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Honolulu-Hawaii Friday June 6th: Hong
Kong.China.Hawaii Chamber of Commerce (HKCHcc) and InvestHK Business Luncheon
featuring Simon Galpin, Associate Director-General, Invest Hong Kong, HKSAR
Government - “Hong Kong – Your Best Partner and Risk Manager in China” - Opening
Remarks by Johnson Choi, President of the HKCHcc
Good afternoon House Speaker Calvin Say; Governor George Ariyoshi and Mrs. Jean
Ariyoshi, Mark Anderson, Deputy Director of Hawaii DBEDT; Our Co-sponsors Jill
Takasaki Canfield, Executive Director of Pacific Asian and Affairs Council and
Vance Roley Dean and David Yang, Associate Dean of Shidler College of Business
at UH Manoa, Ladies and Gentlemen, Aloha.
Thank you for coming to our business luncheon allowing us to share with you why
“Hong Kong is Your Best Partner and Risk Manager in China” to be presented by
Mr. Simon Galpin, Associate Director-General of InvestHK, HKSAR Government after
lunch.
We have been working with the HKSAR Government through HKETO SF, InvestHK and
Others since 1996 helping a long list of Hawaiian Companies and in many cases
partnering with Companies in California, New York and London successfully
launching their products, services, media, technology and investment in Hong
Kong and/or through Hong Kong into China and throughout Southeast Asia.
Hawaii and Hong Kong have certain things in common:
1) Both have practically no natural resources, almost everything have to be
shipped in.
2) Hong Kong is smaller than the Island of Kauai, but 5Xs of the population of
the State of Hawaii; Like Hawaii, Hong Kong has transformed from
Manufacturing/Agriculture into Service & Technology based economy. HK has
emerged to become a key financial center in Asia.
3) Like Hawaii, Hong Kong receive healthy income from tourists, more than 26
million people visited Hong Kong in 2007 and growing.
4) It is a shopping haven as almost everything entered HK duty free like the
Hawaiian Host Chocolates, the Kona Coffee, the high end Koa furniture, the Big
Island Papaya and yes Wine made in Hawaii and around the world.
5) You can sell your products in China without entering China. There are more
than 15 million tourists from China visiting Hong Kong each year. It is an ideal
place to test your product appeal to the China market.
Couple of mark differences between Hong Kong and Hawaii is Hong Kong tax is
probably 1/10 of those in Hawaii when you add Federal, State and General Excise
Tax combined; and Hong Kong is very business friendly enjoyed by more than
100,000 Americans currently working and living in Hong Kong. The 133 miles 150
stations Mass Transit System and State of the Art Airport in Hong Kong is
probably the best in Asia cost more than US$50 billions and growing all built
without any tax increase.
One very important role Hong Kong.China.Hawaii Chamber of Commerce has been
playing as an organization is to promote understanding between the People of
United States and our Asian counter with special focus in Hong Kong and China.
To develop a business relationship, companies should have some basic
understanding of the Host culture, adequate preparation, advance information on
regulatory requirements and financial commitments. We are hoping to be here to
bridge the gap and provide you with useful hand on information helping you to
move forward to minimize the risk of business and political landmines.
Our offices in Honolulu, San Francisco, Hong Kong and Shanghai are able to
assist our members by providing them with local intelligence and logistic
supports through partnership such as InvestHK, United States Commercial
Services, American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong and Shanghai.
An institution, an organization, a Chamber of Commerce cannot function without
good and knowledgeable management team. They are the people that run the day to
day operation. I am fortunate and bless with the support from many of you in the
room as well as my Officers and Directors that make my daily challenging work
very rewarding.
We will break for lunch now. After lunch, I will introduce our speaker. Enjoy
it, thank you.
Honolulu Hawaii USA: May 16 2008 Keynote
Speech to 300 guests – Titled “I believe that Children are our
Future” Presented by Johnson Choi at the Dole Cannery HACTE “Hawaii’s
Future Fortune 500 Luncheon”
Mr. Soma, President of the Hawaii Association for Career and Technical
Education, Fellow UH TIM Alumni, honor guests, friends and students.
