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January 6, 1997
(Executive Council)

Premier to lead two missions to Asia

Premier Brian Tobin leaves tomorrow for South Korea, Thailand and the Phillipines as part of the 1997 Team Canada mission, which takes place from January 8 - 20. The premier will lead representatives from seven companies and organizations, the largest delegation from Newfoundland and Labrador to participate in a Team Canada mission. From January 21- 24, he will be in Beijing to lead a delegation of fishing industry companies on a separate provincial mission to China.

During the Team Canada mission, Premier Tobin will be accompanied by a delegation of seven Newfoundland companies. The companies participating in the mission include: Canpolar East Inc., Fiberglass Works Ltd./Seabreeze, Nautical Data International, Rodrigues Wines, Provincial Airlines Limited, EDM International of Deer Lake and Breakwater Books.

Premier Tobin and the local delegation will join Prime Minister Chretien, all other provincial premiers and territorial leaders and delegates from about 400 companies and organizations. Various meetings with business representatives and government officials have been scheduled in an effort to increase the level of trade between Canada and the respective Asian countries. Highlights of the trip include the launch of the province's Business Immigrant Investor Fund in Seoul, business meetings in all three locations, and the conclusion of several contract signings.

Premier Tobin said that the 1997 Team Canada mission, which is the largest to date, demonstrates the importance that all governments attach to global trade, particularly in the rapidly developing Asian countries. He said: "I believe future success is closely tied to developing export markets. Government-led missions such as Team Canada provide an excellent means to capitalize on these global opportunities. There are real opportunities for our local companies in these important emerging markets and the fact that we have the highest number of Newfoundland and Labrador companies participating in this mission is indicative of how we are changing the way we do business."

When the Team Canada mission concludes on January 20, Premier Tobin will travel to China to join a separate delegation of Newfoundland and Labrador fishing industry companies for meetings with the Ministry of Agriculture which has responsibility for the fishery in China. Meetings are also scheduled with MOFTEC, China's Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation.

The premier will be joined by an eight-company delegation of fishing industry representatives from Grand Bank Seafoods, Fibreglass Works/Seabreeze Sales and Market Research, Indian Bay Frozen Foods, Daley Brothers, Gateway Maritime, Newfoundland Marketing International, Fishery Products International, and Quin-Sea Fisheries Limited. Fishery-related sales to China for Newfoundland and Labrador totalled over $24 million for the period January to September 1996.

While in Beijing, Premier Tobin will sign a Memorandum of Cooperation Agreement with Liu Jiang, Minister of Agriculture, and will meet with Minister Wu Yi of MOFTEC. He will also give an address to the Canada Chinese Business Council and meet with officials of the Sino- Canadian High Tech Centre on Resources and Environment (SCH-CORE). This facility is jointly operated by the Chinese Academy of Science (CAS) and the Centre for Cold Ocean Resources and Engineering (C-CORE) in St. John's.

Meetings are also scheduled with the President of the Chinese National Petroleum Corporation, which has a joint venture partnership with Amoco in the South China Sea, and the President of the Chinese National Non-Ferrous Metals Corporation, which has business involvement with INCO. Amoco recently announced a $90 million drilling initiative commencing in 1997 on the Grand Banks and INCO is the Canadian nickel giant which recently took over Diamond Fields Resources and now controls the massive nickel find at Voisey's Bay in Labrador.

Contact: Cathy Dornan, Director of Communications, (709) 729-3960.