Newfoundland Province is located in the easternmost part of Canada, with a land area of 405000 square kilometers, a population of 561000 people, and a coastline of 17450 kilometers, belonging to a marine climate. The pillar industries of the province include oil and gas, fisheries, information technology, manufacturing, tourism, forestry, papermaking, construction, mining, etc. Newfoundland is Canada’s largest fishing province.
1999
In May, Canadian Ambassador to China Bei Xiang recently sent a letter to Governor Chai, saying that during his visit to Canada with Premier Zhu, Governor Tobin of Newfoundland told Premier Zhu that he hoped Newfoundland could establish a mutually beneficial sisters province relationship with Zhejiang Province. Premier Zhu encouraged this matter. Zhoushan City in our province has been cooperating with the province in water entertainment and fiberglass ship manufacturing since 1995.
In June, Li George, the President of China International Trading Company in Canada, and a delegation of four visited our province. Visited relevant departments such as the Provincial Planning Commission, Provincial Education Commission, Provincial Aquatic Products Bureau, and Provincial Tourism Bureau to understand the private or state-owned enterprises that our province intends to trade with Newfoundland Province, as well as our province’s situation in fisheries, marine technology, education, and tourism, in order to facilitate substantive exchanges and cooperation between our province and Newfoundland Province in the above fields, laying a solid foundation for the establishment of friendly relations between the two provinces and states. The delegation also visited places such as Ningbo and Zhoushan.
In September, the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs of New Zealand, Noel, faxed the first draft of the memorandum of understanding between Zhejiang Province and Newfoundland Province to my office. From then on, until the first half of 2000, after soliciting opinions from relevant departments, we worked with New Zealand to revise the memorandum.
2000
In September, Director Cai Shun of the Provincial Foreign Affairs Office led a working group to visit New York Province.
At the end of September, the Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs of New Zealand, Walter Noel, led a delegation to visit our province, met with Vice Governor Wang Yongming, and had discussions with relevant departments. In terms of fisheries, both sides can expand exchanges and cooperation in the manufacturing of fiberglass vessels and seawater aquaculture, with strong complementarity. In terms of the IT industry, New Zealand has developed rapidly, with some IT products leading the world. In terms of satellite positioning for fishing vessels and nets. In addition, both sides can strengthen cooperation in areas such as distance education, economy and trade, processing of seal skin resources, hiring foreign experts, foreign teachers, and accepting international students.
In October, a delegation from Zhejiang Fisheries visited New Zealand Province. We had exchanges and discussions with the Ministry of the Interior, Fisheries, Industry, Trade and Technology of Newfoundland, and visited the Fisheries College, Marine Science Research Laboratory, and National Center for Ship Mechanics in Newfoundland. Both sides have cooperation intentions in fishery technology, import and export trade of aquatic products, and between schools.
On October 16th, Biden Turk was appointed as the Governor of New York Province. Former Governor Tobin was appointed as the Minister of Industry of Canada.
2001
In February, Governor Biden Turk wrote to Vice Governor Wang Yongming stating that he would be leaving office and would not be able to visit China with the delegation of the Canadian Prime Minister. Mr. Roger Grimes has been elected as the new chairman and governor of the Liberal Party in New York Province (which has not yet been officially announced). Responding in the name of Director Cai Shun of the Provincial Foreign Affairs Office, I would like to express my gratitude for his support in developing friendly relations between the two provinces.
On February 14th, during the visit of Canadian Prime Minister Christian to Shanghai, Vice Governor Wang Yongming was invited to attend a banquet hosted by the Prime Minister and his delegation in Shanghai, and had a discussion with the Minister of Industry and Technology of Newfoundland.
April
Provincial Party Secretary Zhang Dejiang led a delegation from the provincial government to visit New Zealand and signed a memorandum of understanding between the two provincial governments with the Governor of New Zealand.