The Honorable Alison Redford, Premier of Alberta,

Mr. Peter Harder, President of Canada China Business Council(CCBC),

Members of business communities,

Ladies and gentlemen,

First of all, I'd like to extend my warmest congratulations to CCBC on the launch of its Alberta Chapter.

I still remember that in January 2011, a few months after taking office in Canada, I attended the launch ceremony of CCBC's Quebec Chapter in Montreal.

I am so happy to see that, in just two years' time, CCBC successfully expands its network further to Calgary, the Heart of the New West.

This not only reveals Mr. Harder's strategic vision, but also reflects the width and depth of the economic relations between our two countries.

That's why although it's cold outside, I still feel very warm in my heart.

There's no doubt that Alberta occupies an important place in the strong economic links between our two countries.

In the past three years, trade between China and Alberta has grown by 50%. China is now Alberta's second largest trading partner.

While Chinese investment in Canada has grown to more than 40 billion US dollars, two thirds are in Alberta.

Some prominent Chinese enterprises, such as CNOOC, CNPC, Sinopec, have become important partners in Alberta's energy industry. Bank of China also opened a branch in Calgary in 2011.

It is worth mentioning that the fast development of the economic ties between China and Alberta couldn't have taken place without the strong support and active promotion of the Government of Alberta.

Premier Redford visited China three times in the past two years. She did an outstanding job in promoting practical cooperation between our two sides.

Last month, during the state visit to China by Canadian Governor General David Johnston, Mr. Ken Hughes, Minister of Energy of Alberta, signed the Framework Agreement on Sustainable Energy Development with China's National Energy Administration.

This agreement is the first of its kind between the Chinese Central Government and a provincial government of Canada, and opens new prospects for our energy cooperation in the future.

I am deeply encouraged by the enthusiasm of Alberta Government for deepening cooperation with China, which also makes me more confident about our relations in the future.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Not long ago, the Third Plenary Session of the 18th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China rolled out a new agenda to deepen China's reforms comprehensively.

With this new agenda, we will push forward reforms in economic, political, cultural, social, ecological and other areas, so as to remove all the institutional barriers hindering China's progress, and promote a more efficient, fair and sustainable development .

Acctually, this new reform agenda has drawn worldwide attention and is called Reform 2.0 by the Chinese media, and the boldest reforms in decades by foreign media.

Of the entire reform drive, economic reform is the key.

With the agenda, China's market economy will be a more mature and efficient one.

The direct involvement of the government in resource allocation will be reduced and the market will play the decisive role.

The government will paly a better role in maintaining a stable macro-economy, providing public service, supervising the market, and keeping market order.

With the agenda, China's market rules will be more fair and transparent.

A unified system of market access will be implemented.

Both public and non-public economy will have equal access to production factors, open and fair market competition, and the same legal protection and supervision.

We will push ahead price reforms of water, oil, natural gas, electricity, transportation and telecommunication.

We will improve the market-based exchange rate formation mechanism for Renminbi, the Chinese currency, and speed up interest rate liberalization and capital account convertibility.

We will also improve urban-rural integration system, so that farmers can have equal opportunities to participate in and benefit from China's modernization drive.

With the agenda, China will open wider to the outside world.

The service sectors such as finance, education, culture and health will enjoy an orderly opening-up to market access.

Investment restrictions will be eased in fields like nursery, pension, architectural design, accounting and auditing, trade and logistics and e-commerce.

Further liberalization will be achieved in the general manufacturing sectorn wider.

We will speed up the building of Free Trade Area and strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation with other countries and regions.

We will also make use of the opportunities of reconfiguration of global industry to promote the development of trade, investment, technology and innovation in inland areas.

Ladies and gentlemen,

The fundamental reason of China's success in the past 35 years is that we have been deepening the reform and opening-up policy according to our own conditions and the trend of globalization.

We would neither copy the pattern nor follow the theories or experience of other countries blindly.

Instead, we have successfully blazed a new path of socialist market economy, which values both efficiency and fairness.

We are confident that, through this new round of reform, we can enhance the economic and social vitality, further promote social stability and harmony, and introduce new historic changes to China.

China's sustainable and healthy development will no doubt create enormous business opportunities for Canada.

It means a huge and stable market for Canada's energy, minerals, agri-food and high-tech products.

There will be more opportunities for cooperation in agriculture, information and telecommunication, new energy and environmental protection.

Canada's strong service industry can play to its strength to get more access to China's service sector.

Canadian enterprises are also welcome to take part in the development of China's inland areas, whose prosperity and potential have already attracted worldwide attention.

Ladies and gentlemen,

CCBC has been keeping up with the pace of China's reform and opening-up in the past 35 years.

It was founded in 1978, the same year when China kicked off the policy of reform and opening-up.

Now the establishment of CCBC's Alberta Chapter coincides with the launch of China's new reform agenda

History may repeat itself, but opportunities only favor those who are prepared.

I do hope that business communities from both China and Canada can seize the new opportunities and tap the potential of cooperation for the shared prosperity of our two countries.

I also hope CCBC will continue to play the role of bridge in our economic cooperation, and make greater contribution to the well-being of our two peoples.

Finally, I wish CCBC every success in its undertakings in the future . Thank you all.