The Alberta government said Monday it has signed an agreement to develop a stronger relationship and facilitate trade with the province of Guangdong in southern China.
Premier Rachel Notley is in China, where she and MA Xingrui, Governor of Guangdong, signed an agreement creating the sister-province relationship. Notley is on a 10-day trip to China and Japan promote Alberta’s energy sector and to grow other export markets.
READ MORE: Premier Notley heads to Asia to promote Alberta energy, discuss climate change
A government release said the agreement has significant implications for increased trade and investment between both provinces, by creating conditions for the two sides to work more closely on areas of shared interest, including trade and investment, and highlights the special relationship between both jurisdictions.
The Alberta government said Guangdong represents 25 per cent of China’s total imports and exports and is the largest recipient of foreign direct investment in China. Approximately 20 per cent of Canada’s exports to China go to Guangdong, making it the number one provincial destination in China for Canadian exports.
The province said the agreement will focus on growth in the following areas: energy and environment, business and trade, science and advanced technologies, infrastructure and transportation, education and health, culture, tourism and sports.
READ MORE: Alberta minister leads major trade delegation to ‘priority markets’ Japan and China
Alberta has also been in sister-province relationships with Gangwon, South Korea since 1974; with Hokkaido, Japan since 1980; and with Heilongjiang, China since 1981.
The province said each of Alberta’s sister provinces expressed their concern during the Fort McMurray wildfires last spring and contributed to Red Cross relief efforts.
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