Canadian companies are already making inroads into the huge market, and there's no better time for other firms - large and small - to get a piece of the pie, the annual Hong Kong-Canada Business Forum heard today.

Melco China Resorts, a division of the company that developed Whistler-Blackcomb ski resort, is working on five similar projects in China to serve the burgeoning young middle class, said Janet De Silva, CEO of Hong Kong-based Retail China Ltd.

Seacan Realty is busy creating shopping centres in 30 of China's leading Tier 2 cities anchored by major tenants such as Wal-Mart and Tesco, said De Silva, whose company works with international brands looking to get a foothold in the world's fastest growing economy.

The Chinese middle class, which will comprise 57 per cent of the population by 2025, is hungry for consumer products, and that's a terrific opportunity for Canadian companies, De Silva said.

But it takes preparation, patience and Chinese partners to make it work.

"You can't just jump in and try it, it's just too big."

De Silva said using the international finance centre of Hong Kong as a gateway to the mainland is a good start, a view echoed by John Zimmerman of the Canadian Consulate in the former British colony.

"Hong Kong companies mitigate the risk as you enter China, and you are wise to approach Hong Kong capital investment firms," Zimmerman said.

Top areas of opportunity in China for smaller Canadian firms include life sciences, medical devices, environmental services and information technology, Zimmerman said.

Although the Chinese government is trying to slow down the economy before it gets overheated, it's still on track for a 10-per-cent increase this year and 9.3 per cent next year, said Patricia Mohr, Scotiabank's economic vice-president.

It's the sixth straight year GDP has been above 10 per cent, and the slumping U.S economy means Canadians need to spend more money around the globe - especially in Hong Kong and China, Mohr said.

"Retail sales (in China) are still growing at 27 per cent a year, so there's a great market there for Canadian companies."

China is also consuming 34 per cent of the world's copper, zinc, nickel and aluminum - twice what the U.S. uses.

It's also increasingly importing coking coal for its growing steel industry, which is good news for Alberta's coal companies, Mohr said.

Although Canada's exports to China make up only two per cent of our total, they were up 16.5 per cent in the first quarter, she said.

Canada's top five exports to China are wood pulp, nickel, canola, copper concentrates and potash.

The one-day forum, spearheaded by the Edmonton section of the Hong Kong-Canada Business Association, drew about 300 delegates from across the country to the Shaw Conference Centre.

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