Dozens of Canadian entrepreneurs gathered virtually on Tuesday to discuss ways to re-establish business ties with China in the coming years. The Canada-China Business Council (CACC), which has approximately 300 members, hopes that the release of the two Michael will turn the page on three difficult years.
“It opens the door to rebuilding good relationships. But it will take time, ”said CACC Director General Sarah Kutulakos, in an interview with The duty.
The arrest of the two Canadian nationals by the Chinese authorities shocked the Canadian business community in the Middle Kingdom. Some entrepreneurs had stopped traveling to China, while others had moved their activities elsewhere or canceled their plans there. “People were like, ‘What if it’s me?’ »Reports Mme Kutulakos
The diplomatic cold had also complicated certain economic exchanges, including canola exports to China. “For some sectors, like consulting services, it was particularly difficult. If you were a lawyer and you had to go to China to develop relationships with potential clients, it was not easy, ”said the fluent Mandarin speaker.
[La libération des deux Michael] opens the door to rebuilding good relationships. But it will take time.
According to Mme Kutulakos, close ties will be forged first in sectors where Canada and China have converging policies. It is moreover to discuss these promising avenues that the CACC organized the conference on Tuesday. The report entitled Confidence and Complexity : What the 14th Five-Year Plan Means for Canadian Companies in China sets out five areas where Canada could do well in the next five years by aligning with Chinese priorities: financial services, agri-food, natural resources, energy and clean technologies.
Canadian expertise could be particularly used for China to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions. The Chinese Ambassador to Canada, Cong Peiwu, encouraged Canadian entrepreneurs to participate in China’s green economy, during a speech to the participants of the event. During this speech, where he remained silent on the question of the two Michael’s, the ambassador also stressed that the Chinese market could be interested in several products from here.
Chinese consumers still welcome brands presented as Canadian, notes Mr.me Kutulakos. She cites as examples Tim Hortons and Lululemon, whose business is doing well in China. Despite the uncertainty that remains, China and its 1.5 billion people are hard to ignore for many Canadian entrepreneurs. The Middle Empire remains Canada’s second largest trading partner in the world.
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