Beijing, China, Friday, July 14, 2017

What a pleasure to be here with all of you at this impressive facility for this celebration of Canada and of delicious, high-quality Canadian food products!

Let me begin by thanking Mr. Liu for his support and for launching this ambitious campaign. It comes at a special time for Canada: our country’s 150th birthday, and a time of growing co-operation and exchange with China!

Canada is eager to deepen its partnership with China in agriculture and the exchange of food products, as well as in tourism.  

For decades, our two countries have enjoyed a fruitful partnership, beginning in the 1960s with the supply of Canadian wheat to China.

And our exchanges have continued and expanded to the present day, which sees a wide variety of Canadian food and consumer products in this country, many of which can be found on JD.com.

When it comes to food products, Canada has so much to offer. Sea cucumbers, salmon, scallops, shrimp, lobster, oysters, blueberries—I could go on and on!

What’s more, this bounty speaks to the natural beauty and diversity of Canada, which also make it a great country to visit on holiday!

I’m delighted to participate in this event, which is drawing attention to our reliable, safe and high-quality food products, as well as to Canada as a destination of choice for visitors.

In fact, I understand the idea for the “Grand Celebration of Canada on JD” arose after Mr. Wang, President of JD Fresh, came to Canada earlier this year.

I invite Mr. Liu as well, and of course all of you who are here today and part of this celebration. Come and visit us!

There are so many avenues for exchange between Canada and China, and food products and tourism are two of the most exciting.

Let food be a means of bringing us closer together, and allow us to return the warm hospitality you’ve shown to me on my visit.

Thank you!