McGuinty visits Japan on trade mission

(CBC) - Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty arrived in Japan on Tuesday to kick off a trade mission aimed at attracting investment in his province.

McGuinty and his trade minister, Joe Cordiano, are scheduled to meet with government and business officials over the next few days.

Ontario wants to attract high-quality jobs by letting the Japanese know the province is building a highly skilled workforce, McGuinty said in a statement Monday.

The province has already attracted significant Japanese investment in its auto sector over the past year.

Toyota confirmed plans last June to build a new factory in Woodstock in the southwestern part of the province, and last month Honda unveiled plans for an engine plant in Alliston, northwest of Toronto.

- Trade presence abroad -

As part of the visit, the premier is also scheduled to officially open the province's International Marketing Centre in Tokyo.

When the McGuinty Liberals took office, they began re-establishing the province's overseas trade offices that had been shutdown to save money in 1994 under the NDP government led by Bob Rae.

So far, Ontario has opened seven trade centres around the world.

In February, the province began renting a small office in the Canadian Embassy, located in the heart of the city's central, upscale Aoyama district.

Two other provinces hold offices in Tokyo - Alberta, with a stand-alone office, and Quebec, with a 13-person delegation.

In the past, provincial trade offices have been the target of criticism from opposition parties and some media for being a waste of the taxpayer's money. Ontario's Trade Minister Joe Cordiano defended the province's decision to open the office.

"It's not just having cocktail parties and the like," he said. "It's actually approaching companies, explaining what we have to offer in Ontario and hooking up the opportunities and advantages that we have in Ontario with those companies."

McGuinty is also expected to discuss education and innovation with Japanese officials during his visit.

© the CBC, 2006