Mr. Ma Jiantang Participated in the China-Canada Statistical Management Conference and Delivered a Keynote Speech

“The development of the four major statistical projects of China, is a result of China’s learning from the production mode of statistical data of Canada and making creative applications as well as combining actual situations in China, and is an innovation and extension of the Sino-Canada enterprise integration survey items.” 15-16 May, the China-Canada Statistical Management Conference: Implementation and Achievements was held in Beijing. Mr. Ma Jiantang, the Commissioner of NBS, participated in the conference and spoke highly of the fruitful results of Sino-Canada statistical cooperation in recent years.

In the keynote speech Strengthen Sino-Canada Statistical Exchanges and Cooperation, Promote the Reform of Statistical Development in China, Mr. Ma Jiantang reviewed the good times and fruitful results of Sino-Canada statistical exchanges. He mentioned that, with high starting point, high level, wide field and long time, Sino-Canada statistical cooperation became a successful model of international statistical cooperation and exchange. Through cooperation, Statistics Canada's advanced statistical concepts and experience were creatively applied into the statistical practice of China, and China's statistical modernization has achieved a rapid advance. The fruitful results gained were: First, new ideas of China’s statistics had been created, which were respecting the survey objects, using accounting data and administrative records positively, and regarding statistical data as public goods. Second, the changes of statistical production methods had been promoted. Third, the integration of Chinese urban and rural household surveys had been promoted. Fourth, the scientific nature of China’s statistical survey system had been enhanced. Through cooperation and exchanges, China's environmental statistics and accounting had took a substantial step forward, and China's national economic accounting system and the economic and social statistical system had been further improved.

Mr. Ma Jiantang pointed out that, the successful Sino-Canada statistical cooperation was an important inspiration and reference for the future Sino-Canada exchanges and cooperation, as well as international statistical exchange and cooperation. He stressed that a high degree of attention was the prerequisite for successful cooperation, meeting demands was the guarantee for successful cooperation, applying knowledge into practice was the key to successful cooperation, and struggling for innovation was fundamental to successful cooperation.

During the speech at the closure of the conference, Mr. Ma Jiantang said that the conference had achieved significant results in the following five aspects: First, it summarized the achievements of the Sino-Canada statistical management project; Second, it highly refined the successful experience of the project; Third, some consensus on dealing with the challenges were reached; Fourth, the experts had put forward many constructive suggestions on China's statistical work; Fifth, everybody increased the understanding of each other and enhanced their friendship.

Mr. Ma Jiantang stressed that, although the second phase of the Sino-Canada statistical cooperation project was coming to an end, the friendship of official statistics between China and Canada will continue to heritage, and the cooperation spirit of mutual respect, frank treatment, and professional dedication will be carried forward. Both Statistics Canada and National Bureau of Statistics of China undertook the important task of providing statistical support for national economic and social development, and were facing with the challenges to improve national statistical capacity. Both sides had much in common, providing broad prospects for further exchanges and cooperation. With a broader perspective and more effective action, Chinese statisticians will continue to strengthen statistical exchanges and cooperation with statistical agencies of governments around the world and international organizations, including Statistics Canada, and will work hard to promote the constant development of international statistics.

He hoped that China and Canada could further expand exchanges and cooperation, and jointly promote the development of world statistics.

Mr. Wayne Smith, the Chief Statistician of Canada, participated in the conference and delivered a keynote speech entitled "Challenge and Response". He said that, the success of the project was mainly due to the joint efforts of both sides. With the trend that the globalization of world economy continued to be strengthened, as official national statistical agencies, Statistics Canada and National Bureau of Statistics of China should actively respond to the economic and social changes and needs of different users, and make ongoing innovations. He hoped that based on international experience and standards, both sides could learn from each other's experience, and greatly enhance the level of statistical work in the two countries.

Mr. Peter Morrison, the Assistant Chief Statistician of Canada, Ms. Sarah Taylor, Minister-Counsellor of the Canadian Embassy in China, and representatives of China’s Ministry of Commerce and other relevant ministries attended the conference. The conference presided by Mr. Xie Hongguang, the vice-commissioner of NBS.

During the two-day conference, the project leader of both sides made project summaries respectively, and discussed related problems in depth.

The conference has systematically reviewed the implementation process of the Sino-Canada statistical information management project, made a careful summary and evaluation of the entire project, and has given a comprehensive summary and display of the experience gained as well as the important results of the Sino-Canada statistical cooperation project. The participants of both countries exchanged statistical experience in concrete practice, discussed the challenges of the current statistical work and responses, and made a lot of good ideas and suggestions on further expanding exchanges and cooperation and promoting statistical development of the two countries.

More than 90 people participated in the conference, including the project representatives of Statistics Canada who are in charge of the Sino-Canada project, representatives of the Canadian Embassy in China, representatives of different departments of NBS, representatives of relevant ministries of the Chinese government who are involved in the Sino-Canada project, representatives of Provincial Bureau of Statistics and Provincial Survey Organizations of NBS which had conducted the pilot surveys of the Sino-Canada project, and representatives of universities and research institutions.