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Media Relations

Ministry of International Trade
250 356-7293

Backgrounders

B.C. and Guangdong – 20 years of accomplishments

B.C. and Guangdong province, China, entered into a sister-province agreement in 1995 that was the catalyst for many accomplishments over the last 20 years. These accomplishments span a wide range of fields: cultural exchange, twinning, education, agrifoods, life sciences, information communication technology (ICT), energy & mining and transportation. Examples of some of these accomplishments include:

Twinning

  • There are five pairs of sister cities between B.C. and Guangdong: Vancouver – Guangzhou, Surrey–Zhuhai, Burnaby–Zhongshan, North Vancouver–Huizhou and New Westminster–Yunfu.
  • There are also two sister-port relationships between Vancouver International Airport – Guangzhou International Airport and Vancouver Port – Guangzhou Port.

Education

  • Capilano University signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Huizhou University in October 2009 on faculty and student exchange in the tourism management program.
  • The University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) signed an MOU with Wu Yi University in 2013 on faculty and student exchange and research co-operation.
  • Gladstone Secondary school in Vancouver signed an agreement with Guangdong Experimental High school in 2013.
  • UBC Sauder School of Business has agreements with:
    • The Guangdong Provincial Government’s Emergency Management Office on the provision of Emergency Management Training to over 100 Guangdong senior government officials (2010)
    • The Guangdong Provincial Government’s Department of Human Resources and Social Security on executive training (2012)

Agrifoods

  • Guangdong imports various foods and beverages from B.C., such as geoduck, Dungeness crab, cherries, and ice wine.
  • Two MOUs were signed between Guangdong and B.C. during Premier Clark’s mission in 2011:
    • Marine Fisheries and Seafood Trade, Technology and Investment Cooperation
    • Agriculture and Agri-Food Trade, Technology and Investment Cooperation
  • B.C.-based companies Paladin International Foods Sales Ltd. and Gold River Seafood established their representative offices in Guangzhou in 2012.

Life Sciences

  • Collaboration on innovation has taken place between UBC and Shenzhen Institute of Advance Technology, Genome BC and Shenzhen BGI, BC Prostate Centre and Shenzhen BGI, BC Autism Spectrum Interdisciplinary Research (ASPIRE) and Shenzhen BGI, and Stemcell Technologies Inc. and Shenzhen BGI.
  • The BC Children’s Hospital and Guangzhou Women and Children Medical Center have a long-standing partnership.
  • Vancouver General Hospital has had a twinning relationship with Guangzhou No.1 Hospital since 1987.

Information Communication Technology (ICT)

  • B.C. companies including TP System, Cantronic, Fireswirl, Clevest, Neverblue, Incognito and Sierra Wireless have set up operations in Guangdong.
  • Vancouver-based ICT company Avigilion established an office in Guangzhou in 2013.
  • Guangdong companies such as Lifang International Digital Technologies Co., Ltd. and Linkstar Electronic Group (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd. have invested and opened branch companies in B.C.

Energy and Mining

  • Guangdong and B.C. signed an MOU on co-operation in clean energy in 2007.
  • Westport cooperated with the Shandong-based Weichai Power to provide Westport engines to manufacture buses, which have been used for the Shenzhen Bus Group.
  • IMW Co. Ltd signed an equipment purchase agreement in 2013 with Shenzhen-based China Gas Holdings Limited.
  • Guangzhou Kingland Industrial Investment Co., Ltd. set up a head office in Vancouver in 2009.
  • A number of mining companies in Guangdong, including Guangdong Rising Assets Management Co., Ltd. and Shenzhen Zhongjin Lingnan Nonfemet Co., Ltd, have chosen Canada as a priority investment destination for gold and copper mines.

Transportation

  • In June 2011, Guangdong-based China Southern Airlines launched direct flights between Guangzhou and Vancouver. This route was increased to seven flights per week in June 2013.
  • In August 2011, Guangdong-based China Southern Airlines launched its four weekly cargo services between Vancouver and Shanghai.