2014-15 Canada-China Business Forum Magazine | Page 90

THE YEAR IN REVIEW THE YEAR IN REVIEW Part of our success in each of our smalloffice cities comes from our Advisory Councils, which help us understand issues from a regional perspective. A charter has been established, providing guidelines for Advisory Councils to help us be vital and grow. The Montreal council is now well established, Shanghai is up and running, and an Alberta council based in Calgary was formed earlier this year. Our existing Advisory Councils in Beijing and BC both have new chairs this year, and we’re working to make sure all cities leverage the synergies between our active volunteers and managers and are consistent in activities and approach. The CCBC Board of Directors also provides important guidance and support. This year we focused on the future, with a board retreat to discuss the CCBC’s role in the bilateral economic relationship. It is crucial that we structure our activities to remain relevant and contribute to Canada’s economic prosperity. Coming out of this retreat, expect to see certain changes to our events (more outreach and more integration of technology), deeper engagement of certain sectors, more help for SMEs and Chinese companies, a larger variety of services, and stronger communications and advocacy. We will keep advocating at a high level for increased economic engagement between Canada and China, to make sure Canada keeps pace with our competitors. This will include issues like a Renminbi trading hub for Canada, and more aggressive steps toward bilateral economic negotiations. I could go on but wanted to at least provide you with an overview on where we are and where we are heading. I would also be remiss if I didn’t point out that all this is possible because of the support of our many stakeholders. All three levels of government play an important role in our membership and activities, and we thank the Council of the Federation for including our 2014 AGM in their China 6 5 mission for premiers and delegates. A sincere thank you also goes to the CCBC Board of Directors and to the regional Advisory Councils for their volunteer efforts, and to the Founding Members, Benefactors and event sponsors whose financial support sustains us throughout the year and allows us to continue improving the services we provide to members. \\ SK Sarah Kutulakos is executive director of the Canada China Business Council. 7 5. 6. 7. 8. 8 Canadian Ambassador Guy Saint-Jacques delivering a China economic update to members in Vancouver Canadian Consul General Weldon Epp speaking at a CCBC breakfast on business, trade and investment in Guangdong and South China Former Chinese Ambassador, H.E. Zhang Junsai speaking at the official launch of the new CCBC Alberta Chapter in Calgary 89 Chinese Ambassador, H.E. Luo Zhaohui addressing guests at the CCBC’s welcome dinner in Toronto CANADA CHINA FORUM BUSINESS 2014-2015 ccbc.com 90 90