安省中文信息网
Today, Ontario is home to more than half a million people of Chinese ethnic origin. Chinese immigration in Ontario dates back to 1878 when Sam Ching was the first Chinese person to come to Ontario. With China's increasing global economic importance, Ontario considers China a priority market for commercial partnerships and direct investment.
- China is Ontario's second-largest trading partner, behind only the US. In 2010 Ontario goods exported to China were valued at C$1.52 billion while goods imported by Ontario were valued at C$25 billion. See the Ontario-China Trade Fact Sheet.
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- In October 2008, the government of Ontario led an investment and trade mission to China that included stops in Shanghai, Nanjing, Beijing and Chongqing. The mission focused on building new partnerships, especially for the development of innovative environmental technologies.
- In 2006, Ontario and Jiangsu Province formally established the Ontario-Jiangsu Business Council to strengthen trade and investment ties between both provinces. Jiangsu Province is eastern China's industrial heartland, home to the electronics manufacturing, automotive and chemical sectors.
- China Investment Corporation (CIC) opened its first overseas representative office - CIC Representative Office in Toronto, on January 20, 2011. CIC Toronto Office will serve as a platform for deepening the business cooperation and friendly relationship with local companies and for further exploring investment opportunities for CIC in Canada.
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- Approximately 644,465 Chinese-Canadians live in Ontario. (Source)
- Mark Rowswell is one of the most famous Canadians living in China, where he is known as the comedic performer Dashan. Born in Ottawa, Ontario, Rowswell has been appointed Canada's Commissioner General for Expo 2010, which will take place in Shanghai, China, from May to October 2010. Rowswell studied at The University of Toronto, where he received his Bachelor of Arts in Chinese Studies.
- Dr. Norman Bethune, born in 1890 in Gravenhurst, Ontario, is best known as a hero in the People's Republic of China. Bethune was a gifted surgeon, an inventor, a political activist and was responsible for the first blood-transfusion bank. He worked on the front lines during the Japanese invasion of China in 1937 until his death in 1939. In tribute to his service to the Chinese people, Chairman Mao Zedong wrote the essay, "In Memory of Norman Bethune."
- Winner of the Order of Canada, the country's highest honour, Tak W. Mak, PhD, was born in China and moved to Canada in the 1970s. His award winning research examines the ways the human body fights immune disorders.
- Patrick Chan is a Chinese-Canadian male figure skater. Born in Ottawa, Ontario, he represented Canada in the 2010 Winter Olympic Games and is ranked 7th in the world. Chan lives and trains in Toronto.
- Susur Lee is a Hong Kong-born chef who received his culinary apprenticeship at The Peninsula Hotel. Lee currently owns two restaurants in Toronto and most recently opened his fist New York venture in the Lower East Side of Manhattan.
- Alexina Louie is a Chinese-Canadian pianist and music composer living in Toronto. In 1986 Louie was named Composer of the Year and she is a two-time Juno Award-winner. In 2001 Louie received The Order of Ontario, the province's highest honour.
- Alfred Sung is a Chinese-born Canadian fashion designer and the brother of Hong Kong actress Lydia Shum. Born in Shanghai and raised in Hong Kong, Sung is one of the most widely known Canadian fashion designers around the world.
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- The Greater Toronto Area boasts five separate Chinatowns and is home to one of North America's largest Chinatowns, near Dundas Street West and Spadina Avenue.
- The Royal Ontario Museum, the largest museum in Canada, includes one of the biggest collections of Chinese architectural artifacts outside of China. Currently the ROM is hosting a new exhibit called The Warrior Emperor and China's Terracotta Army.
- Toronto's Chinatown Festival in August attracts more than 100,000 people, featuring entertainment, exotic foods and markets.
- The International Dragon Boat Race Festival takes place annually on Centre Island, in Toronto, Ontario, and attracts thousands of visitors and athletes from Canada, the US, Europe and Asia.
- In 2006, Toronto was the host city for the International Dragon Boat Federation Club Crew World Championships, which prompted the creation of the Western Beaches Watercourse, a flat water training and competition centre for rowing, about a fifteen minute walk west of the Media Centre at Marilyn Bell Park. (See map)
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- China is the leading source of foreign students at Ontario universities.
- Students receiving a PhD in Ontario are fast-tracked for permanent residency status. Previously a recent graduate would require a permanent job offer in order to be fast-tracked.
- There are over 40 separate Canadian Studies programs in Chinese universities.
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The International Marketing Centre in Beijing
The Beijing International Marketing Centre is located in the Canadian Embassy. Its mandate is to promote awareness of Ontario and the province's many investment and business opportunities. The Centre works with Chinese companies to find investment opportunities in Ontario, and to promote awareness of and access to Ontario-produced goods and services.
For in-depth information on Ontario's investment advantages in key industries and sectors, review the Ontario-China Investment Fact Sheet and the list of Ontario Industry Profiles:
Contact Information
Mr. Yijun Song
Counsellor (Commercial - Ontario)
Email: yijun.song@international.gc.ca
Ms. Chaofeng Zhang
Commercial officer
Email: chaofeng.zhang@international.gc.ca
Ms. Lisa Lai
Program Coordinator
Email: Lisa.lai@international.gc.ca
Tel.: (011 86-10) 5139-4280/4282
Fax: (011 86-10) 5139-4466
Ontario International Marketing Centre
Canadian Embassy
19 Dongzhimenwai Dajie
Chao Yang District
Beijing 100600
People's Republic of China
The International Marketing Centre in Shanghai
The International Marketing Centre in Shanghai, located in the Canadian Consulate General, is active in promoting Ontario's strengths across many sectors, particularly Automotive, Information Technology (IT) and Engineering and Construction Services.
Contact Information
Mr. Philip Wong
Counsel (Economic Affairs - Ontario)
Email: philip.wong@international.gc.ca
Ms. Xiaomei Wang
Program Coordinator
Email: xiaomei.wang@international.gc.ca
Tel: (011 86 21) 3279-2859
Fax: (011 86 21) 3279 2856
Ontario International Marketing Centre
c/o Consulate General of Canada
Four Shanghai Centre, West Tower, Suite 604
1376 Nanjing Xi Lu
Shanghai, 200040
People's Republic of China
Biography of Senior Economic Officer
Philip Wong
Prior to this position, Mr. Wong served as the International Marketing Consultant for China in the International Trade Branch of the Ontario Ministry of Economic Development and Innovation. He was also Ontario's first resident representative in Nanjing, Jiangsu, posted to the Ontario-Jiangsu Centre.
Before joining government, Mr. Wong was the China lead for a number of companies from Canada, Germany, the United States and Hong Kong.
