The British Columbia government has signed an agreement with Zhejiang province in China to promote the use of wood frame construction.
Under the "strategic co-operation" agreement, B.C. and Zhejiang will work together to share technical knowledge and to change building and fire codes in the Chinese province to allow for more wood to be used in buildings.
The agreement was signed by forestry minister Steve Thomson, who is currently in China on a forestry-focused trade mission.
The B.C. forestry industry has been successful in increasing its exports to China over the past decade, but much of the products sent to China are low-grade lumber for use in concrete forms.
The Canadian forestry industry has made efforts to show the Chinese that wood is a safe, environmentally-friendly building material in a country where concrete is dominant. Encouraging China to update building codes is part of that effort.
Zhejian province is especially interested in using wood construction in tourism projects, according to a statement released by the B.C. government.
