Wynne set for trade trip to China

Premier vows to defend free speech there

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne will be going on a trade mission to China later this month, an announcement that comes amid pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong that the Chinese government has declared illegal.

Wynne will travel on her first international trade mission as premier to Nanjing and Shanghai, then will go to Beijing, where she will join the premiers of Quebec and Prince Edward Island for a Council of the Federation mission.

The premier said she met with the consul general for China on Tuesday and expressed Ontario’s support for freedom of speech, and will deliver that message in China as well.

“I support, we support the ability of people in whatever country they reside to be able to express freely their opinions in a peaceful environment and we certainly follow the lead of and work with the federal government in terms of those relationships, but our commitment to supporting people to express themselves freely in a peaceful setting, that is absolutely firm,” Wynne said. “I would say that anywhere.”

The protests in Hong Kong were sparked when Beijing rejected a proposal for open nominations of candidates for Hong Kong’s first-ever leadership election in 2017, meaning all candidates will continue to be picked by a panel that is mostly aligned with Beijing.

Student leaders of the protests have warned that if the territory’s top official doesn’t resign by Thursday they will step up their actions, including occupying several important government buildings.

Chinese state media indicated that the central government may be losing patience with the protests, and urged support for decisive action to end them. The demonstrations pose the stiffest challenge to Beijing’s authority since China took control of the former British colony in 1997.

The Ontario mission to China, which is the province’s second-largest trading partner, will involve about 60 businesses and organizations in the cleantech and science-and-technology sectors.

The goal, she said, is “to help businesses, especially small- to medium-size enterprises to tap into new markets.

“A trade mission like this can actually make those kinds of connections.”

Economic Development Minister Brad Duguid and Citizenship, Immigration and International Trade Minister Michael Chan will join Wynne on the week-long mission, leaving Oct. 25.

Wynne’s predecessor, Dalton McGuinty, led four trade missions to China during his 10 years as premier.