Canada – China Legislative Association Meetings Hosted by CanCham
CanCham Shanghai has been honoured in 2026 to be given the opportunity to host the Canada-China Legislative Association (CACN) on two separate occasions in China. The Canada-China Legislative Association functions as a non-partisan forum designed to facilitate the exchange of information and promote mutual understanding between Canadian parliamentarians and representatives of the National People’s Congress of the People’s Republic of China.
On March 18 a high-level meeting was arranged at CanCham Shanghai’s offices at The Shanghai Centre, bringing together key Canadian entrepreneurs and representatives of Canadian corporations doing business in China with the Association’s two Co-Chairs, the Honourable Clément Gignac, Senator, and Ms. Zoe Royer, MP for Port Moody-Coquitlam, accompanied by the Association’s Advisor, Ms. Alexia Lagacé-Roy, Parliament of Canada. Their Chinese host was the Foreign Affairs Committee of the National People’s Congress.
CACN had requested an exclusive meeting with CanCham Shanghai, through the Canadian Consulate in Shanghai, to discuss views from the Canadian private sector in China. Representatives of the Canadian Consulate in Shanghai in attendance included our new Consul General in Shanghai, Tracy Diehl.
On September 10, 2026, CanCham Shanghai organised a follow-up roundtable in Hangzhou to commemorate the return visit of the Canadian Co-Chairs of the Canada-China Legislative Association (CACN). CanCham convened the roundtable with a clear purpose: to give the delegation firsthand perspectives from Canadian businesses and organizations active in China. Understanding the Canada–China relationship also means understanding the everyday experiences of those working across both markets—the opportunities they see, the challenges they navigate and the relationships that sustain their activities. Industries such as agri-food, international education, sourcing, logistics, manufacturing, consumer products, engineering and construction, entertainment and more were well-represented by CanCham members and our associates in the region.
Held at CanCham member, WPIC’s Hangzhou office, the event provided an opportunity for a direct exchange with the visiting delegation. Moderated by Dr. Mark Ceolin, Chairman of CanCham Shanghai, the roundtable centred on conversation and exchange. Brief introductions led into a moderated discussion, giving participants space to contribute their experience and parliamentarians the opportunity to ask questions and hear perspectives from across different sectors. CanCham was pleased to welcome the Honourable Clément Gignac, Senator; Ms. Zoë Royer, Member of Parliament (Port Moody- Coquitlam); the Honourable
Pierrette Ringuette, Senator; and the Honourable Bardish Chagger, Member of Parliament (Waterloo), accompanied by Hilary Smyth, Association Secretary. Also attending were Mr. Liu Bing, Deputy Director General, International Exchange Office, Foreign Affairs Committee, National People’s Congress, together with his colleagues Mr. Xiang Dangchu and Mr. Lei Guanghui, as well as Roxanne Hamel from the Canadian Embassy.
As CanCham Chair and Moderator of the discussion, I would like to thank the following participants for contributing to the exchange:
Liam Mather — WPIC
Simon-Pierre Turcotte — Shanghai Soucy Rubber
Eric Rupert — altPlus
Andrew Zhu — Pinnacle Food Group
Dominic Desmarais — Liya Solutions
Raymond Ro — NYU Shanghai
Xiaojia Guo — Canadian National Railway Company
Peter Cheng — Xebec Adsorption (Shanghai)
Cherlyn Lin — Cirque du Soleil
Francisco Xu — Jamieson
Brian Chen — USAS
Through exchanges such as this, CanCham Shanghai continues its work to bring business perspectives into the wider Canada–China conversation and support informed, constructive dialogue between the people and institutions shaping the relationship. CanCham Shanghai extends its sincere thanks to the CACN delegation, the National People’s Congress representatives, the Canadian Embassy and all participants for their time and contributions. Special thanks go to the WPIC team for providing the venue and their warm hospitality. We look forward to returning to Hangzhou often.
