Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
opposed to a more basic laying of “groundwork”, as was the case in Singapore
and Kuala Lumpur' (ibid: 7). In each city an important agenda item was to
advertise the Expo 86 World's Fair to be held in Vancouver the following
year; coinciding with the trade visit, the Singapore government announced
sponsorship of a national pavilion.
The City did not bring home big deals, nor did it expect to do so, but
incremental networking and raising familiarity were significant in building
relationships, so that when wealthy Pacific Rim families thought of invest-
ment and even emigration, Vancouver would be a welcoming destination
about which they were already knowledgeable. In contrast, rampant boost-
erism and armfuls of business agreements became the signature of the fed-
eral Team Canada Trade Missions of the 1990s. Led by Prime Minister
Chrétien, eight missions were undertaken by Liberal administrations
between 1994 and 2002.
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With some braggadocio the Prime Minister
reviewed recent accomplishments in a 1996 speech in Vancouver en route
to the APEC summit in Manila:
We said …we would strengthen Canada's trading relationships with the
nations of the Pacific Rim. And we set to doing it the day we were sworn in.
We appointed the first-ever member of the ministry dedicated to Pacific issues,
Raymond Chan,
10
the Secretary of State for Asia Pacific … And we haven't
looked back since. I had the honour to lead two of the most successful trade
missions in Canadian history - the two Team Canada Trade Missions to Asia.
With an all-star team of provincial premiers and business people, we proved
to the countries of the Pacific Rim that after years of false starts and half
measures, Canada was serious about the Pacific region - and we were there to
stay… That is why, our biggest-yet Pacific initiative lies ahead of us - 1997 -
Canada'sYear of Asia Pacific. It will be a celebration of Canadian involvement
and participation in the region. It will be an opportunity to take stock of our
accomplishments and demonstrate our strong ties to the Asia-Pacific com-
munity. And a launching pad to catapult that relationship to an even higher
level. The culmination of Canada's Year of the Pacific will be the 1997 APEC
Leaders Meeting - to be held here in Vancouver next November. Canada
takes over as APEC chair following the Manila meeting. Our priority will be
to help move APEC further along toward the goal of achieving free and open
trade and investment in the region for developed countries by 2010 and for
developing countries by 2020…
When I witnessed the signing of those business deals during the Team
Canada trips, I knew we had done the right thing. We were making powerful
business connections and laying the groundwork for future growth. So it was
a delight for me this summer to see the new orders coming in and the new
jobs being created. It is clear that an aggressive Team Canada approach, with
the cooperation of federal, provincial and municipal governments and the
private sector, has succeeded in producing good jobs with good incomes in
the growing economic sectors of today and tomorrow for Canadians.