Leaders from the East and the West frequently saying “Children are our future”
and Singer Whitney Houston has a song start out saying "I believe that children
are our future". When I was at the white house meeting with President George
Bush a little over two (2) weeks ago, our President also talk about the future
of our Children and Small Business who is providing more than 75% of the new
jobs in the United States.
We must help our Children to understand and believe that they are the stake
holders and future for Hawaii. We as businessman, businesswoman, educator,
politician, union leader and voters must take a practical approach to provide
the necessary tools for our Children to excel to bring positive impact to the
State of Hawaii. A well educated work force is crucial on the ability of a City,
a State and a Country to compete and survive in the increasing competitive world
economy.
What is Hawaii’s future in the context of the boundaries of our State
surrounded by water?
I have witnessed the changes since I arrived in Hawaii in 1974, the Big-5s of
Hawaii, the Alexander and Baldwin, the Amfac, the Castle and Cooke, the C Brewer
and the Theo Davis. Today, Alexander and Baldwin is the only Hawaii Company
running the successful Matson Container ship with the protection of Jones Act
and developing valuable Hawaii Real Estates.
When I attended Kauai Community College and Leeward Community College, the
tuition per semester was only $25. When I transferred to University of Hawaii
School of Travel Industry Management, the tuition per semester was only $145.
The tuition fee charged by Chaminade University of Honolulu was $60 per credit
hour for my MBA degree in 1977.
When I attended the UH School of Travel Industry Management in the 70s lead by
Dean Emeritus Chuck Gee, in order to prepare us for future Hotel and Restaurant
Management position, we are required to attend food and beverage courses, Food
Lab, 800 hours of practical work experience as part of the degree requirement.
The School had given us the tools and the means for UH TIM graduates to compete
and win good paying jobs against Schools such as Cornell and University of
Denver. TIM Night which was the hallmark of UH TIM until 2005 had connected our
alumni in Hawaii, Asia, North America and Europe helped brought in 100s of
thousands to the School. Two years after it was discontinued, our survey still
show 89% of our alumni support TIM Night with the majority of the of the faculty
and staff felt the same way. The pride of the UH TIM School is the Sunset
Library, the computer lab and the Gee Technology Center that make us shine
funded by 100s of thousands of dollars donated by 100s of UH TIM Alumni and
donors around the world wanting to leave a permanent mark on UH Campus. Almost
1/3 of the donation has strong ties or came from alumni connected to major
financial centers in Asia such as Hong Kong, China, Taiwan and Japan.
I was the Vice President of a software company in Hawaii in the late 1990s.
During a visit to a software company located at the Silicon Valley who wrote the
computer code for the Intel Chips. The Company has 2,300 employees. The CEO and
Founder of the Company have told the investment bankers in the room that his
Company asset is the people. They go home every night. If his people do not
return, his Company will be gone tomorrow. Buildings and Hardwares could be
replaced easily, but not the people who work and loyal to him. Therefore for a
University, it is not the Dean, but the Professor, Staff and alumni that make a
School shine; for a State, it is the people and many of you in the room, our
Children who help chart the destiny of the State of Hawaii.
Today, Hawaii depend heavily on Federal money, they are the billions of military
funded projects, millions of military related research projects going to the
University and private sectors. Therefore if you are contractors, developers and
scientists attached to this federal money, you will continue to live a good
life, earning high income.
Despite the talk of 100s of thousand of tourist from Countries like China to
visit Hawaii in the coming years, today, Hawaii is ill prepare to receive
foreign tour groups, except Japan. Lack of new hotel developments limit our
ability to offer management position to graduates from our Universities. A fresh
graduate to begin his/her career is Asia could make management 3x faster putting
in the same time and efforts. The pay could be 200% higher when you take into
account of cost of living and favorable tax breaks offered by the Federal
Government.
You could also consider working for the Government. The challenge is your
ability to find jobs in the private sectors as most private sectors employers do
not like to hire former government employees.
What is Hawaii’s future in the context of our country, the United States
of America?
It will depend on how long we can keep the Federal money coming.
As an Island State, we have limited resources. Almost everything we use in our
daily life must be shipped in or flew in.
