On September 9th, 2013 the China Institute with the support of the Institute for World Economics and Politics of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences held the first Canada China Investment Policy Forum in Beijing. The Forum brought together representatives from government, industry and academia from both countries. The topics explored included recent investment trends, Canadian and Chinese perspectives within public policy dialogue, practical aspects of Chinese investment in Canada, and the challenges and future prospects faced by both countries.
The event featured keynote speeches by The Honourable Alison Redford, Premier of the Province of Alberta, and His Excellency Guy Saint-Jacques, Canadian Ambassador to China. Among the many esteemed speakers, specializing in investment, energy and finance topics in addition to a wide range of pertinent policy issues, was the Honourable Stockwell Day, former Minister of International Trade, Mr. Simon Rabinovitch, China Correspondent with the Financial Times and Ms. Gu Jun, Deputy Director General with the China National Energy Administration. Our own President, Indira Samarasekera introduced the Premier, and chaired a Forum panel.
The Forum was a part of Premier Redford's mission to China, September 8 -16, where she met with key government and industry leaders to promote Alberta as an attractive investment destination, discuss relevant regulatory and policy issues, and explore areas of in-depth cooperation, particularly in energy and sustainable resource development. President Samarasekera accompanied the Premier on part of her mission, raising the profile of the University in China and building important connections with leaders in academia and industry.