Couillard began his second journey in China

Photo from the archives, Stevens Leblanc
The prime minister will lead this week of a massive economic mission in China and intends to boast about the talent in quebec.

Patrick Bellerose

Saturday, 20 January, 2018 08:39

UPDATE
Saturday, 20 January, 2018 08:45

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BEIJING | For the second time since the beginning of his mandate, the prime minister Philippe Couillard will be to the head, this week, imposing economic mission in China to open its rapidly growing middle class to québec companies.

Representatives from some 140 companies, related government agencies and institutions of higher education accompany Philippe Couillard on this journey, which will take place from 21 to 27 January.

The prime minister intends to brag about the talent in quebec, the main attraction for foreign investors, according to him. “The value of today on which everyone is in competition, it is the talent,” he said earlier this week.

Culture and entertainment

While in 2014, Philippe Couillard took advantage of his first economic mission in the Middle kingdom to promote the Plan nord and maritime Strategy, Québec set this time on culture and entertainment in order to meet the demand of the chinese middle class.

Cirque Éloize, Flip Factory, Piknic Electronik and Tourism Montreal will try in particular to find business opportunities in the entertainment market valued at 560 billion US $ annually.

Businesses related to winter sports, such as Bombardier recreational Products, Bauer and Hayrick, will also be on the trip.

According to the representative of Quebec in China, Jean-François Lépine, the chinese government strongly encourages its citizens to participate in winter sports, a niche where Quebec is particularly well positioned.

New markets

The economic mission will begin in Beijing, then travel to Hangzhou and Shanghai. During his stay, Philippe Couillard, will speak with ministers of the central government, a access unusual for a representative of a province.

With this effort, diplomatic and commercial, in Québec hopes to diversify the markets for québec products, while president Donald Trump threatens to tear up the NAFTA and that the Brexit is shaking the european Union.

The efforts to open the doors of this asian giant does, however, date not of yesterday : the Charest government had conducted three trade missions in China.

The country is already the second partner of the Québec economy, behind the United States. In 2016, the province has exported for a value of $ 3 billion to China, compared with imports of $ 10.8 billion.

To this day, a hundred of québec companies are established in China, such as Bombardier, CAE and SNC-Lavalin.