Canadian Brands Thriving in China as Beijing Removes Roadblocks to Foreign Companies
中国的高水平对外开放对加拿大工商界是新的机遇
Chargé D’Affaires, a.i. of the Chinese Embassy in Canada Lan Heping Publishes a Signed Article on Business in Vancouver
驻加拿大使馆临时代办兰和平在《温哥华商报》发表署名文章
2022年3月29日
29 March 2022
China’s economy got off to a good start in 2021.
2021年，中国经济实现了“十四五”良好开局。
China’s gross domestic product (GDP) expanded 8.1 per cent year on year. Total retail sales of consumer goods grew by 12.5 per cent, with the contribution of final consumption expenditure to economic growth reaching 65.4 per cent. The total value of imported and exported goods for the year rose 30 per cent to US$6 trillion. And China’s actual use of foreign capital increased by 20.2 per cent.
全年国内生产总值同比增长8.1%；社会消费品零售总额较上年增长12.5%，最终消费支出对经济增长贡献率达65.4%；全年货物进出口总额增长30%，达到6万亿美元；实际使用外资同比增长20.2%。
China’s economic growth has brought tangible benefits to Canadian enterprises. Iconic Canadian coffee brand Tim Hortons, for example, has opened 400 stores in China in the past three years. After such success and receiving huge investments from investors like Tencent and Sequoia Capital, it is now planning to open at least 2,750 profitable Tim Hortons stores by 2026. In the third quarter of 2021, Canada Goose’s direct-to-consumer sales and e-commerce sales in China increased 35 per cent and 60 per cent year on year, respectively. Athletic apparel maker Lululemon’s sales in China have surged at a compound annual growth rate of 70 per cent over the past two years. The uniform kit it designed for Team Canada went viral on Chinese social media platforms after its appearance at the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics. Lululemon’s products flew off the shelves in China. In November 2021, 80 Canadian enterprises participated in the Fourth China International Import Expo, ranking among the top 10 exhibitors in terms of the number of exhibits.
中国取得的经济成就给加拿大企业带来了实实在在的利益。加拿大“国民咖啡”Tim Hortons仅用3年时间，就在中国开设了400家门店，并获得腾讯和红杉资本等巨额投资，计划到2026年底开设至少2750家可盈利门店。2021年第三季度，Canada Goose在华直营销售额同比增长35%，电子商务收入增长60%。过去两年，Lululemon在华销售额复合增长率高达70%，其赞助的加拿大国家队服在北京冬奥会亮相后，更在中国网络社交平台冲上“热搜”，产品一度风靡脱销。2021年11月，80家加拿大企业参加了第四届中国国际进口博览会，展品数量位列参展国前十。
These Canadian brands are thriving in China for at least two reasons: First, China’s market is increasingly open and welcoming to business, with fewer roadblocks and more incentives for foreign brands to invest. Second, the domestic market in China is hungry for high-quality and trustworthy branded products, including those produced by Canada.
这些加拿大企业能在中国实现蓬勃发展，得益于中国市场越来越开放，营商障碍越来越少，对外国品牌来华经营的激励政策越来越多。同时，中国市场同样也需要像这样高品质和值得信赖的产品。
In 2022, China will prioritize economic stability and pursue progress while ensuring stability. China will apply the new development philosophy in full, in the right way, and in all fields of endeavour, move faster to create a new pattern of development, promote high-quality development, to achieving stable macroeconomic performance and keep major economic indicators within the appropriate range. The main projected targets for development this year are as follows: GDP growth of around 5.5 per cent; over 11 million new urban jobs; CPI increase of around three per cent; steady increases in both the volume and quality of imports and exports; a basic equilibrium in the balance of payments; grain output of over 650 million metric tonnes; further improvement in the environment, and continued reduction in the discharge of major pollutants.
2022年，中国将坚持稳字当头、稳中求进，完整、准确、全面贯彻新发展理念，加快构建新发展格局，推动高质量发展，着力稳定宏观经济大盘，保持经济运行在合理区间。主要预期目标包括：国内生产总值增长5.5%左右；城镇新增就业1100万人以上；居民消费价格涨幅3%左右；进出口保稳提质，国际收支基本平衡；粮食产量保持在1.3万亿斤以上；生态环境质量持续改善，主要污染物排放量继续下降。
China has announced new policies to promote greater opening up of our economy, and is aiming to promote sustainable growth in foreign trade and investment, while fostering foreign economic and trade cooperation. China hopes these new measures will encourage increased western company participation in China’s markets, including Canadian participation in trade with China. Some of the specific new measures include adopting a package of steps to stabilize foreign trade through incentives and stronger protections for individual businesses. The new measures will also promote deeper economic and trade cooperation, making sure foreign brands can compete on a level playing field with domestic brands in the Chinese market. What this means for Canadian brands is, if you want to sell to Chinese consumers, it has never been easier and safer to do so. From my perspective, Canadian industries including the resource sector, technology, and consumer products could all benefit from the higher-standard opening up of China’s economy.
