PRIME MINISTER STEPHEN HARPER WELCOMES NEW AGREEMENTS WITH CHINA ON CLIMATE CHANGE AND CULTURAL EXCHANGES
Agreements highlight the depth and range of shared interests
BEIJING, CHINA – Prime Minister Stephen Harper today announced that Canada has signed two agreements with China that will result in greater cooperation on climate change and culture. The Prime Minister and Wen Jiabao, Premier of China, witnessed the signing of the two agreements in the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China.
“These agreements highlight the depth and range of our shared interests with China,” said the Prime Minister. “From the joint development of clean energy technologies to the exchange of artistic and cultural heritage, these agreements reflect Canada’s commitment to enhancing and expanding our relations with China and lay the foundation for more extensive cooperation.”
Under the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Climate Change, Canada and China will work together on the long-term global effort to address climate change through mitigation and adaptation. It will strengthen Canada-China cooperation in areas such as energy conservation and efficiency, renewable energy, carbon capture and storage, methane recovery and utilization, and sustainable land management.
The MOU on Cultural Cooperation will promote joint programs and exchanges in the performing and visual arts, festivals and exhibitions and in the sharing of best practices in the field of cultural heritage. The MOU outlines a two-year program of cultural cooperation with China that will create economic opportunities for the Canadian cultural sector and showcase Canadian culture in China.
The Prime Minister also announced that the existing MOU between Canada and China on mineral resources and on agricultural research and training have been renewed. As well, a new protocol to the Canada-China Bilateral Agreement on Maritime Transport is also being implemented.
For more information on these bilateral agreements, please see the attached backgrounders or visit www.pm.gc.ca.
Backgrounder
BACKGROUNDER ON AGREEMENTS
Memorandum of Understanding on Climate Change
The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Climate Change will strengthen cooperation between the two countries on efforts to combat climate change through mitigation and adaptation. Under the MOU, Canada and China will work together in a number of areas, including clean energy, energy efficiency, climate-friendly technologies and adaptation to the impacts of a changing climate. The MOU also encourages information exchanges on domestic policies and on international climate change negotiations.
Memorandum of Understanding on Cultural Cooperation
In January 2005, Canada and China signed a cultural agreement in which both countries agreed to develop programs of cooperation that would be in effect for specific durations. The MOU will allow for: exchanges of performing artists, writers, and arts administrators; the inclusion of works from each other’s country in arts and cultural festivals; cultural trade promotion; sharing of best practices in the field of cultural heritage; and cooperation in the area of digital culture. Under this MOU, the program of cooperation will be for the period 2010–2012 and encourages the development of projects that will create economic opportunities for the Canadian cultural sector. It will also help to showcase Canadian cultural content in China.
Memorandum of Understanding on Agricultural Research and Training
The Memorandum of Understanding between the Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada and the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China on Scientific and Technical Cooperation and Personnel Training provides a framework to enhance agricultural cooperation between Agriculture and Agri-food Canada (AAFC) and organizations of higher learning in China. The MOU was originally signed in 2005 and has been renewed today. China is providing an estimated $300,000 a year in scholarships to support their students while in Canada. The objectives of the MOU include facilitating the exchange of personnel (graduate students, visiting scientists, work transfers); and facilitating joint projects between AAFC and Chinese universities.
Memorandum of Understanding on Mineral Resources
This Memorandum of Understanding, renewed today, recognizes that both nations derive important economic and social benefits from sustainable mineral development and related industries. It will foster opportunities to promote increased two-way trade, investment and green mining technology cooperation. In 2008, Canada exported close to $5.8 billion in natural resource products to China representing 55 per cent of all Canadian exports to China. Minerals and metals comprised 38.3 per cent of Canadian exports to China.
New Protocol to the Agreement on Maritime Transport
The new Protocol updates provisions of the 1997 bilateral agreement. Notably, it adds a new article to encourage dialogue between the maritime authorities and maritime stakeholders in Canada and China in areas such as marine policy, inland maritime transport and maritime technology and research. This new Protocol also marks further progress in the Government of Canada’s $1 billion Asia-Pacific Gateway and Corridor Initiative, which focuses on ensuring Canada’s competitiveness in global commerce, including maritime services, while benefiting local communities by improving the safety, security and environmental sustainability of the transportation system in the long term.