During the past 15 years, Hawaii has experience serious brain drain. Many of our
best educated children left Hawaii for greener pasture in the mainland USA. Some
have also moved to Asia. This is actually not unique to Hawaii. Let us use China
as an example, workers from the poor country side of interior China moved to
factories in Southern China for 3 – 5 times better pay. Another example is the
Philippines. Many gave up their professions as Nurses and even Doctors, moved to
Hong Kong to become maids for 3 – 6 times better pay.
Unless our graduates are getting better pay, we do not see the out migration to
stop anytime soon.
How can we pay our graduates more? When Hawaii rank as the top 5 most expensive
place to do business in the United States, it is rather difficult to attract new
business to come to Hawaii.
Couple of days ago, John Rutledge, an economist for President Ronald Reagan and
George Bush interviewed by the Honolulu Advertiser Newspaper has a house on Maui
wondered why Billions of dollars flying around the world not landed in Hawaii.
We have a growing list of wealthy individuals from around the world; many former
Hawaii residents now own properties in Hawaii. For the past 10 years, I must
have run into no less than 200 such wealthy individual. Each time, I have made
an effort to ask them one question when they made similar comments such as John
Rutledge. Their general comments are as follow:
1) My business in not in Hawaii, I come here to relax to enjoy the Sun, Sea and
Surf,
2) Yes, I was born and raised in Hawaii, but now I am in my late 50s or early
60s, I think I should leave it to my Children to get involved on the future of
Hawaii. My follow up question soon found out, for many of them, most of their
children do not live in Hawaii. Many felt the Hawaii business climate has not
improved since they left 10, 20 or 30 years ago.
Our challenge is how to attract those that come here for the Sun, Sea and Surf
to stay longer to smell the roses and share their expertise with us.
For those successful returning former Hawaii residents, what can we do to
encourage them to teach and share with us their formula of successes helping us
to connect with the mainland USA economy beyond the Federal funding?
What is the Hawaii’s future in the context of the World economy?
We had our opportunity in the 70s to have an open sky policy for Hawaii when
most airplanes must refuel in Hawaii. We had also an opportunity to ask for an
exemption to the Jones Act in the 70s, allowing better and competing non-USA
shipping companies to enter the Hawaii market. The challenges is for the policy
makers in Hawaii to understand and to convey the message to Washington DC to
help them understand that we are the only state that everything must be shipped
in/out of Hawaii by Air and Ship only. Hawaii has no natural resources. We need
to import almost everything from outside of Hawaii and cannot be treated same as
the other 49 States.
Hawaii has an excellent reputation in tourism and our natural beauty, rank top 5
worldwide. In terms of Hawaii as a business destination, we are nowhere to be
seen. Many corporations in North America and Asia do not want to hold
conferences in Hawaii as shareholders have difficult times believing that
serious meetings will be conducted in Hawaii. It is not unusual when we conduct
serious business in Asia; we are asked “Where is the hula girl”, took the focus
away from serious business discussions. Our business partners in New York and
San Francisco are able to zero in serious business discussion without
distractions.
We still see quotes from top Hawaii government officials saying that companies
should come to Hawaii since we are the gateway to the Pacific because we are in
the middle of the Pacific. It is only true geographically, no longer in business
sense as we lost our advantages more than 15 years ago.
I am still seeing promotional material advocating that Hawaii’s high percentage
of Asian population such as the Japanese, the Filipino, the Korea, the Chinese,
and the Vietnamese and so on qualify us for direct ties and understanding to the
countries I just mentioned. Since majority of our Chamber members and clients
are from Asia. We found out after the 2nd generation, most of the immigrant
families have no idea where their relatives are from their home country.
If the majority of the People live in Hawaii want a better life for our Children
and our Grand Children, private sectors businesses must take the lead. The
government and the power of government which can be addictive must step back
allowing the private sectors to take its place gradually. Government should
monitor, regulate and oversee without direct involvement of the day to day
business operation.
Let us use the Honolulu Mass Transit as an example, if the City will use the
Tokyo or Hong Kong business models, we do not have to pay the ½ % general excise
tax with millions of annual deficits by allowing the private sector to build the
entire system at no cost to the City in exchange for development rights at the
transit stations. Development on top of the transit stations could ensure
ridership. By using the Government business model, it has increase the cost for
all of us doing business in Honolulu. Future operational deficit may result in
increase of our Real Property tax.
