Fitial, US governors off to China for second economic forum

Gov. Benigno R. Fitial leaves today for Beijing, China to join five other U.S. state and territorial governors for a second U.S.-China governors’ forum on economic development and job creation.

Fitial, in an interview Friday, said this forum is a follow-up to the one held in Utah in July during the U.S. National Governors Association meeting.

“The purpose of this forum is to bring the two countries together at the governor’s level,” he said, adding that he hopes China will invest in the CNMI in areas of tourism and farming.

He said the Chinese governors he met in July promised to visit the CNMI, and he also promised that he will visit China.

“So this will be an opportunity for me to again meet with the same governors that I met in July in Utah, to continue our discussion on economic cooperation,” he said.

The governor reiterated that U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano will continue to exercise her parole authority to allow Chinese and Russian tourists to enter the CNMI. Chinese and Russian tourists are emerging tourism markets for the Commonwealth.

The six-member delegation of state and territorial governors headed for China is led by Washington State’s Chris Gregoire, the immediate past chair of NGA.

Gregoire will be joined by Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal, North Carolina Gov. Bev Perdue, Guam Gov. Eddie Calvo, Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie, and the CNMI governor.

Press secretary Angel Demapan, who is accompanying Fitial to China, said the U.S.-China Governors Forum was established to strengthen a sub-national dialogue between the two countries and will be co-convened by NGA and the Chinese People’s Associations for Friendship with Foreign Countries.

The Forum serves as a platform to promote peer-to-peer discussions between U.S. governors and Chinese provincial leaders about topics of mutual interest and to explore opportunities in promoting practical cooperation between the two sides, the administration said.

“If we want to see job and economic growth in the Commonwealth, then we have to work closely with our international partners who have thriving economies. The Forum provides a tremendous opportunity to explore job creation opportunities and build greater economic ties abroad that seeks to benefit us all for the future,” Fitial said in a statement.

Fitial hopes the dialogues in Beijing will capture not only traditional business relationships, but also place an emphasis on air service, energy innovation, tourism and cultural exchanges.

U.S. Ambassador to China Gary Locke is expected to host a reception for the governors.

Earlier this year, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi signed a memorandum of understanding supporting the establishment of a U.S.-China Governors Forum.

The first Forum was held during the NGA Annual Meeting in Utah last July. NGA Corporate Fellows Coca-Cola Company, FMC and Walmart are helping to sponsor the delegation.

Fitial’s trip to Beijing today comes less than a week after returning from the Philippines. Prior to that, he was also in Shanghai. He also made official and personal trips to New Caledonia, Japan, Pohnpei, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and other states on the mainland including Washington, D.C., California, Utah and Alaska so far this year.