Seminar's presentations
1. Business Opportunities in Mainland China
Guillaume Mussely-Bédard
International Trade Advisor
Asia-Pacific and Oceania Markets Division
MESI
2. The legal and tax framework in China
Marc Bélanger
Associate Director – Montréal Office
Business Law and International Taxation
DS Lawyers
3. Doing Business in China in the Context of Economic "New Normality"
Dr. Zhan Su
Professor of Business Strategy and International Management
Faculty of Business Administration
Université Laval
4. Hong Kong – Your super-connector to Asia
Kathy Chan
Director
Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office (Toronto)
5. Hong Kong – Your super-connector to Asia : Windows of Opportunity
Andrew Yui
Director, Canada
Hong Kong Trade Development Counci
6. First Testimonial
Jean-Philippe Desjardins
CEO & co-founder
The Wallrus
7. Second Testimonial
Lingling Wang
Founder and CEO
Lachance Internationale Inc.
8. Third Testimonial
Jean-François Renaud
Worldwide Marketing & Business Development China and Oceania
Palmex International Inc.
The activity in brief
On December 6, our guest experts will address aspects of doing business in China. Join us to size up the potential of this market for your business.
You can talk to the speakers and entrepreneurs on hand about their sectors and get their advice on the best business strategies.
A unique opportunity to…
- Understand the business environment in China and Hong Kong as well as the challenges and issues for Québec businesses
- Identify opportunities for your business in China
- Hear testimonials from Québec entrepreneurs who have succeeded in these market
- Meet potential partners and key stakeholders for your efforts in China and Hong Kong
- Understand challenges and issues for Québec businesses
- Define your strategy to break into these market
Preliminary program
Why China?
The leading global economic power and second most important trading partner for Québec, China has become an essential partner for Montréal businesses. The growth potential for businesses that want to develop this market is astronomical. Despite slightly slower growth in 2015 (6.8%), China remains the driver of the global economy, having made its transition toward a knowledge- and innovation-based economy.
Prime Minister Trudeau’s election rekindled the partnership between Canada and China. The bilateral strategic relationship between the two countries has never been stronger. After Chinese prime minister Li Keqiang’s official visit to Montréal on September 22, 2016, the two countries are planning on a free trade agreement within the next five to ten years.
In the midst of change, the more modest Chinese growth points to transitions at a number of levels: an increase in the urban population, a rise in spending power and consumption and a shift from manufacturing to tertiary production. According to Jean-François Lépine, this industrialization will transform into more sophisticated sectors and open up many opportunities for Québec, for example in the fields of leading-edge transportation and technology.
Given this, trade relations between Québec and China are stronger than ever. In ten years, Québec exports to China increased 247%. In 2015, merchandise trade was $13.3 billion, an increase of 17.1%, which meant growth in imports of $1.1 billion compared with 2014.
China recently set the tone for its technology ambitions. The creation of a global e-commerce platform (eWTP) heralds e-commerce barriers dropping for small businesses. And having a Canada pavilion on the e-commerce giant Alibaba’s hub will give 400 million potential Chinese consumers a better idea of what Canadian businesses have to offer.
Rapid urbanization will open up promising prospects in the construction sector and require Chinese managers and businesses to find partners to help develop expertise in clean energy and to adapt to environmental requirements.
New opportunities in transportation and distribution networks are also expected, thanks to the “Silk Road” project. This also bodes well for Québec companies in the engineering, construction and infrastructure sectors.
Striving to become a science and technology leader, China is now ranked second internationally in research and development thanks to annual investments in the order of $30 billion, or 20% of the global volume. In China, over 75% of R&D spending is by companies. At this rate, China will be leading in R&D by 2019.
A quick look at Hong Kong
Hong Kong is an autonomous administrative region of China: it has its own currency and legal and political system and a great deal of autonomy in every area except foreign affairs and defence. Hong Kong is one of the most important financial capitals in the world and a major centre of business and culture. It has a strongly developed capitalist economy.
The most competitive economy in the world according to the World Competitiveness Yearbook 2016, and the “freest” globally since 1995 according to The Heritage Foundation, Hong Kong is the eight largest merchandise export market for Canada. According to the World Investment Report 2016 (UNCTAD), Hong Kong ranks second for direct foreign investment. Recognized as a super-connector between mainland China and the rest of the world, Hong Kong has become an ideal place for foreign businesses.
Nicknamed the pearl of the Orient, Hong Kong’s identity as a cosmopolitan centre where East meets West shines through in its food, film, music and traditions. While the majority of the population is Chinese, residents of other origins and expats represent a significant portion of the population. Furthermore, new directives from the Hong Kong government on sustainable development and related business opportunities open up a great deal of potential that Québec’s green industry can explore.
China in numbers:
- The second leading bilateral trading partner for Canada
- Export value of $2.67 billion for Québec (second leading client in the world)
- 1.375 billion citizens, or 40 times the population of Canada
- A middle class of 700 to 800 million people by 2020
- 11 cities with a population of 10 million or more
- 100 cities with a population of over 1 million
- 800 million Internet users in 2015
- 400 million online shoppers in 2015
- The largest energy consumer in the world
- Soon the leading global importer
- Soon the leading investor in R&D
- Preferred access to the ten ASEAN countries, which China has had a free trade agreement with since 2010
Who should take part?
Entrepreneurs who want to break into the Chinese market or who are already present in this market and would like to learn more about it.
The trade mission will be of particular interest to companies in the following sectors:
- Consumer goods
- Agri-food and bio-food
- Health and medical technology
- Clean tech
- Aerospace
- Information technology and telecommunications
- E-commerce
- Construction materials
- Natural resources
- Oil and natural gas
- Mines and metals
- Education
- Businesses with experience in the Chinese market