Given the opportunity working with the 4 major Universities in Hawaii (not to
mentioned a number of ivory league college in Asia we work with frequently), we
found each of them offer different ways to put a degree or program together. If
you plan to get your college degree from one of the colleges in Hawaii, I will
suggest you to talk to the alumni in the field of your interest to find out what
they like or don’t like about the program they had attended. You should do one
more thing, share with the alumni the courses being offer now as it could
change, sometimes substantially from time to time. For example, if you want to
become a hotel manager and one day manage one of the 500 new hotels being built
in Asia each year. A school that only offer tourism or a course or two in
transportation may not be the right school you want to go to as it will ill
prepare you in the field of your interest.
Beside Hong Kong.China.Hawaii Chamber of Commerce, there are two (2)
organizations you may want to consider joining. They are the Tax Foundation
Hawaii and Small Business Hawaii. Tax Foundation Hawaii provide timely advise
for many challenging issues we are facing today as a State and Small Business
Hawaii like its name said represent the Small Businesses in Hawaii and many
issues they are facing daily.
I will also encourage our student to get involved in non-profit organization and
support your school. The School is only as good as its alumni. Many of the
alumni with the best idea may not live in Hawaii. They have so much to offer,
please do not treat them as second class citizen. I see people giving to
non-profit expecting pay back, helping non-profit and your school with no
expectation of pay back, avoid conflict of interest. You will find your life
more enriched and rewarding.
In time of natural disaster, reach out to those alumni that live there. Let us
use UH TIM School as an example, ¼ of our alumni now live and work in China,
Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan and Singapore. The good will you offer in time of need
like the horrify earthquake in China last week, for every dollar you spent, you
could get 100s or even 1,000s of times back to benefit your school and the State
of Hawaii in the future. Think long term, do not let politics to get into your
way, reach out with our Aloha spirit.
To our students, venture out to see the world, come back during the prime of
your life and help Hawaii to become an even better place to live, to work and
raising our children. Do not forget to give thanks to your Parents and teachers.
Many have to work very hard and gave personal sacrifices to send you to high
school and college.
I would like to share with you “The Paradoxical Commandments” written by Kent
Keith, a White House Fellow in the 60s. I have felt very warm about it. It has
shared many of my father’s life philosophy in our daily teaching and dealing
with people.
1. People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered, Love them anyway.
2. If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives. Do good
anyway.
3. If you are successful, you win false friends and true enemies. Succeed
anyway.
4. The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.
5. Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable. Be honest and frank anyway.
6. The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the
smallest men and women with the smallest minds. Think big anyway.
7. People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs. Fight for a few underdogs
anyway.
8. What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway.
9. People really need help but may attack you if you do help them. Help people
anyway.
10. Give the world the best you have and you will get kicked in the teeth. Give
the world the best you have anyway.
Last, but not least, I would like to thank my Wife, Carmen, allowing me to spend
no less than 20 hours per week on non-profit organizations such as the Hong
Kong.China.Hawaii Chamber of Commerce, T.I.M. International Inc – the alumni
association of the UH School of Travel Industry Management and others. Without
her support and continuous encouragement, I will probably not able to do what I
am doing.
Thank you.
Johnson Choi, MBA, RFC.
2008 SBA Minority Small Business Champion of the Year - National Winner
http://www.hkchcc.org/sba.htm
President
Hong Kong.China.Hawaii Chamber of Commerce
"Hawaii-China Guan Xi, We Get Things Done™"
Offices in Honolulu, San Francisco, Hong Kong and China
http://www.hkchcc.org
Vice Chair - Hawaii Pacific Export Council (HPEC)
April 23 2008: Honolulu man honored in D.C.
 Honolulu businessman Johnson
Choi was honored by the Small Business Administration as 2008 Minority Champion
during a ceremony today in the nation's capital. Choi was one of 10 small-business owners and
leaders of small-business support organizations nationwide recognized for their
support of entrepreneurs. The SBA Champion Awards were presented as part of the
annual observance of National Small Business Week.
Choi, president of the Hong Kong-China-Hawai'i Chamber of Commerce, works with
many Asian immigrants to start businesses, particularly in the area of
exporting. He won at the state and regional level before claiming the national
title.
