APF Canada and UBC Present 'Canada-China Engagement: The 45th Anniversary'

VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Nov. 10, 2015) - The Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada (APF Canada) and The University of British Columbia (UBC) are proud to present Canada-China Engagement: The 45^th Anniversary, a celebration November 12, 2015, of the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Canada and China.

The daylong discussion among witnesses and practitioners from both Canada and China includes panel sessions on the past, present and future of this significant bilateral relationship, and begins with opening remarks from UBC President Dr. Martha Piper, APF Canada Chair Dr. David Emerson and the Executive Vice President of the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs, and former Ambassador of China to Canada, H.E. Lu Shumin.

"Canada's relationship with China has been characterized by deep cultural links rooted in the vast Chinese diaspora in Canada, and more recently by a number of key economic agreements," said Prof. Yves Tiberghien, Director of UBC's Institute of Asian Research and a Senior Fellow with APF Canada. "This event brings together Canadian and Chinese government, academic and business leaders for an important dialogue about the future of that special relationship."

The Canada-China Engagement: The 45^th Anniversary event at UBC's Liu Institute for Global Issues on the university's Point Grey campus will also feature the unveiling of a special book on 100 years of UBC-China relations, along with a new UBC White Paper on Canada-China relations.

"China is going to be increasingly important to Canada, and its rising middle class will define consumption patterns coming from the Asia Pacific region for decades to come," said Stewart Beck, President and CEO of APF Canada. "In order to seize these new opportunities and be relevant and effective in the region, we need to understand China, its players and policies - events like this provide a unique opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of China, while leveraging our historic relationships for deeper engagement in the future."