Minister Bains Concludes Successful Trip to China

BEIJING, CHINA--(Marketwired - June 29, 2016) - Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada

Innovation is the path to inclusive growth in the modern economy, and the Government of Canada has a plan for making Canada a global centre for innovation. This was the message Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, brought with him on his five-day trip to Tianjin and Beijing, China, which concluded today.

The Minister arrived in China on June 25 for the Annual Meeting of the New Champions, hosted by the World Economic Forum, in Tianjin, where he served as one of the co-chairs for the meeting. This year's theme was "The Fourth Industrial Revolution and Its Transformational Impact."

Minister Bains, the only co-chair representing a government, used the meeting to highlight Canada's renewed commitment to innovation-through the Innovation Agenda-and to emphasize the important role governments play in engaging with partners-businesses, academics, researchers, etc.-to create a culture of innovation.

Minister Bains also met with global leaders within the innovation ecosystem to promote Canada as a welcoming destination for investment and R&D. This included meetings with Marc Benioff, Chairman and CEO of Salesforce; Wang Gang, Minister of Science and Technology of China; and Li Keqiang, Premier of the State Council of China.

Following the World Economic Forum meeting, Minister Bains travelled to Beijing, where he met with Zhang Mao, China's Minister of State Administration for Industry and Commerce, and Miao Wei, China's Minister of Industry and Information Technology.

The Minister concluded his trip with a round-table meeting of Canadian businesses that have operations in China, to hear their perspective on innovation and growth in emerging markets.

Quotes

"It is an honour to be here in China to co-chair the 10th annual World Economic Forum new champions meeting. This meeting is an excellent opportunity to engage international leaders from emerging markets and to build on my engagements from the World Economic Forum January meeting in Davos. With Canada's welcoming investment environment, the Government's renewed commitment to innovation, and our many cultural and social benefits, it is clear that Canada is a great place to invest and do business."

- The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development

Quick facts

• The Meeting of the New Champions 2016 is the foremost global gathering on science, technology and innovation, attended by approximately 1,700 participants from over 90 countries.
• The theme of the meeting, "The Fourth Industrial Revolution and Its Transformational Impact," gave participants the opportunity to discuss technologies, technological breakthroughs, demographic shifts and political transformations in a global context.

Follow Minister Bains on social media.

Twitter: @MinisterISED