Chinese businesses form own association

Chinese businesses in P.E.I. are forming their own association.

Lannia MacAleer chairs thesteering committee for the Island Chinese Business Association. She said business owners from China are looking for a way to help each other.

"We hear all the time from the Chinese business community that they want to have a business association so they can have somewhere to get together to exchange their experiences and talk about their barriers and challenges," said MacAleer. She is also a liaison between thelocal chamber of commerceand the P.E.I. Connectors Program, a networking program for the local immigrant business community.

The committee said it'salso encouraging the local Chinese business community to join the Greater Charlottetown Area Chamber of Commerce, but hopes to hold meetings of their own soon. So far the group has translated basic information for businesses into Chinese.