In April 2007, the Province of British Columbia released the Asia Pacific Initiative 
(35 MB), a long-term strategy to diversify B.C.’s economic ties with the Asia Pacific. The Province’s objective is to be recognized internationally by 2020 as:
“North America’s capital for Asia Pacific commerce and culture.”
The Initiative signals the Province’s recognition of the economic importance of the Asia-Pacific region, which is home to four of the world’s largest and most dynamic national economies. The four priority countries under the Initiative are China, Japan, India and South Korea.
The Initiative identifies five strategic areas through which it aims to achieve the Province’s objective:
- advance B.C.’s global identity as Canada’s Pacific Gateway;
- continue to build a world-class infrastructure and supply chain;
- strengthen and maximize B.C.’s trade and investment relationships with Asia;
- become the Asia-Pacific education, tourism and cultural destination of choice; and
- ensure the Province’s labour force is equipped with the skills to thrive in the Pacific Century economy.
The B.C.-Asia Twinnings website supports the Initiative through promoting the creation of economically-robust twinning or sister-city arrangements between B.C. local governments and local governments in Asia Pacific.
The BC | Asia Twinning Tool Kit (745 KB), containing ten case studies of B.C. local government twinning arrangements and resource links, is meant to further the Province’s objectives.