PPTV and Aupera ink collaboration

Shanghai-based peer-to-peer streaming video platform PPTV and Canadian technology innovator Aupera Technologies Inc on Sept 9 signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on a video cloud service.

Vancouver-based Aupera's specialty on optimizing video data storage, processing and analytic applications is expected to enable PPTV, a company wholly owned by Suning Media and Entertainment Group, to better serve its 400 million users, said Fu Gang, director of R&D for Suning Media and Entertainment and PPTV.

The cooperation is expected to significantly enhance video processing efficiency, reduce energy consumption by 90 percent, and more than halve operation costs.

The collaboration between PPTV and Aupera was made possible through the efforts of Vancouver mayor Gregor Robertson and his 15-company business delegation. Since Robertson became mayor of the city nine years ago, he has led four similar delegations to China, with three of them to Shanghai.

Robertson said that he and Shanghai mayor Ying Yong signed a letter of intent a day earlier to enhance economic collaboration between the two cities.

"Both of these cities are thriving with creative industries and have a focus on greener, smarter and low carbon industries," said Robertson.

Canada is the second-largest imports market for China and the bilateral trade between the two countries has exceeded 85 billion Canadian dollars ($70 billion), according to Xinhua News Agency.

Robertson added that business and investments from both sides also saw significant growth in the past few years.

"We have noticed a growing number of technological innovation-related interests between China and Canada, and such a trend may have a lot to do with China's strategies including Made in China 2025, which needs a lot of technology support globally," said Xu Jinke, senior partner at Dentons Shanghai, a multinational law firm.

According to Dentons' data, 29 percent of Chinese enterprises' foreign investment in 2016 went to North America, and the most favored industries were manufacturing (36 percent), financial industry (15 percent), information transmission, computer service, software industry, and comprehensive industries.

Robertson said he is aiming to significantly bolster ties between Vancouver and Chinese cities including Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou.

"We will not only promote business and investment in both directions, but also deepen cultural ties. More than one-third of the people in Vancouver are Chinese, and they have many generations of connections to China," said Robertson.

Robertson also said that he is hoping to emulate the late Henry Norman Bethune, one of the most honored foreigners in China, who played a key role in fostering relations between the two countries. Bethune is a cousin of Robertson's grandmother.

"He is an important figure in our family and I was inspired by him in my work," said Robertson.