by Chinese Ambassador Cong Peiwu
I had heard about Kelowna, a city renowned for wine, fruits and a leisurely lifestyle long ago, but it was only recently that I had the opportunity to visit the city. I met with the Chinese students at the University of British Columbia Okanagan Campus and Okanagan College there. I also had a great talk with the members of Kelowna Chamber of Commerce and other local communities. I benefited a lot from their insights.
Kelowna is situated on the eastern shores of Okanagan Lake, nestled amidst mountains and valleys. It is a city surrounded by vineyards and blessed with abundant sunshine. Sunshine, lakes, and forests are the defining features of this city. Every year, it attracts around two million tourists visits, which is remarkable for a city with only 150,000 residents.
The world-famous wines are undoubtedly a source of pride for the people of Kelowna. Kelowna shares the same latitude as the Champagne regions in France and Rheingau in Germany. Together with the pure lake water source and winemaking approach that blends traditional ways with modern techniques, Kelowna's wines have won numerous international awards. Yet Kelowna's appeal goes far beyond its wines. Reports show that over 600 high-tech companies have established bases here. And Kelowna International Airport is one of the ten busiest airports in Canada.
Photo Credit: Ambassador Cong Peiwu
The Chinese people's understanding of Kelowna stems partly from Dr. Sun Yat-sen, a great pioneer of China's democratic revolution. It is said that over 100 years ago, Dr. Sun Yat-sen visited Kelowna to raise funds. Over the past century, many Chinese toiled in this region, participating in the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway, as well as agriculture and business. Today, it remains an attractive destination for Chinese tourists to go skiing, hiking, and going on holiday. Quality educational institutions like the University of British Columbia and Okanagan College attract Chinese students these days. Kelowna stands as a witness to the century-long interactions between the China and Canada.
On the website of the city hall of Kelowna, there is a statement that goes like this: Kelowna is vibrant, inclusive, diverse and naturally beautiful. It is invested in being a City shaped by collaboration, responsible decision making, connected citizens and by adapting in smart ways to rapid growth. Kelowna's natural endowments win it a reputation as a leisure destination and livable green city. Instead of resting on these attributes, the people of Kelowna continuously explored innovations and economic diversification as measures to prepare for the future. This resonates with China's latest concept of accelerating the transition to green development, pursuing innovations and promoting high-quality development through developing new quality productive forces.
China has always adhered to the concept of "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets". After years of exploration and practice, China has embarked on a green development path featuring high-quality economic and social progress, high-standard environmental protection, high-quality living standards for the people, and harmonious coexistence between man and nature. Today, close to half of the world’s installed photovoltaic capacity is found in China, over half of the world’s new energy vehicles run on roads in China, and one-fourth of the world’s increased area of afforestation is in China.
In recent years, China has been following an innovation-driven development strategy. Investment in China's high-tech sector has been increasing at double-digit rates for several years, and the number of high-tech enterprises stands at around 400,000. Looking forward, China will continue to advance high-standard opening up, attract outcomes of innovation worldwide and high-quality advanced production factors and resources, and create favorable conditions for developing new quality productive forces. I am confident that China and Kelowna, which both pursue innovation, will embrace more cooperation opportunities in the future.
About the Author
Ambassador Cong Peiwu, People's Republic of China, visited Kelowna in February. He has served as China's Ambassador to Canada since 2019. We value the time the Ambassador spent with us, and his time in our community, and we wish him well.