Canadian business council urges regular dialogue with China

OTTAWA, Jan. 25 (Xinhua) -- The Canada China Business Council (CCBC) on Thursday called for regular dialogues between Canada and China to strengthen business ties.

Canada and China must engage in constructive government interactions, as China remains a key global market to diversify Canada's economic interests and overcome ongoing challenges effectively, said CCBC Executive Director Sarah Kutulakos as she announced the results of the council's 2022/2023 Canada-China Business Survey.

Kutulakos regarded the phone talks held earlier this month between Chinese and Canadian foreign ministers as "a very good sign," adding she hopes it "will be the start of a waterfall effect of ministers' engaging" and lead to productive and regular interactions at multiple levels of government.

According to the survey, nearly 70 percent of the respondents from Canadian and Chinese companies identified the availability of direct flights and increased travel time due to fewer direct flights as top barriers to travel.

Normalizing flights is a top priority for the CCBC, and regular dialogue on a broader range of issues will help, Kutulakos said.