Guangdong wishes to join hands with British Columbia in growing a strong and mutually beneficial business and trade relationship, said Hu Chunhua, Party secretary of the Guangdong provincial committee, on Monday in Vancouver.

"By working together, and sharing our experiences and expertise, both of our provinces will continue to grow in harmony," said Hu, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, at a China-Canada Economic and Trade Cooperation conference at the Vancouver Convention Centre.

Hu led a Guangdong delegation of more than 200 entrepreneurs and government officials to visit BC on Sunday and Monday.

This trip aimed to continue to build on a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed by BC Premier Christy Clark and Governor of Guangdong province Zhu Xiaodan in November 2015, during a celebration of the 20th anniversary of sister-province relations between the two provinces. The agreement commits both provinces to collaborate on trade, investment and cultural exchange.

Clark said at the conference that the meeting was another example of a commitment to strong sister-province relations with Guangdong and working together to address climate change.

"China is actively exploring alternative energy and adopting clean technology, areas where BC excels," Clark said in her welcoming speech. "We are working together to grow trade and investment in this sector and create opportunity and jobs in British Columbia."

More than 250 Canadian companies and 150 Guangdong companies participated in the conference.

The conference included a signing ceremony for a group of Canadian and Chinese companies to build business ties and seminars on environmental protection, scientific and technological innovation, cross-border e-commerce and the One Belt One Road Initiative.

As part of Hu's visit, several BC and Guangdong companies and organizations announced major partnership deals, with potential value in the billions of dollars. Among the most significant was one between BC-based Woodfibre LNG (Liquefied Natural Gas) and Guangzhou Gas Group for 1 million tons of LNG to be exported to Guangzhou over the next 25 years.

"What's most significant about these deals is the diversity of the sectors involved," said Clark, "from education and renewable energy to clean technology and medical research. We are diversifying our economy and creating a new future for trade and investment between BC and China."

In 2015, the GDP of Guangdong reached $1.17 trillion with a growth rate of 8 percent topping the whole China, according to Hu. Exports from Guangdong to Canada reached $9.5 billion, making up a sixth of China's total exports to Canada.

"In a new historic era, we believe the cooperation between Guangdong and Canada will enjoy favorable conditions and foundations, and start to write a new exciting chapter," Hu said.

For China Daily

(China Daily USA 05/11/2016 page2)