More overseas delegations will make their way to Coquitlam this year, scouting for ways to do business in the city.
The next contingent will come from Foshan City, China (near Hong Kong), which is expected in mid-March to visit with city officials and representatives from the international education programs at School District 43, Douglas College and Coquitlam College, a private institution in Burquitlam.
The SD3 local international ed. program - the largest of its kind in Canada - pumps about $30 million a year into the Tri-City economy from foreign students and their families, according to a report from Wayne Beggs, Coquitlam's economic development manager.
On Monday, Coquitlam's land use and economic development committee looked over a proposed memo that city council is expected to sign when the Foshan delegation arrives outlining the city's general support for the international education program - an indicator that's important to the Chinese team.
"It just shows there's a link between the school board and the city. That's very important to doing business," said Coun. Mae Reid, who chairs the committee.
Still, she said she wouldn't be in favour of taxpayer money being spent for exchange trips to Foshan. Last fall, Mayor Richard Stewart and city manager Peter Steblin toured China and South Korea to market the city to business people and to international students (the trip was paid for by a provincial government grant).
Former mayors Maxine Wilson and Jon Kingsbury also went to China to drum up business and forge cultural ties. Recently, the city received a delegation from Paju, Korea, which has a sister city relationship with Coquitlam.
In 2009, more than 1,000 foreign students - including 200 from China - were in the SD43 program, with each paying $12,000 a year for tuition.
jwarren@tricitynews.com
