ASIA MISSION TO PROMOTE SASKATCHEWAN \"POWERHOUSE\"

Released on October 17, 2005

Promoting the province's key economic sectors is "job one" on Team Saskatchewan's latest trade and investment mission, now leaving for Hong Kong, China, Japan and Kazakhstan.

Premier Lorne Calvert is leading the Oct. 17th to 29th trade mission, which includes approximately 40 business, community and academic leaders as participants. Team Saskatchewan will hold over 60 meetings with Asian business and government leaders to promote new business relationships in potash, energy, agriculture and agricultural machinery, telecommunications, film production, forestry, tourism and research and development.

"Hong Kong, China and Japan are among the world's – and Saskatchewan's – biggest importers and sources of investment, and Kazakhstan is a vital and growing market for us," Calvert said. "We intend to build on already well-established economic relationships, to explore exciting new trade and investment opportunities, and to create broader awareness of Saskatchewan's strengths in resources, agri-business, research and innovation."

Calvert leaves Wednesday for eight days of meetings in Hong Kong, Beijing and Tokyo. Industry and Resources Minister Eric Cline is already en route for 10 days of meetings in Beijing and Jinan (Shandong Province) in China and Astana and Almaty in Kazakhstan.

Highlights of the mission include two keynote speeches by the premier on the "Saskatchewan Powerhouse" to the Canadian Chambers of Commerce in Hong Kong and Tokyo, Japan. The delegation will meet in Hong Kong with Hutchison Wampoa Ltd. (parent company of Husky Energy) and the Noble Group; in China with Sinochem (potash), China National Cereals, Oils and Food Stuffs Corporation (COFCO), the China National Petroleum Corporation, Chinese film producers, the National People's Congress, and various Ministries; and in Japan with Hitachi, Sapporo Breweries, Nippon Flour Mills, the Idemitsu, Overseas Uranium Resources Development (OURD), Japan-Canada Uranium Company Limited (JCU) and Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) uranium companies and Japanese outbound tourism operators.

A number of new co-operation agreements will be signed on the mission, including agreements between the University of Regina and Jinan University, between the University of Saskatchewan and the Beijing Institute of Technology, and between the China National Petroleum Corporation and the Regina-based Petroleum Technology Research Centre.

The premier will speak at a Canadian Beef Export Federation event in Tokyo, aimed at key players in the Japanese beef industry. Cline will focus on agriculture and agricultural machinery in his meetings with business leaders and Kazakhstan's Ministers of Agriculture and Industry and Trade.

"This mission speaks to a key thrust of the recently released Saskatchewan Action Plan for the Economy, namely enhancing and promoting our competitive advantages," Cline said. "We are one of Canada's most successful exporting provinces, and we intend to promote our goods, services and expertise even more aggressively in the global marketplace, and especially in Asia."

"Asia experts tell us that Saskatchewan's economic assets are supremely well positioned to take advantage of these booming Asian economies," outgoing president and CEO of the Saskatchewan Trade and Export Partnership (STEP) John Treleaven said. "Our business community told us last week in roundtable discussions that this trip to these places at this time is essential for their business prospects."

Participants on the Team Saskatchewan Asia mission include Canada Livestock Services, CanMar Grain Products, Farm Pure Global Inc., Hypor, University of Regina, University of Saskatchewan, City of Regina, Regina Regional Economic Development Authority, STEP, SaskFilm, Tourism Saskatchewan, Tourism Regina, Partners in Motion, Four Square Productions Limited, Prairie Malt, and Svalof Weibul.

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For More Information, Contact:

Bob Ellis Industry and Resources Regina Phone: (306) 787-1691