Teresa Wat: B.C.'s multicultural society is a crucial tie to international trade

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      Our province has created deep historical, cultural and business ties with countries around the world enabling us to create strong trading partnerships and diversify our markets. Each year B.C. welcomes close to 40,000 new immigrants because we recognize the importance of the wide-range of social and economic benefits associated with multiculturalism.

      Today, B.C. is the most ethnically diverse province in Canada. In British Columbia, multiculturalism is a competitive advantage and an important bridge that connects us with our neighbours around the world. Our cultural diversity is an asset that helps our economy grow and makes life better for our families.

      One of my roles as Minister of International Trade and Minister responsible for Asia Pacific Strategy and Multiculturalism is to build on the connections between usto connect businesses and communities in British Columbia with opportunities around the world.

      We are building relationships with industry partners to advance B.C.'s economic interests. We are diversifying British Columbia's trading partners and promoting B.C. goods and services to international markets. And we are networking to exchange business development leads to enhance trade between BC and other countries.

      By leveraging our cultural and business connections to other countries, we strengthen trade relationships, attract new investment, and secure jobs.

      Currently, Premier Christy Clark and I are on a trade mission to China, Korea, and Japan. While there we will promote British Columbia's competitive advantagesour vast resources, multicultural workforce and our stable financial system and low taxes. One of the main goals of this trade mission is to advance our liquefied natural gas development opportunities.

      We will also leverage our multicultural workforce to create trade and investment opportunities. B.C.'s highly-skilled and globally-competitive workforce drives innovation and economic growth throughout the province providing jobs to support our families.

      People from cultures and nations around the world bring their skills, talents, energy and hopes to our province. We welcome thembecause we know that their success becomes our success. B.C. is a place where people from all cultures can build a prosperous future for their families and their businesses.

      As Multiculturalism Week winds down let's take a minute to understand the important role that a dynamic multicultural society plays in growing our economy. We can all be part of this growthby reaching out to family and business connections around the world and by making the effort to make newcomers feel welcome here in B.C.

      Teresa Wat is B.C.'s minister of international trade and minister responsible for Asia Pacific strategy and multiculturalism.

      Comments

      6 Comments

      Gary John

      Nov 25, 2013 at 8:07pm

      Canada was founded and built by Whites.

      Non-Whites added to it.

      Multi-culturalism is a PC word for a multiracial society.

      But one must ask oneself a few important questions:

      1. Is every race capable of building/maintaining a 1st world society?
      2. Do non-Whites flock to White majority nations because Whites build the most desirable societies?
      3. Why are Whites funding and celebrating their own ethnic displacement?
      4. Will minorities reciprocate the altruism, tolerance and compassion that Whites have displayed?

      boris moris

      Nov 26, 2013 at 9:01am

      I think T Wat should count her fingers every time she comes away from meeting with Harper or Clark. Some white folk speak with forked tongues. They're not what I would term ideal hosers, eh. Real hosers don't muzzle scientists.

      Forest

      Nov 26, 2013 at 9:05am

      Gary John: You lost me at your first sentence. What a load of colonialist / white-supremicist nonsense. As for Ms. Wat: Selling out BC's natural resources to China has nothing to do with the issue of multiculturalism. It has to everything do with selling out B.C.'s natural resources (aka fracking and LNG). Full Stop.

      WTF

      Nov 26, 2013 at 10:24am

      This is the same Communist China Trade supporter who was Pro Shark Fin Soup on TV last year.

      I don't know if she is a Dual Communist China Citizen, does anyone? In any case I believe she clearly supports Communist China over Canadians interest when it comes to the export of Oil from BC to China as do the Lie-berals.

      I believe she is against our average citizens public interests firmly supporting Big Oil Corporations & Communist China in terms of Oil Trade.

      There have been a number of instances of Communist Chinese from Mainland China who have become Canadian and/or Dual Citizens running for political office in Canada.

      For virtually EVERY Party.

      We should BAN Dual China / Communist None NATO Citizens from running for Public Office in Canada.

      In my view it's Anti-Canadian and an unacceptable National Security Risk.

      Zseiss

      Nov 26, 2013 at 4:36pm

      @ Forest:

      No, Gary John is completely correct. The modern nation of Canada was founded by White European settlers, namely British and French, who created a new country out of a wilderness. No amount of whining about colonialism will change that.

      And furthermore, Canadians were never asked if they wanted to radically transform the racial makeup of their country. Multiculturalism was forcibly imposed upon us in a top-down manner, and continues to this day to be maintained by coercion and a considerable cost to the treasury.

      bill friedel

      Nov 28, 2013 at 10:18pm

      ahh yes, "leveraging" --- maybe these sorry excuses for government could get even better "leveraging" by borrowing expertise from harper again. Last time, it was his grab bag of lying republican spin artists to get the unelectables elected again. This time, maybe they can borrow SCN Lavelin, harpers spin engineers for his new publicly funded bc park, exclusively for billionaire carbon capitalists, currently known as delta farmland ---- Imagine the "leverage" these members of bc's corruptocracy can accomplish in china, with harpers buddies at SNC Lavelin on board ! --- Every backroom corporatist can come out of the socred closet behind krispie's office and get their very own offshore account, complete with fat opening balances. Theres more potential for get-rich-quick schemes than putting a new half billion dollar roof on dozens of domes --- and besides, the tax theft from bc ferries and bc hydro is getting a bit thin, what with previous scams having almost bankrupted them --- and the people of bc? they LIKE it and they even vote for it, so what will they care if the entire province has its water "fracked" into toxic waste, and its ocean destroyed with tarcrud spills --- hey the libs'll be off on their own tropical islands, drinking bottled water from their friends at nestles.