Notice to media

MINISTER STRAHL ON FIRST VISIT TO CHINA

OTTAWA, Ontario, October 6, 2006 – The Honourable Chuck Strahl, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food and Minister for the Canadian Wheat Board, will be traveling to China from October 6 to 13 to strengthen the overall bilateral relationship between Canada and China, with an emphasis on agriculture. This is the first visit of a Minister from Canada’s new government to China.

Minister Strahl will begin his visit by meeting with provincial officials in Shaanxi Province to discuss science and education collaboration and rural farm issues. In Beijing, Minister Strahl will meet with China’s Minister of Agriculture, the Minister for the Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, the Vice Premier responsible for agriculture and officials from the Ministry of Commerce and the National Development and Reform Commission.

Meetings will focus on increasing the existing cooperation in areas of mutual benefit and interest, including regulatory cooperation, agriculture development projects, cooperation in science and technology research, innovation in biotechnology, two-way investment and rural development.

In 2005, Canada exported $1.4 billion in agricultural products to China, and imported a total of $720 million.

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For more information, media may contact:

Media Relations
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Ottawa
613-759-7972
1-866-345-7972

Jeff Howard
Press Secretary
Minister Strahl's Office
613-759-1059