British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell kicked off a China trade mission in Beijing on Wednesday by promoting the capabilities of key players in B.C.'s clean technology sector.

The list of about 30 companies include engine supplier Westport Innovations and bottled water firm Natural Glacial Waters.

B.C. has many innovative technologies to boast about, Campbell told CTV News.

"We sometimes forget that British Columbia has about 80 per cent of all new research development fuel cell technologies," he said.

"That is a huge -- and could be a -- powerful engine as we move to the future," said Campbell.

China is B.C.'s second-largest trade partner.

The Premier's Asia trade mission began in South Korea earlier this week, and he will remain in Beijing until Saturday.

Companies which are making inroads in China includeVancouver-based Westport, a leading developer of technologies that allows vehicles to operate with clean-burning fuels.

Having already sold thousands of its clean engines to buyers in Beijing, Westport is positioning itself to take advantage of heavy air pollution caused by rapid industrialization in China.

Westport Asia President Nicholas Sonntag said he sometimes can't see more than 100 yards out his office window because of smog.

But he believes China is going through a shift in its attitude toward the environment.

"We had a fairly recent order of 250 additional buses," said Sonntag. "And I believe now there's about 3,200 buses operating on natural gas fuel in Beijing, using the Cummins Westport spark-ignited engines."

"Sustainability has become a major theme right up to highest levels of government." Sonntag said.

Vancouver Island's Natural Glacial Waters is enjoying some success in China.

The company is supplying bottled water to the new B.C. Canada Pavilion, which becomes the focus of Campbell's trade visit on Thursday, when he formally opens the facility.

"Natural Glacial Waters from Fanny Bay is also providing the water for the water cube, one of the (Beijing) Olympic venues, so it's quite a story," said Annette Antoniak, CEO of the B.C. Winter Olympics Secretariat.

With a report from CTV British Columbia's Mike Killeen in Beijing