HeilongjiangHeilongjiang -- AAlbertalberta RelationsRelations

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PROFILE twinned with Daqing, known as the oil capital of . Mutual areas of interest and exchange include Capital: Harbin China. agriculture, energy, forestry, science and technology, medicine, culture, education and Population: 37.99 million (2016) . Heilongjiang is China’s principal oil-producing environmental protection. (2.7 per cent of China’s total population) province containing China’s largest oil field, Major Cities: Harbin (12,635,000); Suihua Daqing Oilfield. . In 1998, Heilongjiang suffered its worst flooding (5,616,000); Qiqihar (5,710,000); Daqing in decades. Albertans responded by raising (2,900,000); and Mudanjiang (2,822,000) . Alberta companies have been successful in over $200,000 in private donations. supplying energy equipment and services to Language: Mandarin Heilongjiang. In 1998, Sunwing Energy Ltd. of . The Government of Alberta made an additional Government: Chinese Communist Party Calgary was the first foreign company to $100,000 contribution to flood relief efforts and Head of Government: ZHANG Qingwei is Party produce oil in China. extended a special scholarship to Heilongjiang Secretary and Chairman of the Heilongjiang for skill development related to flood Provincial People’s Congress; Governor WANG RELATIONSHIP OVERVIEW management. Wentao represents the executive branch of government . 2016 marked the 35th anniversary of the TRADE AND INVESTMENT Currency: CAD $1 = 5.21 Yuan Renminbi (2017 Heilongjiang-Alberta sister province th average) relationship. In 2011, for the 30 anniversary, . China is Alberta’s second largest trading the Government of Alberta worked with the partner. Alberta’s trading relationship with Key Industry Sectors: Petroleum, agriculture, coal, lumber and heavy industry Heilongjiang government to organize several China has more than tripled since 2003. events to mark the occasion. Celebrations Sources: Bank of Canada, Heilongjiang Bureau culminated with a winter ice carving festival in . Commercial activities with Heilongjiang have of Statistics Alberta in January 2012 featuring a delegation expanded beyond the petroleum sector and DID YOU KNOW? of ice carvers from Heilongjiang, a gift from the include coal gasification, petrochemical Heilongjiang government. production and manufacturing, cattle breeding, . Following the recommendation of China’s forage seed, hides and malting barley. Ambassador to Canada, a protocol of . After the Fort McMurray wildfires in Alberta, in understanding and friendship was signed by 2016, the Governor of Heilongjiang sent a letter FORESTRY Alberta and Heilongjiang in 1981. of sympathy to Alberta, and the Heilongjiang . In August 2013, Forestry Division attended the Far East Forest Group donated a significant . Heilongjiang is twinned with Hokkaido 6th China International Wood Products Trade amount of money to support rebuilding. prefecture in Japan, which is also one of Fair in Heilongjiang. Forestry Division, Alberta’s sister provinces. FPInnovations and Heilongjiang Provincial . Similarities between Alberta and Heilongjiang Department of Forestry coordinated a include climate, topography, energy resources . The city of Edmonton is twinned with Harbin, workshop to promote Alberta’s forest industry. and agricultural production. Heilongjiang’s capital city, and Calgary is

December 2018 | Compiled by Alberta Economic Development and Trade with input from Alberta Ministries of: Agriculture and Forestry; Education; Energy; Culture and Tourism; Advanced Education

. In 2014, the Chinese State Forestry the Daqing Food Processing Research and University in 2016, and has hosted several Administration (SFA) expanded the National Development Centre in Heilongjiang. visiting scholars from the Heilongjiang Foreign Forest Protection Program (NFPP), banning Affairs Office from 2011 to 2016. commercial logging in state-owned natural EDUCATION forests in Heilongjiang Province which has . Alberta Advanced Education supports the historically produced over 30 percent of China’s . Advanced Education provides funding to Campus Alberta Grant for International domestic log supply. Alberta post-secondary institutions through the Learning (CAGFIL) program enabling post- . The SFA further expanded the ban in 2017, Campus Alberta Grant for International secondary institutions to develop study and removing commercial logging quota in natural Learning which allows institutions to develop research collaboration involving Heilongjiang forests nationwide, removing over half of the short-term study abroad programs in other country’s total domestic timber production. countries including China. CULTURE

