News CCBC announces support for Fraser Institute Study
To CCBC Members and Friends:
Those of us who are involved in business with China know the economic benefits it brings to Canadian companies, and in turn, to our country. The recent chill in government relations and the negative press attitude toward China has left many concerned that the Canadians do not fully understand the positive impact that China has on our economy, and the negative implications of not fully engaging in China trade and investment are worrisome. CCBC has considered different ways of taking that message to government decision makers and ordinary Canadians, and some of you last year were engaged in a proposed "Door Knocker" project. For various reasons, including underfunding, it did not go forward, and we have restructured the project.
CCBC strongly feels that the best way to get our point across is to deliver an unbiased message from a respected research institution. The Fraser Institute has proposed, and CCBC has agreed to support, such a study by facilitating funding. CCBC will play a supporting role by providing oversight on an advisory committee and by letting our members know about the opportunity to fund the study. We will do this in concert with the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, the HKCBA, and John Gruetzner of Intercedent, who began leading the door knocker effort for CCBC Beijing chapter last year. The advisory committee will not influence the outcome of the study, which will be independently driven by the Fraser Institute.
CCBC intends to use the research results as an important part of our communication efforts. As the leading voice on Canada-China trade and investment, we intend to take a more active role in shaping Canadian public opinion on China, and the results of this project will provide us the necessary facts to do this well.
The project, which costs $90,000, needs to be fully funded in order to proceed. Many member firms have indicated their support for this effort, and while we encourage donations of any size, in many ways we feel more modest donations by many companies will have more impact in terms of showing the broad-based support for this research. I ask all of you to consider contributing to this study. Support takes the form of a tax-deductible general donation to the Fraser Institute, in suggested amounts between $5,000 and $20,000. Any amount is welcomed however, so even a smaller contribution will help to move the project forward.
Extensive detail can be found in the attached project proposal, also available 
here. Should you decide to support this important study, you can communicate directly with Sherry Stein of the Fraser Institute, but please let me know if you have any questions.
Sarah Kutulakos, Executive Director
Canada China Business Council
O: 1-416-954-8458
M: 1-416-294-2990 (Canada); 86-1371-7940-103 (China)
Web: www.ccbc.com