TORONTO - Ontario's numerous trade missions to China are paying off with the province's leading clean technology companies cashing in on Chinese efforts to keep its environment clean amidst its rapid development and robust economy.

This is one area in Ontario's thrust into China, the world's second largest economy after the United States, with the other being its agri-food industry, according to the Canadian province's Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, Michael Chan.

Michael Chan, Canadian province's Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport. [Li Na/China Daily]

"There are two areas we mainly promote to China, one is clean technology. China has been growing crazily in the last 30 years. When you grow up so fast, how to protect the environment is one of the biggest challenges," he said.

Michael told China Daily in an interview prior to the latest such trade mission in January led by then Premier Dalton McGuinty, that although the Chinese government had worked hard to keep the environment in its best possible state, still they need the high-level clean technology from Canada.

This is the fourth time the long-time Premier had visited China, with the 50-member mission bringing back a total of $800 million in new business partnerships with Chinese companies in various parts of China.

Officials of clean technology and agri-food companies clinched deals by signing several agreements worth $200 million in the Chinese city of Nanjing alone.

In Shanghai, the Ontario businesses signed contracts worth $457 million as part of the trade mission's success.

The massive amount from the deals is a cause for celebrations as it is expected to lead to job creation and many opportunities back home in Ontario, according to Michael, who expressed the hope of maintaining close relations with China.

McGuinty visited China in 2005, and the fourth mission was his last as he stepped down as Premier at the end of January.

Ontario's sister province of Jiangsu is one of largest economic provinces in China, believed to rank the top three economically.

"I think it's good to maintain the close ties with China in terms of trade, economy, education and culture," Michael said.

The other sector Ontario is promoting is agriculture, with Canada being the second largest country in the world and China, the number one in terms of population.

"We can grow up a lot of crops to feed China" Michael quipped, laughing during the interview, saying Canada has the vast land in the world and Ontario has more than half of the best qualified farm lands in the country.

For Ontario, agriculture is more than growing crops, with food processing expertise and technology, and these two sectors alone see immense opportunities to expand cooperation with China.

Michael stressed the importance of doing trade with China, South Korea, India and other countries, saying Ontario needs to diversify its trading partners.

"Many years ago, we only have one trade partner - America. With the change in the world's economy, we recently have built trade relationship with the European Union, China, Brazil and India.

"The world is changed. Canada and Ontario should adapt to this change. Diversification is the only way to move ahead into the future," he said.