Honolulu Council: Chinese Visitors Could Save U.S. Economy
UPDATED 2:40 p.m.
Now is the time to talk about the negative impact of restrictive tourist visa rules.
With U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton speaking just a few miles away and Chinese President Hu Jintao having touched down in Honolulu earlier in the morning, APEC is in full swing. Two members of the Honolulu City Council tried to grab some attention for an international issue they say could be a boon to the local economy.
Stanley Chang and Tulsi Gabbard, in a press conference held in front of a handful of local media on the ground floor of Honolulu Hale Thursday, reiterated their request that the U.S. government ease its visa restrictions on Chinese tourists.
“This issue is critical to the future of our economy,” Chang said. “That’s why I’m taking the opportunity during the APEC summit to present a united front to our friends in Washington: We want to work with you to ease China and other countries’ visa restrictions.”
The press conference was held on the heels of passed by the Council last week urging the change.
Chang and Gabbard said allowing visitors to bypass the arduous visa restrictions they face in China — 120-day waiting periods, long lines, unexplained denials and unnecessary trips to interview offices — would increase the number of Chinese visitors “ten-fold.” Chinese tourists in Hawaii are said to spend more than those from any other country, and Chang said the new visitors under a relaxed visa program would pump $60 billion into the U.S. economy, creating 500,000 jobs.
Gabbard said that while she’s open to exploring relationships with other Pacific and Asian countries in town for APEC, the Council resolution was specific to China because there are existing direct opportunities that make exploring the potential of an expanded partnership appealing.
The two Council members were joined by Hawaii Rep. Tom Brower, who represents the tourist hub of Waikiki. He said he plans to introduce a similar resolution in the Hawaii House of Representatives in the next session, which starts in January.
Dennis Suo, sales and marketing manager for DFS Hawaii, a company that specializes in duty-free shopping, stood behind the lawmakers during the conference and posed for pictures afterward. He told Civil Beat that easing visa restrictions would be a boon to retailers who cater to Chinese visitors.
On Wednesday, U.S. Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Tom Donohue addressed a luncheon crowd here in Honolulu. He said while he recognizes the value of travel and tourism, he is cautious about granting visa waivers to China because he’s concerned about the threat to American intellectual property.
UPDATED At a briefing held Monday to discuss visas in both China and Brazil, Managing Director for Visa Services Ed Ramotowski told reporters that post-9/11 security and protecting America’s borders is the State Department’s primary focus.
“When it comes to visas though, our job is to protect America’s borders while putting out the welcome mat for visitors to stay in our hotels, to eat in our restaurants, buy American products, and enjoy all the wonders of our great country,” Ramotowski said in that briefing, according to a transcript provided to Civil Beat. “It’s important to note that security remains our top priority, and we see every visa decision as a national security decision. But we also recognize that international travel is important to the U.S. economy, to jobs and opportunity, and our vital national interests.”
Chuck Bennett, who runs the Department’s consular operations in China from the U.S. Embassy in Beijing, said the U.S. government processed more than one million visas for Chinese applicants during Fiscal Year 2011.
He said applicants are able to secure appointments in eight days or less, that the State Department plans to add 50 more staffers to its China offices over the next year, and that the goal is to expand the capacity to 2.2 million visas by 2013.
“We aren’t turning away qualified applicants. Once the security concerns are addressed, we don’t have any quota or limitation on the number of visas we can issue to Chinese applicants,” Bennett said, according to the transcript. “In fact, we issue visas to nearly 90 percent of all Chinese applicants who apply.”
Chang said he’s already requested a face-to-face meeting with Clinton, will be attending a reception hosted by President Barack Obama this week — and will pursue the Chinese visa issue at every opportunity.
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