"The SBA is proud to honor these men and women as true champions of small
business, whose tireless efforts have provided tangible and significant support
to small businesses and to their communities," said SBA Administrator Steve
Preston.
Video 1/3
Video 2/3
Video 3/3
CNN Shadow TV
Friday, September 28, 2007 at 2:00 P.M. (EST)
- Conference call with Secretary of Commerce Carlos M. Gutierrez update on
pending Free Trade Agreements with Peru, Colombia, Panama and South Korea
"Take your business to China & Asia Through
Hong Kong" view Johnson Choi presentation online
video#1/2
video#2/2
(courtesy of YouTube)
view
Microsoft Power Point presentation
"China India and Hong Kong - Opportunities and Challenges" view Tom Moore
presentation online
video#1/1 (courtesy of YouTube)
  
Thursday, September 13th, Santa Clara,
California: A BUSINESS PROGRAM TO WELCOME AN OFFICIAL 30-MEMBER STRONG
DELEGATION FROM HONG KONG AND FOSHAN (A MUNICIPALITY IN SOUTHERN CHINA) -
HONG KONG AND FOSHAN: YOUR WINNING
FORMULA IN CHINA
View Video #1/2
View Video #2/2 - Mike
Rowse, Director General, InvestHK, Hong Kong SAR Government
 Hawaii
Public Radio Station FM 89.3
Tuesday, September 4, 2007 - “Business Beyond the Reef” to discuss
the problems with imports from China, telling all sides of the story and then
expand the discussion to revitalizing Chinatown -
Special Guest: Johnson Choi, MBA, RFC. President - Hong Kong.China.Hawaii
Chamber of Commerce (HKCHcc) and Danny Au, Manager, Bo Wah Trading
Listen to MP3 June 7, 2007
 Managing an
Unbalanced but Unavoidable Relationship - Joseph Borich, President of
Washington State China Relations Council, Former Consul General to U. S.
Consulate in Shanghai, China
At a recent China Town Hall forum at the East-West Center, Joseph J. Borich,
executive director of the Washington State China Relations Council and former
U.S. Foreign Service Officer with long experience in China including a posting
as Consul-General in Shanghai from 1994 to 1997, addressed the opportunities and
challenges posed by China’s growing economic, political, and military power. The
China Town Hall forum was sponsored by the National Committee on U.S.-China
Relations, the Pacific and Asian Affairs Council, the East-West Center, and the
University of Hawaii Center for Chinese Studies.
The transformation of China over the past quarter-century is unprecedented in
human history. China’s economy today is ten times larger than it was in 1980 and
continues to grow by about 10 percent per year. It is likely to continue to grow
at about this rate until 2020 at least, by which point it will challenge the
U.S. for the title of the world’s largest economy.
For purposes of comparison, Latin America’s economy cumulatively has grown a
total of 10 percent in the past 25 years. India, the other big emerging market
sharing the spotlight of late with China, has grown by an average of 6 percent
per year and only over the past 15 years. China’s economy is now three times
larger than India’s and the gap is growing.
China’s spectacular growth has been fueled largely but not exclusively by
foreign trade and foreign direct investment. In 1978 China’s total trade was
about $20 billion and it was ranked thirtieth among trading nations.
In 2005, China’s total volume of trade exceeded $1.4 trillion and it is now the
third largest trading nation. By the end of this year China will export more
than the U.S. and at some point in the next two years China will move up a notch
past the U.S. and become the world’s second largest trading nation.
China’s growth has also been spurred by large inflows of foreign direct
investment, which now cumulatively totals about $650 billion. Over the past
several years, China has attracted more new foreign direct investment (FDI) than
any other nation.
Of late we have seen the emergence of the reverse flow of foreign investment as
China has stepped up its investment in other countries. Encouraged by new
Chinese government policies, Chinese companies have increased outbound
investment from about $550 million in the year 2000 to about $7 billion in 2005.
However, that figure reflects only investment approved by the central
government. It does not include investments approved by local governments or
those made by Chinese overseas subsidiaries. Estimates of China’s total
investment overseas from
all sources range from 50 percent to 300 percent more than the official figure.
Beijing has recently earmarked between $200-300 billion of its more than $1
trillion in foreign exchange reserves for outbound direct and portfolio
investment. This could benefit many companies in the U.S. and elsewhere as well
as have a measurable impact on global financial markets.
