OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 09/02/16 -- I am very pleased that the Government of Canada signed two significant agreements with the People's Republic of China that will strengthen our cultural and economic ties.
The Honourable Stephane Dion, Minister of Foreign Affairs, in the presence of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, signed a bilateral film coproduction treaty with Cai Fuchao, Minister of State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television of the People's Republic of China. This agreement, which replaces a treaty from 1987, will further position Canada as a partner of choice in audiovisual coproduction.
Audiovisual coproduction treaties allow producers to combine their creative and financial resources to develop coproductions that stimulate foreign investment, create jobs, and increase exchanges of culture and knowledge between partner countries. In order for the new treaty to come into effect, each country will have to complete domestic procedures to ratify it.
Projects coproduced under a treaty are given national status in both Canada and the partner country. This makes producers eligible for national benefits in their own countries, such as funding programs and tax incentives.
Prime Minister Trudeau and Premier Li Keqiang also signed a Program of Cultural Cooperation for 2017 to 2019. The Program encourages cooperation, exchanges, high-level dialogue and sharing of expertise in a broad range of cultural areas. It is an important contributor to opening market opportunities in China for Canadian culture, and will deepen the mutual understanding and friendship between the peoples of Canada and China.
In the past 50 years, Canada has signed audiovisual coproduction treaties with 54 countries. In the past 10 years alone, our country has produced 654 treaty coproductions, whose budgets total $4.8 billion.
Stay Connected
Follow us on Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Flickr.
Contacts:
Pierre-Olivier Herbert
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage
819-997-7788
