Hong Kong Environment Mission to GLOBE 2014 (Vancouver) and Pre-GLOBE to Edmonton Waste Management Centre (Edmonton), March 24-28, 2014

The Consulate General of Canada in Hong Kong and Marco cordially invites you to join the Hong Kong Environment Trade Mission to GLOBE 2014 in Vancouver.

The GLOBE Series is North America’s largest and longest-running forum on the business of environment consisting of aconference and trade fair. In 2012, the event attracted over 9000 business leaders, industry managers and buyers to explore mutual goals of corporate sustainability, business growth, urban development, and energy and climate change solutions(http://2014.globeseries.com).

This year, the GLOBE 2014 Conference will include the following major themes: »» The Changing Energy Landscape »» Food & Water Security: Protecting our Most Precious Resources »» Towards the Circular Economy  »» Responsible Resource Management »» Clean Capitalism: Financing Sustainable Innovation »» Building Resilient Cities »» China – Our Shared Future (Remarks: Special Discounted Conference Rate applies to Hong Kong delegates)  GLOBE 2014 Trade Fair: With over 450 exhibitors, the GLOBE trade show will feature the most advanced environmental technologies and solutions in three critical areas: Energy, Green Building and Sustainable Cities, and Water. Value Added Mission Program for Mission Participants: (1)   Business-to-Business Matching & Networking Opportunities with Canadian companies in variety of different subsectors. Canadian companies are especially strong in the areas of Water/Wastewater, Waste Management, Air Pollution Control, Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy, Carbon Capture/Storage/Utilization and Green Building Products/Services etc.    (2)   Optional Additional Site Visit to Edmonton Waste Management Centre (EWMC) to Edmonton, Alberta, March 24-25

About EWMC – EWMC provides access to some of the best full-scale waste management facilities in North America. It strives to turn waste into resources, provides holistic solutions to waste management problems and aims to enable innovation. The city of Edmonton currently diverts about 60% of residential waste from its landfill by reducing, recycling and composting. Facilities located at EWMC include:

• ·         Integrated Processing and Transfer Facility
• ·         Materials Recovery Facility, where Edmonton’s recyclables are sorted and baled
• ·         Edmonton Composting Facility, where Edmonton’s waste is composted
• ·         GEEP Electrical and Electronic Waste Recycling Facility
• ·         Residential Waste Drop Off Station
• ·         Construction and Demolition Recycling Operation
• ·         Clover Bar Landfill
• ·         Leachate Treatment Plant, Landfill Gas Recovery System and Biosolids Lagoons
• ·         Greys Paper & Glass Recycling Facility
• ·         Waste-to-Biofuels

For further information on EWMC, please visit their website: http://www.edmonton.ca/for_residents/garbage_recycling/edmonton-waste-management-centre.aspx

If you are interested in learning more about the Mission, please complete and return the attached Reply Slip or contact Ms. Fatima Lai, tel: 2867 7390 / 2867 7366, email: Fatima.lai@international.gc.ca.

We look forward to your participation in this Business Mission!

Globe Invitation 2014

Globe 2014 Reply Slip

Canada still wants you, minister tells Chinese applicants

Canada’s immigration minister has invited tens of thousands of Chinese millionaires to find other ways of getting into the country.

The appeal comes after the scrapping of a controversial investor visa scheme that resulted in their applications being dumped.

Chris Alexander also used an interview with the South China Morning Post on Wednesday to reassure would-be migrants in Hong Kong and on the mainland that Canada’s immigration system remained open for business.

He was speaking a day after the Conservative government in Ottawa announced it was ending the 28-year-old Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP) and dumping the backlogged applications of 65,000 visa-seekers.

To read the full article please click here.

In Memorial of Stephen Huggins

It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of Stephen Huggins.  Stephen was a long-term member of The Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong.

Stephen will be remembered as a high profile member of the Canadian business community in Asia, successful entrepreneur and a tireless promoter of Canadian-East Asian trade (specifically Japan). In addition to his professional life as the Director of TSI International Group, Stephen was also on the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Japan’s Board of Governors.  Stephen will truly be missed by many throughout Asia and Canada.

