Canada-China Agriculture Investment and Innovation Forum (Beijing Station), sponsored by Embassy of Canada in Beijing and China Rural Technology Development Center MOST ended successfully at China World Hotel on March 20th. Lee Kane, Counsellor (Commercial) at Embassy of Canada in Beijing, Dave Murphy, Minister (Commercial) at Embassy of Canada in Beijing, and Hui Zhang, Head of Overall Planning and Supervision Division, China Rural Technology Development Center MOST attended and addressed the Forum. The goal of the Forum at which opportunities for cooperation in agriculture innovation and investment were discussed and communicated is to further promote cooperation between both countries in agriculture. More than 160 delegates, including Julie Kennett, Industrial Technology Advisor with the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program, agricultural experts, representatives from technological innovation enterprises, five provinces including Alberta, Ontario, British Columbia and Quebec of Canada, and Chinese organizations, agricultural enterprises and investment institutions attended the Forum. This Forum was moderated by Dingbing Xu, CTO of ChinaWorth Global Tech Consulting (Beijing) Co., Ltd. China’s Warming Ties with Canada based on Multi-faceted Cooperation Lee Kane and Dave Murphy highlighted Canada’s agricultural strength – the prime minister of Canada just announced to invest US billion in a supercluster of agriculture – “this will be a new opportunity to deepen and expand cooperation between both countries in agriculture.” Moreover, Canada is a global leader in agricultural technology with plenty of professionals and technicians and taking an active part in global agricultural trade, and “can be a gateway to North America and other regions for Chinese agricultural products.” Dave Murphy, Minister (Commercial) at Embassy of Canada in Beijing, Delivering a Speech Agricultural trade makes up an important part of trade between China and Canada, two agricultural powers. China is the second largest market for exports, and the second largest source of imports, of Canadian agricultural products. “Close, complementary economic and trade cooperation has promoted technological exchanges between both states,” Hui Zhang gave a detailed introduction to inter-government cooperation in the agricultural sector. He said, “China Rural Technology Development Center MOST has worked with the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada over the past six years to advance China-Canada technological cooperation and facilitate the implementation of joint innovation action plan with respect to agricultural food. The two sides have successfully promoted the transformation and industrialization of technological achievements through a series of pragmatic cooperation, including joint project study, joint innovation platforms building, and mutual visit, and achieved remarkable results.” Hui Zhang, Head of Overall Planning and Supervision Division, China Rural Technology Development Center MOST, Delivering a Speech The information shared by Julie Kennett about policies concerning agricultural technology innovation and government support offered insights into S&T policies of the Canadian government to agricultural investment institutions and technology partners of both countries. Julie Kennett, Industrial Technology Advisor with the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program, Introducing Investment Policies Wenyue Wang from China Rural Technology Development Center MOST discussed in detail technological innovation and industrial cooperation in agriculture and food. She stated that both sides have established a normal joint working mechanism according to China-Canada Technological Innovation Action Plan and focus on cooperation in nutrition and health, agricultural food, sustainable agriculture, genes and genomes, animal health, and crop diseases. Wenyue Wang, China Rural Technology Development Center MOST Frequent pragmatic Exchanges and Complementary Technological Cooperation Heilongjiang Feihe Dairy Co., Ltd. is the only food project introduced by Canada from China, the project into which Ontario made the biggest investment over the past decade, and China’s independent innovation project that exports technology, equipment, as well as infant formula powder management experience. “What are the factors that attracted Feihe to invest a facility and develop new infant formula powder in Canada are mechanized agriculture, cost-effective feed, high standard and quality of dairy products, proven technology, and strict and scientific management there,” said Guanghui Xiao, VP at Feihe International. Guanghui Xiao, VP at Feihe International Dr. John Kelly, senior innovation advisor of a biological enterprise gave a keynote speech entitled Opportunities of Agricultural Investment in Canada. He emphasized the importance of sustainability and the importance of ecological sustainability to economic sustainability. Other Canadian agricultural technology companies, including A&L Canada Laboratories Inc., EcovatecSolutions Inc., and PrairieTide Chemicals Inc. presented respective advanced agricultural technologies. Attendees Took an Active Part in the Forum, Leading to High Efficient Matchmaking At the Q&A session following the project presentation, participants interacted actively with speakers who answered questions on site. [Q&A Session] At the B2B session, representatives from Canadian provinces and agricultural technology companies met one-on-one with executives of Chinese enterprises for discussing opportunities of investment and innovation in Canada and a number of intentions of cooperation were achieved. A&L Canada Laboratories Inc. and PrairieTide Chemicals Inc. from Canada and several enterprises from China reached preliminary intentions of cooperation and agreed to deepen cooperation in the future. The Irreplaceable Role of Specialist Service Agencies On the basis of the connection between the governments, Chinese enterprises have benefited from relevant policies and felt the commitment of either side to cooperation between two countries. This event was held with support from Beijing Technology Market Association, Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei Technology Transfer Collaborative Innovation Alliance and Gaobo Zhirong Technology Co., Ltd. The purpose of ChinaWorth, the organizer of the event, is to build diversified and high efficient international platforms for resource exchange, advance agricultural exchange and cooperation, expand agricultural cooperation and exchange and establish a mutually beneficial and win-win relationship between both countries. As the executing agency of Beijing-Ontario Scientific and Technical Innovation Cooperation Center, ChinaWorth organizes the yearly Ontario-Beijing Innovation Forum, Technology Diplomats and other brand events to promote international technology transfer, exchange and cooperation. At the same time, this event has attracted widespread media attention and has been reported and reprinted by stdaily.com, Science Daily, sciencenet.cn, Embassy of Canada in Beijing, etc.
