I am delighted to have this opportunity to say a few words about the blossoming of the Canada-China relationship， and to tell China Today readers about the joint Canada-China commitment to hold a series of cultural activities in our respective countries over 2013-2014.
　　Let me begin by telling you that this is my third posting to Beijing. I was first here in the mid-80s and then again in the late 90s. As such， I’ve witnessed extraordinary changes in China， as well as a growing and deepening Canada-China relationship. These are certainly exciting times for our two countries， and I am privileged to be serving as Canada’s Ambassador here as we take the bilateral relationship to a new level.
　　Indeed， in recent years， our ties with China have grown exponentially and in every respect， from trade and investment， to the number of students studying in one another’s countries， to the frequency of high-level visits， to the number of people-to-people exchanges. And I am pleased to see that， alongside China’s impressive economic rise， there are so many amazing opportunities for international artists and performers to show their works here. Clearly， cultural exchanges between China and Canada are on the ascent， and becoming a key and growing part of our relationship.
　　In February 2012， Canada’s Prime Minister Stephen Harper made an official visit to China and one of the key outcomes was a commitment to greater cultural exchanges over 2013 and 2014.
　　So I am very pleased to report that 2013 was a dynamic year with numerous cultural exchanges and activities. Among the many highlights， we had Céline Dion’s CCTV Spring Festival appearance； performances by Cirque du Soleil and Justin Bieber； reading tours and publishing projects by leading Canadian authors； the Fourth Banff Mountain Film Festival China Tour； strong participation by Canadian filmmakers and eight Canadian films screened at the Third Beijing International Film Festival； major photography exhibitions on the Canadian Arctic and Canadian missionaries in China； leading architects – including Frank Ghery and Moishe Safdie – on short lists for designing some of China’s bold new buildings； and an ambitious and first-ever tour here by our National Arts Centre Orchestra.
　　And， of course， these exchanges are going both ways， which means that Canadians from coast to coast are thoroughly enjoying a lively and diverse Chinese program of celebrated musical performances， film， dance and fine arts. For example， the National Ballet of China made its first Canadian tour in 2013 and performed Swan Lake and Raise the Red Lantern in Vancouver and Montreal. And as part of a long-term relationship between Canada’s National Arts Centre （NAC） and China’s National Centre for the Performing Arts （NCPA）， the NAC will host a concert by the NCPA Orchestra in the fall of 2014. 　　No doubt， our performers， artists and citizens – in both countries – are drawing inspiration from these exchanges， and benefiting from the deepened diversity that such opportunities provide. I can say with certainty that Canada and Canadians are truly honored to be taking such an active part in China’s rich artistic and cultural life.
　　And we have an equally active program of cultural exchange in store for 2014. For example， in February， there will be an exhibition of Canadian artist Jocelyne Alloucherie’s works and a Canadian photo exhibition on the theme of climates in Beijing. In March， we will be promot- ing French Canadian culture through a series of activities including concerts and film screenings in cities throughout China. In the fall， we will have tours across China by Canada’s Montreal Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Winnipeg Ballet. Canada will participate again in the annual Beijing International Film Festival as well as the annual Banff Mountain Film Festival China Tour. In addition to these major activities， we will also continue to feature the works of inspiring Canadian artists and performers. I recommend that readers log on to the Embassy of Canada’s weibo at www.weibo.com/canadaweibo for announcements and more details about these activities.


　　There were also many other notable high points for the Canada-China relationship in 2013. In May， two giant pandas， Da Mao and Er Shun， arrived at the Toronto Zoo from China. They have been delighting zoo visitors since their arrival and are a great symbol of the deepening trust and friendship between Canada and China.
　　As well， more and more Chinese tourists are visiting Canada. Since Canada was granted approved destination status in 2010， the number of Chinese visitors to Canada has more than doubled. China has also consistently been one of the top source countries for immigration to Canada over the past 10 years. In fact， there are more than 1.4 million Canadians of Chinese ethnic origin and Chinese is the third most spoken language in Canada after English and French.
　　One area of growth in the Canada-China relationship that I am very proud of is education. It is now a pillar of our bilateral ties and one that I spend a significant amount of my time promoting and supporting. In fact， another outcome of Prime Minister Harper’s 2012 visit to China was an agreement that Canada and China would work towards expanding two-way academic exchanges. 　　In fact， education was one of the key themes of Canada’s Governor General David Johnston’s state visit to China in October 2013. Today， there are more than 84，000 Chinese studying in Canada， representing about 30 percent of all international students in Canada. And Chinese students accounted for almost half of the global increase in the number of international students between 2007 and 2012.
　　Canada has one of the world’s best education systems and is home to many globally top-ranked universities. Moreover， studying in Canada has numerous advantages， such as being able to obtain a work permit while studying and to stay on for a period after graduating.
　　Barely a week goes by when I do not participate in an education-related event or meeting. I meet frequently with visiting Canadian university officials， attend signing ceremonies between Canadian and Chinese academic institutions， and often have the chance to speak with students and alumni of universities from both our countries. As well， every time I return to Canada， I always give presentations at Canadian universities to tell Canadian students about the changes in China and the many opportunities available to them to study and work here.
　　This past fall was actually the busiest time of my entire career as we had many activities and visits taking place， including the state visit to China by our Governor General and the China tour of our National Orchestra， as earlier mentioned. But on top of that， there were also visits to China by our Foreign Affairs， International Trade， and Natural Resources Ministers， the Premiers of the provinces of Alberta and British Columbia， and the Mayor of Ottawa， among others.
　　As Canada’s Ambassador， it is very gratifying to have all these visits and cultural and educational activities take place， as it reflects the strong and growing relationship between our two countries.
　　While 2013 was a very active year， I look forward to 2014 being an even more dynamic one. Canada has invited President Xi and Premier Li to visit Canada and I hope they will soon be able to do so.
　　I wish your readers a very happy Holiday Season and a terrific start to the Year of the Horse！