On behalf of The Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong,

Philip Leung

China trade top priority for Tories

n a speech in celebration of the lunar new year Saturday, Prime Minister Stephen Harper praised the Chinese-Canadian community’s work ethic and said they gave Canada a great competitive advantage in developing more trade with Asia.

Harper was joined by Employment Minister Jason Kenney and multiculturalism secretary Chungsen Leung at a gala put on by the Confederation of Greater Toronto Chinese Business Association.

To read the full article please click here.

Manulife gears up for growth in China

The Greater China chief of Canada’s largest insurer, Manulife, is seeking new opportunities on the mainland as the country looks to introduce important reforms in the pension system for a rapidly ageing population.

The most exciting business opportunity is the Shanghai pension pilot that the government has been planning for some time, said Michael Huddart, executive vice-president and general manager for Greater China Manulife (International) in an interview with the Post.

Under the scheme, taxes on pension insurance will be deferred until retirement to encourage more people to buy insurance products. The more they set aside for annuities and pension insurance, the more they will save by way of lower tax payments when they start receiving the pension payouts.

To read the full article please click here.

China, Japan entering global competition for foreign workers

VANCOUVER — Some say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. If that’s the case, Canadian immigration officials should be flattered.

According to Chinese news media, China will be introducing a list of skills currently in demand in the country, in order to aid its recruitment of foreign talent.

A report in the China Daily in late September quoted an unnamed foreign affairs official saying Beijing is “identifying shortages in the domestic labour market” to “learn what types of workers (domestic firms) felt are hard to find.”

Read more: http://www.vancouversun.com/Business/asia-pacific/China+Japan+entering+global+competition+foreign/9003686/story.html#ixzz2suLWX899

Canadian dollar gets small boost from January job gains

Canada gained 29,400 jobs in January, which pushed down the unemployment rate 0.2 percentage points to seven per cent, according to the latest labour force survey released today by Statistics Canada.

The January increase was higher than the 20,000 new jobs that economists had expected and was a welcome turnaround from the 45,900 jobs lost in December.

“The trend is good and this is comforting as we plan the budget and plan modest steady job growth in Canada,” finance minister Jim Flaherty said in response to the new numbers.

To read the full article please click here.

Marketing Sales and Brand Manager Opportunity Available

Exciting opportunity for niche market publication looking for a marketing sales and brand manager with relevant
newspaper/magazine adverting and subscription business development experience; directly reporting to the business development director.

Daily duties will include:

*Create opportunities for advertisers to purchase marketing, PR, and communications space by telephone and face to face
*Create opportunities for executives, organizations, and associations to purchase annual subscriptions by telephone
and face to face
*Drive content, event, and sponsorship creation through marketing opportunities
*Respond to leads generated by marketing activity in a timely manner and convert these prospects into sales
*Maintain and develop strong relationships with customers through regular client contact
*Gather customer feedback
*Efficient and timely administration

To be considered for this role you will require the following skills and experience:

*Fluent in English, Cantonese written and oral. Mandarin a strong asset.
*Previous advertising sales experience within a media company
*A successful track record in sales
*Excellent negotiation skills
*Professional demeanour and first class communication skills

Remuneration – $17,000 – $25,000 + Regular Commissions

To apply please contact:

Harbour Times
tel. (852) 2153 8428 – direct
fax. (852) 2153 1088
llt@harbourtimes
www.harbourtimes.com

Manulife Asia CEO Sees Opportunity in Indonesia

Robert Cook, chief executive officer of the Asian unit of Manulife Financial Corp., Canada’s largest life insurer, talks about the company’s outlook in Asia. He also discusses Federal Reserve policy, its implications for global financial markets, and Japan’s economy.

To view the interview please click here.

Canada Passes U.S. in Bloomberg Ease of Business Ranking

Canada, struggling to emerge from a two-year slump brought on by weak exports, has swept past the U.S., Germany and Japan in a Bloomberg ranking of the best countries for doing business.

Canada rose four places to reach second place, behind only Hong Kong, which led for a third straight year. The U.S. fell one spot to third place in the index that’s based on six criteria, followed by Singapore and Australia.

To read the full article please click here.