Bell's Mission To China Largest Ever

Friday, September 24, 2010 04:00 AM

Prince George, B.C. - B.C. Forests and Range Minister Pat Bell will be heading the province's largest trade mission ever to China next month.

Bell will be accompanied by the CEOs from Interfor, Canfor, West Fraser, and Conifex. A few others have yet to confirm their attendance. In addition, the Forests Minister says a couple of mayors, including Mackenzie mayor Stephanie Killam will be on the junket, as will United Steelworkers Local 1-424 President Frank Everitt. Bell says he feels the union representation is a positive step.

As of July, B.C. surpassed the 1.2-billion board foot mark for lumber shipments to China, compared to 816-million board feet for the same period last year. Bell says, "We're hoping to advance the agenda towards the 4-billion board foot mark by 2011 -- that will be challenging, we're going to have to work hard to make it happen, but we're certainly prepared to put the resources behind it necessary to accomplish that (goal)."

Past trade excursions have focused primarily on Beijing, Shanghai and similar-sized cities, but this year, the group will venture into some of the second-tier cities. As well, Bell says next month's trip will be far more focused on building relationships with some of China's largest developers. "We have a series of meetings set up with developers who build, literally, millions of units of new housing starts every year."

Bell says there's even some interest in B.C.'s Wood First Act. He says it's early days yet, but one Chinese provincial government is interested in expanding the use of wood beyond residential construction to commercial projects. "That means things like parallam and glu-lam beams and different structural qualities of wood that are of much higher value and manufactured to a higher degree." (click here, for earlier story on results of Wood policy here in B.C.

Right now, Bell says he's told by companies doing the bulk of importing into China that about 90-percent of B.C. wood going into the country is being consumed and utilized there, the other 10-percent is re-manufactured into products like cabinets, doors and windows and shipped to Japan and the U.S.

The trade mission leaves on October 28th and will stay a little longer than usual, until November 8th.

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Posted on Friday, September 24, 2010 04:00 AM in News by 250 News

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Comments

Posted by: acrider54 on September 24 2010 5:49 AM

$#@#$$#***! Stay home! Quit wasting more of our money on paid holidays for those losers.

Posted by: gus on September 24 2010 6:39 AM

Acridrer54 ... Can you please post the itinerary of these people so that we all get to share the info on beaches, golf courses, resorts, sightseeing locations, etc. that these people are visiting.

I would like to see how much that will cost me if I decide to take a trip to China for my vacation.

Posted by: acrider54 on September 24 2010 6:44 AM

http://www.vayama.ca/cheap-flights/china/?cmp=KNC-Asia-Dest&HBX_OU=50&HBX_PK=fly%20to%20china&ref=googleadwca&pdt=China&gclid=CJ7NioSZoKQCFQEMbAodWApi5w

Check it out yourself your the expert on websites

Posted by: MiddleGround on September 24 2010 7:21 AM

Five years ago we shipped no wood to China.

This year it will be over 2 Billion board feet!

That's the production from 15 mills the size of Clear Lake!!!

This has only happened because of the trips to China by Pat Bell and others.

Posted by: He spoke on September 24 2010 7:32 AM

Middleground.

You are absolutely correct. a lot of politicians have gone to china. But it is still Pat Bell, that has been producing results.

Pat Bell, for Premier.

He is honest, has charisma, has both feet on the ground.

Posted by: PrinceGeorge on September 24 2010 9:04 AM

"A junket is a trip or errand made by a public official at public expense often viewed as having dubious public benefit."

The story above states: "... In addition, the Forests Minister says a couple of mayors, including Mackenzie mayor Stephanie Killam will be on the junket,..."

I doubt that Pat bell used the word "junket" for what is actually a serious business trip.

Posted by: Princeg55 on September 24 2010 9:51 AM

Were not far away from another round of negotiations on soft wood with the US, so improving on export opportunity's of our lumber to China helps. Just the thought of being in a position when the time comes to negotiate with them and having the ability to say the magic words, sorry not today were little busy. China has the potential to overtake exports to the US, go, go go.

Posted by: hammmy on September 24 2010 10:29 AM

How many of these delegates can speak Chinese or even mandarin? Bring someone whom you trust and don't tell them that they are there to understand what's being actually said. Before you sign, sign , sign away. Be sure of yourselves.

Posted by: palomino on September 24 2010 11:19 AM

What's the problem now acrider? I see one of the province's union leaders (Frank Everitt) is on this "junket" as well. (I thought the NDP and their unions vehemently opposed this awfull "waste of money) !!
IMO, his presence should please all those NDP'ers on this board that constantly harp away at every opportunity to put down Pat's efforts (not to mention Dan Rogers) to put our forest industry and Prince George back on its feet again.
Methinks there's more than just a little jelousy behind some of these squeals of protest, probably because they can't fathom an all expense paid trip by anyone that wouldn't take advantage at every opportunity for personal benefit.
I really hurts when the person or party you hate so passionatly actually does some good on behalf of all of us dosen't it !!
Probably brings to mind the horrifying thought that maybe he/her might gain a few points and have another chance at getting re-elected!!
Anyway, thanks Pat, for all the effort and the progress you've helped us achieve in these very trying and difficult economic times, especially in the foresty industry, in spite of those legions of whiners and ill-wishers out there!!
I'm glad its you, and not me going over there with all the blame and/or fallout for success or failure ultmately riding on my shoulders !!

