Ontario Renews Memorandum of Understanding and Friendship with Jiangsu, China

Ontario’s Premier Dalton McGuinty signed a renewed Memorandum of Understanding and Friendship with Governor Liang Baohuo of Jiangsu province, China. The first Friendship Accord was signed 20 years ago to foster closer economic, educational, institutional and government ties. Under the renewed agreement, the Ontario-Jiangsu Business Council will be created to promote two-way trade and investment, Ontario will host a jointly-organized education forum in 2006 and TV Ontario and TV Jiangsu will explore opportunities for joint ventures. In addition, Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation and Jiangsu Communications Department will develop an exchange program on transportation planning, design, road maintenance and intelligent transportation systems. Exchange programs will be developed for researchers and students focusing on life sciences, information and communications technologies, and materials and advanced manufacturing and Ontario and Jiangsu will support co-operative agreements between hospitals in the two provinces.