Trade Mission to China by the Mayor of Montreal: An initiative to strengthen business links between China and our metropolis

MONTREAL, Aug. 12, 2015 /CNW Telbec/ - The City of Montreal, the Metropolitan Montreal Board of Trade and its team of experts from World Trade Centre Montreal, Montreal International, and the Canada China Business Council are pleased to join together in a trade mission to China, which will take place from this October 30 to November 6.

This mission will be led by Mr. Denis Coderre, the Mayor of Montreal and Chairman of the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal, and will stop in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Shenzhen. It is made in the context of the establishment of the new airline route between Montreal and Beijing and the renewal of the twinning agreement which has united Montreal and Shanghai for more than 30 years.

"China is one of the leading economies of the world. It must therefore play a central role in the economic development strategies of our metropolis. The goal of this mission is to promote Montreal and to strengthen the economic and commercial links between it and China's most promising cities. Thanks to its creativity, talent, and entrepreneurs, Montreal has everything it takes to be a partner of choice in China," said Mr. Denis Coderre.

"The Board of Trade is very pleased to participate in organizing this mission and will be working hard to find a large number of business and organizational participants from the metropolis. The opportunities are large in the four targeted cities and the mayor's leadership will be an undeniable advantage for our businesses. The weakness of the loonie, the establishment of the direct air route and the complementarity of the sectors are factors which should attract our companies to this market, which is already our second largest trading partner," said Mr. Michel Leblanc, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal.

"The Canada China Business Council is delighted to receive Mayor Coderre and the Montreal Board of Trade delegation who will be part of our 37^th Annual General Meeting Banquet and Policy Conference on November 2^nd and 3^rd. We are particularly delighted that Mayor Coderre will be a guest speaker at the banquet and will participate with Canadian and Chinese leaders at our policy conference the following day," underlined Peter Kruyt, Chairman of CCBC.

"China is an inescapable economic actor which constitutes an increasingly important source of foreign investment. In the context of intense international competition, it is highly strategic for the economic development of our metropolis to promote its distinctive strengths in this vast market of strong potential," said Ms Dominique Anglade, President and Director General of Montreal International. "This mission to China is indeed a unique opportunity to highlight our pool of qualified, creative and multilingual talent; our innovative and dynamic industrial clusters; our universities and world-class research centres; our competitive operating costs and our region's privileged access to NAFTA and European markets. That's why we're so enthusiastic about participating," she added.

Companies interested in this mission, which will include, among others, individual meetings targeted to the companies' profiles, information seminars, industrial visits and official networking activities, can get more information by visiting the Board of Trade's website: www.ccmm.qc.ca.

About the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal
The Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal has more than 7,000 members. Its mission is to be the voice of the Montreal business community and to act for the prosperity of the metropolis. It works in key sectors of economic development by advocating a philosophy of action focused on commitment, credibility, proactivity, cooperation and avant-garde ideas. The Board also offers a range of specialized services to individuals and businesses of all sizes in order to support their growth both at home and overseas.

About World Trade Centre Montreal
The Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal offers international trade services through its experts at World Trade Centre Montreal to the business community at large, and is supported by Canada Economic Development.

About the China Canada Business Council
The Canada China Business Council (CCBC) is the country's Canada-China bilateral business, trade and investment facilitator, catalyst and advocate. Founded in 1978 as a private, non-profit business association, the CCBC provides unparalleled insight into Canada-China business, trade and investment issues and develops connections that support its members' business success. In addition to its focused and practical services, the CCBC is also the voice of the Canadian business community on issues affecting Canada-China business, trade and investment.

About Montreal International
Montreal International (MI) acts as an economic driver for Greater Montreal by attracting wealth from abroad, while fostering the success of its partners and clients. MI has a mandate to attract foreign investment, international organizations and strategic talent to the metropolitan region, as well as to promote the competitive environment of Greater Montreal. It also works to identify priority issues related to the region's attractiveness, and to submit recommendations to governmental bodies to support high value-added sectors and job creation in Quebec. Created in 1996, Montreal International is a non-profit organization, funded by the private sector, the governments of Canada and Quebec, the Montreal Metropolitan Community (CMM) and the City of Montreal.

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SOURCE Ville de Montréal - Cabinet du maire et du comité exécutif

City of Montreal, Catherine Maurice, Press Secretary, Office of the Mayor and the Executive Committee, 514-346-7598, [email protected]; Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal, Michelle LLambias Meunier, Adviser, Media Relations, Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal, 514 871-4000, extension 4042, [email protected]; China Canada Business Council SourceAndré-Philippe ChenailDirector of the Quebec chapterCanada China Business [email protected]; Montreal International, Céline Clément, Director, Public relations, Montreal International, Tel : [phone], Cell : 514 892-4030, [email protected]