Thank you, Mr. Chair.
Thanks, Minister Fast and Ms. Bincoletto, for appearing at our committee this morning.
As you alluded in your opening comments, Minister Fast, we're talking about the global markets action plan, or as you mentioned, a landmark plan to help Canadian businesses to expand beyond the United States where we've obviously been concentrating for a number of years. They will continue to be our best trading partner and ally, but we need to find ways to expand.
With one of these initiatives I had the pleasure, and I think the opportunity, to travel to Korea with the Prime Minister for the signing of the free trade agreement, opening the Asian market to about another 50 million potential customers. One of the things I heard from investors on the trip, and we've heard in the committee and from my constituents, is the protection of their investments. You alluded to the Foreign Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement that you recently signed with Benin, a record amount. One of the concerns of Canadian investors going into China, which is number two after the United States and continues to expand, is to ensure their investments are protected.
Can you share with the committee the importance of the Canada-China FIPA, and how that'll protect Canadian investors?