. To fill demand, China’s imports of timber . Alberta supports the MITACS Globalink . The Royal Alberta Museum has developed products has grown exponentially, with imports program which provides scholarships for strong links with Chinese cultural institutions of logs and sawnwood exceeding domestic leading undergraduate Chinese students to bringing unique aspects of Chinese culture to production. pursue research topics in Alberta under the Alberta. Examples include the “Rise of the . In 2017, Alberta forest product exports to China supervision of top Alberta researchers during Black Dragon” exhibits from the Jurchen Jin totaled C$559 million, driven by wood pulp the summer. Dynasty and a Qing Dynasty exhibit from sales of C$530 million. Heilongjiang. . The University of Calgary has a significant SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY student exchange and research collaboration . Heilongjiang and Alberta have shared agreement with Harbin Medical University. paleontological research expertise. . In 2010, Alberta Enterprise and Advanced Cumming School of Medicine also admits Education and the Heilongjiang Department of Cotutelle students from HMU. After graduation, RECENT VISITS Sciences and Technology renewed an MOU on Cotutelle students can get two parchments of science and technology collaboration. . August 2018: The Vice Governor of the doctoral degree, one from HMU, one from Heilongjiang visited Alberta, with a program UCalgary. In 2014, an articulation agreement . In support of the MOU and the 30th anniversary focused on cooperation in areas related to was signed with Harbin Institute of Technology, of the Alberta-Heilongjiang sister province innovation and tourism. offering students the opportunity to earn dual relationship, Alberta Enterprise and Advanced degrees. Education and the Heilongjiang Department of . September 2017: The Vice Governor of Heilongjiang visited Alberta to deepen relations Science and Technology held a Water . NAIT has been cooperating with Heilongjiang between the provinces, and discuss the Technology Forum in Harbin in January 2011 University of Science and Technology since expansion of trade and investment relations, as and a technology industry roundtable event in 2004 through a program linkage in the well as culture and education initiatives. Alberta in October 2011. Computer Systems Technology/Digital Media and IT diploma programs. AGRICULTURE . November 2016: The Minister of Agriculture and Forestry (AF) attended the Heilongjiang . The University of Alberta (UAlberta) and Harbin . In the past, several agricultural co-operation Value-Added Processing Symposium and Institute of Technology (HIT) have a long agreements, focused on livestock witnessed the signing of two new Memorandum history of cooperation, especially through joint improvement, pasture management, beef and of Cooperation between AF and the research projects. As of August 2018, there are dairy cattle genetics technology and food Heilongjiang Academy of Sciences and over 182 papers jointly published by processing research and development, were Heilongjiang Bayi Agriculture University. researchers from both UAlberta and HIT. The signed between Heilongjiang and Alberta. UAlberta is a popular choice for graduates of . In Nov. 2016, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry HIT to pursue graduate studies. (AF) Minister Oneil Carlier attended a signing . Since July 2015, the Department of East Asian ceremony and dinner reception to Studies at UAlberta Faculty of Arts restarted its commemorate the 35th anniversary of the Summer in China program with a four-week Alberta-Heilongjiang sister province intensive language learning session at HIT. As relationship. Two separate MOCs were signed of August 2018, close to 150 Canadian at the ceremony between AF and the students have participated in this program. Heilongjiang Academy of Science and the Heilongjiang Bayi Agricultural University, . In July 2014, the UAlberta and HIT co-hosted focusing on new food product development in the 2014 China-Canada Joint Workshop on functional ingredients and bio-products and Building Dual PhD Degree Programs in Harbin, cooperation on meat processing technologies. China. The two-day event brought together leaders from 14 Canadian and 21 Chinese . In July 10, 2014, the Heilongjiang Academy of universities to discuss key issues in Sciences and Alberta Innovates-Technology establishing dual PhD programs between the Futures established a formal partnership to two countries. develop hemp as a multipurpose crop. . MacEwan University hosted a visit by the . In 2009, Alberta’s Leduc Food Processing President of Heilongjiang University in 2015 Development Centre signed an agreement with and then signed an MOU with Heilongjiang

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