Calvo: Progress on China visa waiver

Gov. Eddie Calvo yesterday said his recent meetings in Washington, D.C., gave him the impression that Homeland Security and the Pentagon may be amenable to Guam's request for a visa waiver program for tourists from mainland China to Guam.

"My reading is there's much more positive responses" from representatives of the Navy, the Defense Department in general and U.S. Homeland Security, he said.

The governor said his meetings in Washington, D.C., last week resulted in "very substantial progress" in terms of some federal authorities' acceptance of Guam's more-than-a-decade-long quest to get approved for a visa waiver program for mainland Chinese tourists.

The FBI, in another meeting with Calvo and Homeland Security, did have some lingering concerns, said the governor, on the proposed visa waiver's impact to potential Guam intelligence-gathering by the Chinese government.

"We have to be realistic," said the governor, "there is intelligence-gathering in all nations in the world -- both friends and allies of the United States -- that is how the world works," the governor said.

The governor acknowledged that lingering concerns that the visa waiver program for Chinese tourists might still complicate national security concerns, but voiced optimism both Guam and the federal government might be able to reach a middle ground.

"It is obvious you have a rising nation such as China, the second-largest economy in the world, ... as with rising nations, ... there is an issue of intelligence," Calvo said. "We have to find ways to mitigate their concerns."

One way the government can improve its chances of getting approval, Calvo said, is to limit the visa waiver program and not leave it as wide open as it is now for other countries with visa waiver programs for travel to Guam.

"We have to find a common ground where there can be that balance," Calvo said.

There is another potential complication on Guam's visa waiver. As the national election campaigns heat up, federal decision-makers might not be inclined to make the visa waiver decision in the coming months.

"I am hopeful we can have progress -- if things happen before the election, that will be terrific," Calvo said.

At least two other previous Guam governors have tried convincing the federal government to grant a visa-waiver program for Chinese tourists.

Guam's tourism industry, which last year saw close to 1.16 million visitors last year, primarily from Japan, has been trying to capture more travelers from the exploding Chinese market.

About 70 million "Greater China" travelers made overseas trips last year, and this year, an increase of 13 million from 2010, reported the China Outbound Tourism Institute.

Guam's share of the China visitor market was 6,318 tourists between January and the earlier part of August this year, a 41.4 percent increase from the same period last year, preliminary Guam Visitors Bureau numbers show.

Source: http://www.guampdn.com/article/20120906/OPINION02/209060307/1002/NEWS01

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