Halifax is forging closer ties with China

When talking about Canada in China, many people will think of beautiful Vancouver on the Pacific coast. In fact, there is also a pearl on the Atlantic coast, called Halifax. Halifax habour is the second largest natural deep harbour in the world and the Port of Halifax is an important gateway to trade. Although Halifax is thousands of miles away from China, the increasing economic development connections have brought the two regions much closer in recent years. In July 2013, The Port of Halifax signed a cooperation agreement with Wuhan New Port. The two ports agreed to share best practices relating to port management and development. The purpose of this agreement is to jointly promote and encourage trade between Atlantic Canada and the high potential of the Chinese inland market. In October, Halifax Port Authority Board Chairman Geoff Machum led a delegation attending Shenzhen International Logistics Fair and signed an International Sister Port Agreement with the Shenzhen Municipal Transportation Commission. The agreement covers collaboration in the area of IT, environmental protection, port development and operations.

The President & CEO, Karen Oldfield accepted an exclusive interview request with our reporter. During the interview, she told the reporter that she had been to China at least twice a year in the past ten years after becoming the head of the Halifax Port Authority. Why? Because many people locally have realized China is a significant economic player with huge grow potential for the Port of Halifax and can play a significant role in economic development for the entire region.