BRUCE Ralston, Minister of Jobs, Trade and Technology, on Sunday announced that B.C. has suspended the China leg of its Asian forestry trade mission due to the international judicial process underway relating to a senior official at Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.

Ralston said: “British Columbia values its strong trade relationship with China, one based on mutual respect and close economic and cultural ties that have been established over many decades. Our forest products industry remains committed to our relationship with our valued Chinese customers.

“The December 2018 Forestry Asia Trade Mission, led by Doug Donaldson, Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, and supported by numerous B.C. forestry industry representatives, has successfully completed the South Korea portion of the mission and will complete the Japan portion of the mission on Tuesday, December 11. The delegation was then scheduled to travel to China but will return to British Columbia at that time.”

Ralston added: “It is anticipated that Minister Donaldson will work to reschedule events planned for the Chinese portion of this mission at the earliest convenient moment.”