PAST EVENT | CWF Arthur J.E. Child POP UP POLICY
Western Canada and China:
The Economic and Trade Relationship
An armchair discussion between Canada West Foundation CEO Gary G. Mar and H.E. Cong Peiwu, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Canada
Canada West Foundation Virtual Event
Friday, January 21, 2022
9am – 10am (MST)
For the past decade, Western Canada’s trade with China has grown an average of 13 per cent, making the country the second largest trading partner of each western province. Over the pandemic years, while trade with other partners including the U.S. dropped, western Canadian businesses and consumers continued to increase trade with China – making it one of the few trade relationships to see growth.
His Excellency Cong Peiwu, Ambassador of China to Canada, who has already had a series of conversations with Canadian think tanks about the political relationship, joins CWF CEO Gary G. Mar for a conversation tightly focused on issues in the economic and trade relationship between Western Canada and China.
SPECIAL GUEST
His Excellency Cong Peiwu
Ambassador of China to Canada
His Excellency Cong Peiwu has served as China’s Ambassador to Canada since 2019. He has held several positions within the Department of North American and Oceanian Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, including Director-General (2014–2019). Previously, Ambassador Cong served as Minister-Counsellor and Minister within the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (2009–2014). His Excellency graduated from China Foreign Affairs University.
HOST
Gary G. Mar
CEO of the Canada West Foundation
Gary G. Mar became CEO of the Canada West Foundation in April 2020. He served as a Member of the Alberta Legislative Assembly from 1993-2007 holding Cabinet portfolios in Community Development; Health and Wellness; Education; Environment; and International and Intergovernmental Relations. He then served as the Official Representative (Minister-Counselor) of the Province of Alberta in Washington D.C., from 2007 – 2011 and as the Province of Alberta’s Representative in Asia from 2011 to 2015 directing Alberta’s offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Tokyo, Seoul, and Taipei from Hong Kong.
