MEMORANDUM. Chair and Members of the Corporate Affairs Committee. Danielle Edwards, Economic Development Coordinator

Transcription

1 MEMORANDUM To: From: Chair and Members of the Corporate Affairs Committee Mayor Rick Bonnette Danielle Edwards, Economic Development Coordinator Mem No. Subject: ADMIN Trade Mission to Chengdu China Status Update Date: March 3, 2016 PURPOSE OF THE MEMORANDUM: The purpose of this Memorandum is to provide Members of Council with a status update on the Trade Mission to the City of Chengdu, China. It is also to provide an introduction to a more detailed presentation that will be delivered as part of the Corporate Affairs Committee meeting on March 8, BACKGROUND: At its January 19, 2016 meeting, the Corporate Affairs Committee approved the recommendations of Report No. ADMIN In doing so, Council supported and approved the Mayor, Councillor Somerville, Councillor Brown and Town staff moving forward with organizing a successful trade mission to Chengdu, China. Since that time, significant progress has been made to make certain that the mission is successful. This mission builds upon the Mayor s delegation and trade mission to China in September As a result of that trade mission, relationships were established with many Chinese cities. In November 2015, the Town of Halton Hills hosted a delegation from the People s Government of Chengdu City in China. During the delegation, Ms. Tian Rong, Vice Mayor of Chengdu City, invited the Mayor and a delegation from Halton Hills to visit Chengdu City and to explore a twinning relationship. 1 P a g e

2 COMMENTS: 1. Delegation Theme To focus and the theme captures the essence of the Town of Halton Hills delegation, the below theme and tag-line was developed (see Figure 1 ). It is currently being refined through graphic design. The brand refers to the Town of Halton Hills, Chengdu and Wenjiang. Wenjiang has been identified by officials with the City of Chengdu as an excellent fit for a potential future partnership with Halton Hills. Wenjiang is located about 16km from Chengdu City Centre. It is an urban development or 'eco-city' described as lush, ecologically-friendly, and as a desirable place to live, work and invest in. Figure 1: Town of Halton Hills China Delegation Theme The theme consists of two components. The first component refers to Our Common Interests. This summarizes the main objective of the Delegation which is to leverage common interests between Halton Hills and Chengdu/Wenjiang, and foster cultural exchange. Both communities are interested in exchanging best practices and exploring investment opportunities related to tourism (including agri-tourism, outdoor recreation); sustainability (including green development, climate change and quality of life); renewable energy technology; culture, arts and heritage; and education. These areas will serve as a basis for forming a relationship with Chengdu/Wenjiang as a basis for future investment and economic development. 2 P a g e

3 The second component refers to Our Shared Prosperity. This captures the expected result or outcome of the Delegation. Building on the areas of common interest, the expected result is raised prosperity for both communities. 2. Focus Areas With business investment and cultural exchange as the underpinning for the trade mission (Delegation), Town staff identified seven key focus areas as a basis to establish lasting relationships with industry professionals, government officials, business and/or organizations in these various sectors. This includes: (i) economic development and foreign direct investment (ii) tourism (including agri-tourism and outdoor recreation); (iii) culture, arts and heritage; (iv) sustainability, quality of life and climate change; (v) renewable energy; (vi) agriculture; and (vii) education. These focus areas have been shared with and validated by key officials in the City of Chengdu, as well as provincial and federal representatives (see Figure 2). The Town s Delegation will leverage Halton Hills unique mix of rural/agricultural and urban landscapes on the edge of the Greater Toronto Area; large areas protected by the Greenbelt Plan and the Niagara Escarpment Plan; endless trails and outdoor activities; countless agri-tourism opportunities; and the Town s long-standing commitment to sustainability which in raising quality of life by improving our economic, environmental, cultural and social wellbeing. The Halton Hills Delegation will include Mayor Bonnette; Councillor Clark Somerville; Councillor Ted Brown; Brent Marshall, CAO/Fire Chief; Danielle Edwards, Economic Development Coordinator; Damian Szybalski, Manager of Sustainability & Corporate Policy Advisor; Jane Diamanti, Executive Director of Library and Culture; and Art Skidmore, President and CEO of Halton Hills Community Energy Corporation. Every member of the Delegation is important to the overall success as they will serve as the Town s sector specialists in their various areas of expertise. Councillor Somerville will be President of FCM this June and he will be able to enhance the relationship we foster by creating additional synergies, shared objectives and opportunities on the international stage. 3. Robust Trade Mission Agenda and Consultation The Mayor reached out to the Consul General and on February 18, 2016, the Mayor, Councillor Somerville, Councillor Brown, Brent Marshall and Danielle Edwards met with Consul General Xue Bing of the People s Republic of China at the Chinese Embassy in Toronto. The meeting was very successful. There are many similarities between the two communities (Halton Hills and Chengdu/Wenjiang) and forging these relationships will create a lasting and mutually-beneficial partnership that will have tangible outcomes for both communities. In addition to the meeting at the Chinese Embassy, numerous high-ranking connections that have been made to schedule various meetings with sector specialists and to better 3 P a g e

