Trade Mission to China in 1973

Following Nixon's visit in 1972, China decided to gradually open its doors to capitalist businessmen who were more than eager to gain access to a new market of more than one billion potential consumers. The Chinese invited trade missions from selected countries in specific sectors according to their needs. Canada sent a team of petroleum industry specialists to determine the areas of technological transfer that could be advantageous to both countries.

The Canadian mission, headed by the Hon. Donald Macdonald, Minister of Mines, Energy and Resources, was composed of a dozen government officials and an equal number of specialists and company presidents of which myself. We spent three weeks in China on this fascinating task.

All this was very exciting as this was my first around the world voyage. My itinerary, shown on the map, took me from Montreal to Vancouver, to Tokyo,  to Hong Kong,  into China via Guangzhou, to Beijing, to Harbin and the Daqing oil field in Heilongkiang,  to Tientsin, Shanghai and Hangzhou,  back to Beijing,  and out via Guangzhou and Hong Kong again. Then, I returned home via Thailand,  Myanmar,  India, and Rome.

I took hundreds of colour print photos and a few roll of slides. Unfortunately, the colour prints were so badly processed that they became completely discoloured after only a year. I threw most of them out in disgust. Compounding my misfortune, I lost the colour negatives! Fortunately some slides were saved making this page possible.

I continue developing this site for the pleasure of sharing the joys of discovery with you. Meeting wonderful people of all skin colours, ethnic origins and beliefs has inspired me to set up the Humanist Foundation of Quebec to promote critical thinking and intercultural tolerance.

You may download and use the globetrotter's photos provided you mention "Photo by Bernard Cloutier" with a link to this site below each photo. High resolution versions can be acquired from our agent Travel-Images.com.

If you feel like it, you may exchange comments and impressions with other readers in the questbook or express them to me privately by the e-mail link. Putting a link on your web site, if you have one, would invite your viewers to enjoy free virtual travel as I hope you did.