Groups across Prince Edward Island are being invited to join a partnership the province has entered into with Hainan, China. Technology PEI, in cooperation with the International Trade Centre of Industry Canada, will be hosting an incoming delegation from Hainan to enhance increased trade development, from May 27-30, 2001.
On August 18, 2000, Technology PEI signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the province of Hainan. This collaborative effort strives to elevate the Government of Hainan Province to a "Smart Province," a status PEI has earned in Canada.
PEI delegates have visited Hainan Province on two occasions: once in October 2000, led by Mike Currie, Minister of Development and Technology, and again in January 2001. During these visits, the two provinces were able to establish similarities and areas of common interest. Both provinces are islands, small in relation to other provinces in their country, with agriculture, fisheries, and tourism as primary industries. These similarities, as well as Prince Edward Island's success and experience in creating a "Smart Province," resulted in Hainan Province signing a Twinning Agreement on Co-Development of Information Technology during Team Canada's Trade Mission in February of this year. Representatives for the attending parties included Premier Pat Binns (for Technology PEI) and Vice Governor Li Dongsheng (for the Government of Hainan).
The Twinning Agreement promotes linkages between PEI's and China's public and private enterprises in order to facilitate the co-development of information technology applications. In June, a delegation of private sector and government representatives from the province of Hainan will visit Prince Edward Island to meet with businesses interested in potential partnerships.
Although Hainan has a population of over 7.0 million, it is considered a "smaller province" in China. The partnerships PEI businesses form will not only develop among the people living in Hainan, but also explore the markets of China and South East Asia with populations in excess of 1 billion. Although only established as a province in 1988, Hainan has the designation as China's largest Special Economic Zone.
China's gradual incorporation into the global economy has provided Hainan with unprecedented opportunities. For example, Hainan accounts for one-third of the country's tropical land coverage and has the advantage of developing a high-yield tropical agriculture. So far, Hainan, one of China's designated agriculture cooperation zones with Taiwan, has introduced 95 percent of Taiwan's high-grade tropical fruit strains. The province is considered an important processing center for tapping into abundant marine resources, such as fishing, offshore oil and natural gas. Although Hainan is designated as a beta testing site for the development of information technology products and services within China, over half of the island is farmland, orchards and forests.
PEI and Hainan have agreed that one effective way of boosting the local economy is to open up resources for overseas investors and partnerships. The partnership formed between Hainan and Prince Edward Island will be formed through exchanges or co-developments of current technical products or services. The partnerships will encourage the two provinces to work co-operatively toward information technology advancements in the following industries and sectors: Education and Culture, Agriculture, Tourism, Health, and Government Service Delivery.
An example of an agreement already established is the one between the University of Prince Edward Island and Haikou Jiangshan School. The two institutions of higher learning agreed to explore partnerships in the fields of education and culture. While in Hainan as part of a trade mission along with Dr. Xiufeng Liu of the UPEI Faculty of Education, UPEI President Wade MacLauchlan signed an agreement to co-develop programs related to teacher training, especially in the areas of information technology and English language education. The schools agreed to investigate joint development of teaching materials, innovative ways of delivering curriculum and collaboration in research.
Agencies, government departments, public institutions and private enterprises with interests in any of these areas willing to work co-operatively to co-develop applications and initiatives or with interest in the advancements of technical-based products or services are asked to submit their businesses profiles online. For more information on this initiative and to submit your business information, visit www.techpei.com and link to "Hainan Initiative."