4 understand the various protocols associated with trade delegations to China. Below is a table (Figure 2) which identifies the officials that staff have been in contact with: Figure 2: Fostering Connections: Halton Hills China Name Title Agency Xue Bing Consul General of the Chinese Embassy People s Republic of China in Canada Chen zhishan Consul Chinese Embassy Stephen Thompson Consul. & Senior EDO Province of Ontario Ontario International Trade 7 Investment Melanie Fernandes Team Lead International Province of Ontario Programs Ontario Trade & Investment Yiyun Song Ontario Government Province of Ontario Representative International Trade Dorothy Hu Senior Commercial Officer Ontario International Ontario International - Chongquing Trade and Investment Christopher MacLean Counsellor, Commercial Embassy of Canada Mr. Fang Li Senior Diplomat Promoting Chinese Government Gary Huang Lisa Lai Friendship Director of International Communications Ontario Government Program Coordinator Canadian Chinese Federation of Agriculture, Industry & Commerce Ontario International Beijing Trade & Investment Office Philippe Rheault Consul General Embassy of Canada Hon. Reza Moridi Minister of Training, Province of Ontario Colleges & Universities Hon. Liz Sandals Minister of Education Province of Ontario Shanshan Wu of the Chengdu Foreign Affairs Office is the Town s liaison for the mission. Chengdu officials have recommended that Wenjiang, a district of Chengdu City, would be a good fit for the Town of Halton Hills to explore a friendly/twinning relationship with. There are many similarities between Wenjiang and Halton Hills and as such the two communities will be entering into an MOU as part of the mission. This will allow us to continue to explore entering into a more formal partnership agreement which will be subject to Council approval. 4 P a g e

5 To develop relationships in relevant sectors, we has also connected with several businesses which may have an interest in exploring and/or expanding markets into China. It is evident that the Town s profile is growing in China. As evidence of that, the Mayor has recently received an additional request from another Chinese municipality interested in collaborating with Halton Hills in the areas of planning, green development and environmental protection. As we build our relationship with Chengdu/Wenjiang, we plan to leverage opportunities that will support business growth, raise local employment, support our local business interests by attracting foreign investment, facilitate access to each other s markets, and foster education and knowledge exchange. 4. Strategic Linkages The trade mission is directly aligned with Council s Strategic Plan and its priorities (see Figure 3). With the Strategic Plan as the starting point, the trade missions is expected to deliver on multiple goals and actions, especially those related to economic prosperity, sustainability, energy, culture and agriculture. There are also direct linkages to key Town policies and strategies, including the Economic Development Strategy, Community Sustainability Strategy, Mayor's Community Energy Plan, Cultural Master Plan, Green Development Standards, as well as Halton Region's Agri-Tourism Action Plan whose implementation is supported by the Town's Economic Development Office staff. The Town also has a unique opportunity to leverage Councillor Somerville s position as Vice President of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (soon to be President). This linkage between the Town and FCM will elevate the discussion to the national and international stages. In particular, as it pertains to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. The timing for such discussions is opportune in light of the recent United Nations Climate Change Conference (2015) in Paris where nearly 200 countries signed an agreement to take action to keep global warming from rising above two degrees Celsius. It also aligns with the FCM Partners for Climate Protection Milestones that the Town has completed by undertaking a greenhouse gas inventory, setting a reduction target and approving an action plan to achieve these targets. 5 P a g e

6 Figure 3: Strategic Linkages Between China Delegation and the Town of Halton Hills Objectives 6 P a g e

7 5. Next Steps Upon return from the trade mission, a detailed report will be prepared outlining the findings and recommended next steps. CONCLUSION: This Memorandum has provided the Corporate Affairs Committee with a status update on the Trade Mission to the City of Chengdu/Wenjiang, China. To date, tremendous progress has been made. By leveraging common interests between Chengdu and Halton Hills, and fostering a relationship, the trade mission is expected to generate shared prosperity, and long-lasting benefits to the Town of Halton Hills and Chengdu. Respectfully submitted, Rick Bonnette Mayor Danielle Edwards Economic Development Coordinator Reviewed and Approved by, Brent Marshall, CAO and Fire Chief 7 P a g e