OTTAWA, July 14, 2005 -- The Honourable Stephen Owen, Minister of Western Economic Diversification and Minister of State (Sport), and Mr. Liu Peng, Chinese Minister of State of Sports Administration, today in Beijing, signed a Memorandum of Understanding on bilateral collaboration in sport. Both parties agree to exchange knowledge on issues of common interest, such as athletes with disabilities, women in sport, research, and development of policies concerning anti-doping in sport."The agreement that we signed today formalizes our relationship and identifies key areas where the expertise of our respective countries can be shared," said Minister Owen. "This Memorandum of Understanding will strengthen the ties of international friendship and cooperation and provide opportunities to work closely together on joint projects to benefit sport."Through this Memorandum of Understanding, Canada and China have agreed to develop a detailed two-year program of activities to support sport at the developmental and high-performance levels. As China will host the 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games and Canada will welcome the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, both countries will also share information on the social and economic opportunities that come from hosting these events, as well as on how legacy projects can be established for the benefit of the public. A joint committee will be created to oversee the implementation and assessment of the bilateral agreement.The China-Canada Memorandum of Understanding will be the seventh formal agreement on sport that Canada currently has with other countries. The other six are with South Africa, Russia, France, Tunisia, Brazil, and Cuba.Information:Renée Gillen Press Secretary Office of the Minister of Western Economic Diversification and Minister of State (Sport) (613) 941-4241Myriam BrochuChief, Media RelationsCanadian Heritage(819) 997-9314
