Vancouver benefits from influx of mainland Chinese migrants, says mayor

Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson says a flood of mainland Chinese immigrants, tourists and investors is creating new economic development opportunities in the Canadian port city, not driving up property prices, as some city residents have complained.

In Hong Kong yesterday to wrap up an eight-day China tour, Robertson said Vancouver's property market had been attracting international investors long before the current rush of mainland Chinese buyers.

"It is ridiculous to think that what's happening now is much different," he said. "I think the boom with mainland Chinese immigrants has been another great influx of talent and culture that benefits the city."

Nonetheless, Robertson acknowledged that the number of mainland Chinese had been growing rapidly in recent years and now accounted for 10 per cent of the city's 603,000 residents. The rise coincides with a decline in Hong Kong Chinese.

The number of mainland-Chinese-born immigrants living in greater Vancouver -- which includes the city and its satellite suburbs -- increased 88 per cent to 137,200 between 1996 and 2006. The number of Hong Kong immigrants fell 12 per cent to 75,800 during the same period.

"It took 125 years for the Cantonese population to become 25 per cent of Vancouver," Robertson said.