanghai and attend the World Expo.

"Deepening Canada's relationship with China — both cultural and economic — is an important priority for our government," said Minister Clement. "This tour is an excellent opportunity for me to engage with local business leaders and promote Canada's attractive business climate, vast natural resources, and strong cultural and historic ties to both China and Hong Kong. I expect this to be a very productive tour."

The Minister began his trip with a series of high-level meetings. He first met with the Board of Governors of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong — the largest Canadian Chamber of Commerce overseas — and members of the local business community. There, he praised the close ties between Hong Kong and Canada and encouraged greater economic cooperation. He drew attention to the current estimate that more than 16 percent of Hong Kong's population has close relatives in Canada and urged both regions to leverage this strong connection to foster further growth and development.

Following this meeting, the Minister met with representatives from Huawei, an international telecommunications company that recently invested in a research and development lab in Ottawa. He congratulated Huawei on its investment in Canada and expressed hope that this marks the beginning of deeper investment in Canadian innovation.

The Minister then travelled to Shanghai. There, he toured the World Expo, met with senior executives from Canadian auto parts maker Magna International and engaged with local Shanghai business leaders.

The Minister returns to Ottawa on September 14.

For further information (media only), please contact:

Lynn Meahan
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Tony Clement
Minister of Industry
613-995-9001

Media Relations
Industry Canada
613-943-2502