While many countries around the world are struggling, the Asia Pacific is witnessing explosive growth. China is poised to become the world’s largest economy, India’s middle class is already larger than Canada’s entire population, and Japan has a heightened need for natural resources as it rebuilds from the devastating earthquake and tsunami. By 2020, Asia Pacific trade is expected to reach $230 billion, with one third coming from British Columbia.

These countries need the products we export – copper, coal, lumber, liquid natural gas and green technologies. They also have growing numbers of entrepreneurs and investors, looking for safe, stable places to put their money and start new businesses.

For years, British Columbia has been building relationships across the Pacific, forming friendships and developing new markets. These economic and social contacts are invaluable: mills, mines and countless other businesses across B.C. operate – and provide jobs for families – thanks to overseas markets and investors.

Canada Starts Here: The BC Jobs Plan leverages all our advantages to build on this opportunity, including our multilingual, multicultural society, our education system and transportation infrastructure; and our reputation as a safe haven for investment in a time of global uncertainty.

We have gained invaluable experience with Asia over the past decade: exports of wood products to China have exploded in the past three years, and, since 2007, metallurgical coal exports to China have soared from 140-thousand to 3.7-million tons. Canada Starts Here: The BC Jobs Plan builds on our inroads into China, leveraging what we learned to expand sectors and industries where we have a strong competitive advantage.

Our economic history and unique social and cultural ties with the Asia Pacific set us apart from virtually every other jurisdiction in North America. We will build on these relationships and seek out new opportunities by doubling our presence in these offices around the globe.

We will also invite trade missions from Asia-Pacific businesses as one more step in marketing our province as the destination of choice for global investment and a safe, reliable supplier of goods and services.