Posted by: He spoke on September 24 2010 11:38 AM

Way to go Pat,

your doing a great job. Thankless job. But the people who has any reasonable amount of intelligence recognize your credentials.

Posted by: weaksauce on September 24 2010 12:13 PM

Whoa..... ease up on the positivity & common sense guys. It is not in keeping with the spirit of this site.

Posted by: Andyfreeze on September 24 2010 12:17 PM

Hahahaha!...snort...
"Pat Bell,for Premier."
Haha, good one He spoke...you had me going there for minute...I though you were serious!
hahaha....

Posted by: Pojeb_sa on September 24 2010 12:40 PM

This *IS* a junket! In this day of teleconferencing, video conferencing, etc.... why would they need to make personal visits so many times? Who is paying for their travel? Are taxpayers on the hook for all of these jerks, or just our elected jerk?

What possible use would union leadership have in going to China other than to placate organized labour with a free holiday?

If these trips were to more countries than just China I would understand, there are other countries out there who would buy our biomass, our raw logs, etc... but Pat my Bell is only focusing on China for some reason, and that's a far bigger red flag than China's.

This article I'm linking below certainly gives one pause for thought!

http://tinyurl.com/2d7hyvq

(I tinyurl'd it so it would be easier to copy and paste, the full article goes to the Terrace Daily).

Posted by: He spoke on September 24 2010 12:52 PM

I don't mind Pat focussing on one country, of course it is the country of 1.6 billion people.

Are you going to sell 2x4's to Bangledesh?

Posted by: gus on September 24 2010 5:04 PM

"In this day of teleconferencing, video conferencing, etc.... why would they need to make personal visits so many times?"

As the ad for Coke says ... "there is nothing like the real thing"

Did you notice it is not the same people going all the time. Pat is the person with positional authority and power. He makes the connections for direct dialog.

What part of cultural differences do you not understand?

Posted by: PrinceGeorge on September 24 2010 6:07 PM

Gus, perhaps those who complain about making these business contacts are expecting the Chinese to come here instead and beg us if we would be so kind to sell them some wood?

Posted by: dow7500 on September 24 2010 7:12 PM

The line up for this trip speaks for itself. These connections will actually do something. This should be encouraged.

The waste in this type of exercise comes with sending our latest municiple junket.
Exploring "twinning" opportunities, with an entourage of lightweights is an idea no government can afford in these economic times. Dan Rodgers has his hands full here.

Posted by: dirtcheap on September 24 2010 9:59 PM

Maybe this time the mayor of Mackenzie will actually be able to tell us what they actually accomplished over there. Last time she went over there "It was a worthwhile trip" but no one knows what she got accomplished. The town is still a ghost town after almost three years since the last "Worthwhile Trip". Same old B.S. tell us what we want to hear,then go on another vacation on the taxpayers dollar.

Posted by: supertech on September 24 2010 10:29 PM

What will those trips or the sold 2X4's do for me? What will they do for my mother who is in a care residence with little money? How many seniors will this trip help? How many students will this help and last of all; how many politicians will this help? We all know the answers. It's the same as the winter games or the olympics. Who did they help besides the rich?

Posted by: supertech on September 24 2010 10:33 PM

Let the private sector sell themselves--that is thier problem. Stop wasting taxpayer money to do business. Your mandate is not to travel the globe to sell product, it is to stay home and look after Canadians

Posted by: gus on September 25 2010 11:25 AM

Looking after Canadians means making sure that the sending and the revenue side of government are balanced.

Making sure that Canada, its provinces, as well as its urban and rural areas are given adequate support in international trade is part of the duty of the province. Governments cannot just sit around and wait for things to happen in today's world. They are an integral part of the team, and in some cases more important than others.

From what I understand about how international business is conducted in China, the role of government officials is extremely important in reducing barriers.

Posted by: gus on September 25 2010 11:25 AM

sPending ... not sending ... :-)

Posted by: Eagleone on September 25 2010 9:27 PM

It doesn't matter if sales to China are increasing. The role of government is to facilitate the rule of law equally for all, not to sell product.

We should have a law that outlaws all foreign travel by politicians. If they want to get elected, then they should be prepared to stay in country and focus on the efficiency of government. Let the CEO's sell their own products... let the free enterprise system operate without political interference and without creating a norm of politicians being intermediaries in business transactions.

I agree China has a huge market. I also agree that it requires dealing with the communist officials to do business in that country. I agree the cultural differences are great in how we relate governments with business... it creates all sorts of opportunities for corruption (is that why we always focus on China?).

I think more and more we have politicians that are not focusing on a sustainable and sovereign home economy (much less Canadian values)... at the notion that they can create more immediate results harvesting what we have now to buy a down-payment on the perceived good times that are more of a short term mirage. We have politicians driven by bankers, GDP numbers, corporations, communist Chinese middlemen... and none of those people really care about the plight of middle class working folks in the trade off they make when implementing their strategy of parochial stakeholders maximizing their share (the distance between working people and their capital shareholders are growing more vast everyday)... the sustainable economy is a collateral casualty to the short term greed and need for political ascendancy.

We will wake up in a few years time and find out we are slaves to Chinese whims. We won't like and we will ask why we are no longer a sovereign country with a sovereign economy....