OTTAWA, ON, Saturday April 10, 2010 – OCRI has signed a cooperation agreement with the Beijing Investment Promotion Bureau two days into a 10 day trade mission to China. This memorandum of understanding was signed with the privilege of being witnessed by the Mayor of Beijing Guo Jin Long and Mayor of Ottawa Larry O’Brien.

The agreement outlines the intent of both parties to work together to promote economic exchange and cooperation between Ottawa and Beijing.

“By signing this agreement, we confirm our intention to develop long term and beneficial working relationships with the city of Beijing,” says Claude Haw, President and CEO, OCRI. “We look forward to working with the Beijing Investment Promotion Bureau to promote trade, investment and cooperation between our great cities.”

On April 6, Ottawa Mayor Larry O’Brien, along with nine local companies and representatives from Ottawa Tourism and OCRI, embarked on the trade mission to encourage cooperation between Ottawa and China in a number of sectors including ICT and clean technologies, and to encourage increased Chinese investment in Ottawa-based companies. The mission, coordinated by OCRI, the city’s lead economic development agency, will strengthen existing relationships and further establish Ottawa as a valuable strategic partner.

On the same day, Ottawa Mayor Larry O’Brien signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Mayor of Beijing marking the start of a very successful mission. 

Monday, the delegation will travel to Chongqing to meet with senior municipal officials, trade commissioners and companies followed by two days of meetings in Shenzhen. The mission wraps up in Hong Kong on April 16th.

For regular updates on the Mission to China please visit http://ocriblogs.com/ .

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About OCRI:

Leading the way for Ottawa, OCRI is the city’s economic development agency. OCRI is the rallying point to bring business, education, research and talent together to create the winning economic conditions that allow Ottawa’s knowledge-based companies to thrive locally and compete globally. At OCRI we promote sustainable economic development to maintain our high quality of life. For more information on OCRI visit our website at www.ocri.ca and for more information on the Ottawa Region please visit www.ottawaregion.com. In 2010, Ottawa was named one of the world’s top seven intelligent communities by the Intelligent Community Forum (ICF).

For information contact:

Kim Cunningham
Manager, External Communications
OCRI
Office: (613) 828-6274 ext. 256
Cell: (613) 851-0768
kcunningham@ocri.ca

Day 2: Wednesday, April 7th – Beijing

Nihao from Beijing (and that covers the full range of my Mandarin vocabulary). Air Canada treated us very well over the 20 hours between arriving at the Ottawa airport, transiting through Vancouver and finally landing in Beijing. Leaving early morning from Ottawa was easy enough and the planes for both legs were not completely full. Travelling in economy was quite comfortable when the seat beside was available to spread out papers and such.

It seemed strange to leave Ottawa in sunny early morning, travel almost around the clock in sunlight to arrive in Beijing mid-afternoon of the next day. We were well received in China with the coordinator from the Beijing Foreign Office  coming to the airport to meet us. After traveling nearly 12,000 km, this was a wonderful personal touch.

First impressions of Beijing from a sleep-deprived state of mind was …. well a fog actually, not the crystal clear air of the Rockies at least. The route from the airport downtown was very much that of a modern city with many tall buildings, both commercial office towers and residential, a few older apartment buildings and much more English writing on buildings than I expected. Mid-afternoon traffic from the airport to our hotel in central Beijing was moderate to heavy but moved well. There were bicycles and motorbikes on the road but not a huge number. The block around the hotel holds dealerships for Ferrari, Lamborghini and Aston Martin, shops for Gucci, etc. and even a Starbucks.

People at the airport, on roads, streets and hotel seem courteous and friendly. The Regent Hotel people were very helpful and fast on check-in. There was whole contingent at the door to welcome the Mayor including the hotel manager. Our home for the next five days and four nights looks to be excellent.

Lucky for us the itinerary for our first short day was to get settled in our hotel, get a briefing from the Vice Counsel from the Canadian Embassy in Beijing followed by a light dinner and then off to bed to attempt to synchronize our body clock with the local time. Asking my body to stay awake for more than 24 hours was so much easier a couple of decades ago – oh to be 30 again!

More to come after a very full day tomorrow….