2022年，中国将继续扩大高水平对外开放，推动外贸外资平稳发展，不断拓展对外经贸合作。中国也将采取一系列新的措施，鼓励包括加拿大企业在内的外商更多地参与对华贸易，共享中国市场。中国将落实保障外资企业国民待遇，加强对企业的保护和激励，促进更深层次的经贸合作。对加拿大企业来说，这意味着开拓中国市场将更加安全和便捷。加拿大的资源、科技、消费品等行业都可以从中国更高水平的对外开放中受益。
Of course, China’s opening-up is not a one-person show but open to all parties. From an economic perspective, China and Canada are highly complementary and we share great potential for co-operation. An open Chinese market will indeed offer more opportunities for Canadian enterprises.
中国对外开放，不是要一家唱独角戏，而是要欢迎各方共同参与。中加经济高度互补，两国合作潜力巨大，开放的中国大市场，必将为加拿大企业提供更多机遇。
China sees great potential in the role of cross-border e-commerce, expanding imports of high-quality products and services, foster innovation-driven development of trade in services and digital trade, and promote a rules-based system for cross-border trade in services. Reforms to simplify customs clearance will be deepened, and the building of an international logistic services system will be accelerated. With a population of 1.4 billion, the vast Chinese market welcomes more high-quality products from Canada. Canada’s provincial and municipal officials have expressed to me many times the hope to expand exports of quality products to China, and these new measures will help achieve that.
中国将充分发挥跨境电商作用，积极扩大优质产品和服务进口，创新发展服务贸易、数字贸易，推进实施跨境服务贸易负面清单，深化便利化改革，加快国际物流体系建设。中国超过14亿人口的广阔市场欢迎更多来自加拿大的优质产品。在与加拿大不少省市官员的接触中，他们向我多次表示，希望扩大本省市优势产品对华出口。
In addition to removal of obstacles to cross-border trade, China will further widen market access for foreign investment, revise and enlarge the Encouraged Industry Catalogue, and support more foreign investment in medium- and high-end manufacturing, R&D and modern services, as well as in China’s central, western and northeastern regions. China will also improve services for promoting foreign investment and accelerate the launching of major foreign-funded projects. In addition, China will take tangible steps to expand the scope of pilot free-trade zones and the Hainan Free Trade Port, promote reform and innovation in economic development zones, boost the development of integrated bonded areas and launch more trials on the extensive opening of the service sector. As part of this work, China plans to take significant steps to achieve carbon peak targets and carbon neutrality, implementing an action plan to achieve peak carbon before 2020. Canada can offer significant support in the transition toward low-carbon emissions and green economic development, which is also one of Canada’s key development goals.
中国还将进一步放宽外资市场准入，落实好外资企业国民待遇，修订扩大《鼓励外商投资产业目录》，支持外资加大中高端制造、研发、现代服务等领域和中西部、东北地区投资。优化外资促进服务，推动重大项目加快落地。扎实推进自贸试验区、海南自由贸易港建设，推动开发区改革创新，提高综合保税区发展水平，增设服务业扩大开放综合试点。中国将为履行碳达峰、碳中和目标承诺付出极其艰巨的努力，落实碳达峰行动方案，而能源低碳转型和绿色经济发展也是加拿大的优势和重点发展领域。
Political mutual trust is the basis for developing China-Canada relations. Mutual respect and win-win results are the essences of China-Canada economic and trade cooperation. China formally applied to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) in September 2021 and hopes the Canadian side will offer its support for this application. With China’s participation, the CPTPP would encompass about 30 per cent of global GDP. I believe that the business community will continue to act as a bridge between our two countries, make positive efforts to bring China-Canada relations back to normal as soon as possible, and lay a solid foundation for consolidating and expanding the achievements of our bilateral economic and trade co-operation.
政治互信是发展中加关系的基础，相互尊重、互利共赢是中加经贸合作的本质。中国已于2021年9月正式提出申请加入全面与进步跨太平洋伙伴关系协定（CPTPP），希望加方予以支持。有了中方的加入，CPTPP域内经济总量的全球占比将大幅提升至30%以上。我相信，加工商界会继续发挥好两国交往的桥梁作用，为推动中加关系早日回归正常作出积极努力，为释放两国合作潜力铺平道路，为巩固和扩大两国经贸合作成果夯实基础。