About half of China’s outbound investment thus far has been targeted at
petroleum, minerals and metals. The other half, though, has gone toward buying
brands, technology and engineering skills as well as access to markets. The most
publicized example of an investment aimed at acquiring a brand, technology and
market access was Lenovo’s purchase of IBM’s PC business a couple of years ago.
For all of that, though, China’s emergence as one of the world’s leading
economic powers has not been trouble-free. After accession to the World Trade
Organization (WTO) in 2001 China quickly became a key link in the global supply
chain. The trend of shifting manufacturing from elsewhere in Asia, Europe and
the U.S. to China has accelerated rapidly since 2001.
One important consequence of this was that China’s trade surplus with the United
States has reached record levels. From 2002 onward, the U.S. trade deficit with
China each year has been higher than any bilateral trade deficit we’ve ever
posted, and, in fact, is reaching the level of our global trade deficit just a
few years ago. Last year the deficit with China exceeded $232 billion.
Although the U.S. global trade deficit (nearing $900 billion) is very troubling,
Washington’s bilateral trade deficit with Beijing is not particularly important
economically for reasons I will explore shortly.
Politically, however, the trade deficit with China is a different story. Since
early 2005, China has come under increasing congressional and media criticism
for its skyrocketing trade surplus with the U.S., intentional undervaluation of
its currency as a means of subsidizing its exports, disruptions of the U.S.
market, failure to provide adequate measures to protect U.S. intellectual
property and to quash rampant piracy of intellectual property, along with
assorted complaints about the pace and direction of China’s implementation of
its WTO
commitments.
Over the past two years there have been over 20 bills on China proposed in the
U.S. Congress calling for actions against China that range from the symbolic to
those that are harsh enough to seriously disrupt the relationship.
As the new Congress, now controlled by the Democratic Party, has settled in, the
Congressional spotlight is beginning to shine even more harshly on China and the
Bush administration, on trade issues in particular. Some of the criticism being
handed out is well deserved and some form of Congressional action will no doubt
happen.
Already the Bush administration has filed several WTO complaints alleging China
has failed to keep its WTO commitments to protect intellectual property. Another
U.S. complaint to the WTO charges that the Chinese government is using subsidies
to boost Chinese exports.
In another tactic, in April the U.S. Commerce Department found that Chinese
government subsidies had given an unfair advantage to Chinese made coated paper
in the U.S. market and began charging countervailing duties against the product.
This is the first time that the U.S. has ever levied countervailing duties
against a non-market economy.
These actions followed growing Congressional pressure on the administration to
address the trade deficit with China. However, these measures may be too little,
too late.
Recently congressional leaders of both parties and in both houses have said they
will introduce legislation to slap import duties on Chinese products to offset
alleged export subsidies. Another bill, drafted by Senators Charles Schumer and
Lindsey Graham, would impose a 27.5 percent tariff on all imports from China if
China did not significantly revalue its currency.
Another measure put forth would terminate Permanent Normal Trade Relations
status for China and subject bilateral trade to an annual Congressional review.
And these are but some examples of legislation that could be passed by Congress
this year.
The problem is that the issues here are complex and broad and will not be
“fixed” to the advantage of our overall national interests by shortsighted and
narrowly focused legislation. The measures cited above reflect more the degree
of Congressional frustration and anger and less a rational approach to
addressing imbalances and inequities in our trade relationship with China.
Late last month, the second round of the Strategic Economic Dialogue met in
Washington, DC co-chaired by Treasury Secretary Hank Paulson and China’s Vice
Premier Wu Yi. These semiannual high level talks were agreed to by Presidents
Bush and Hu Jintao when they met over a year ago. The first round was held in
Beijing last December.
The Strategic Economic Dialogue was originally intended by the leaders of both
countries to focus on medium to long term goals and to help anticipate and
better manage issues that would inevitably arise. In particular the dialogue was
designed to focus on areas such as reform of the financial sector, cooperation
in energy and the environment and innovation.
Such is the state of tension right now in U.S.-China economic relations that the
original intent of the dialogue was cast aside because of pressure to deal with
more immediate issues, in particular, those that are especially contentious from
the U.S.’ perspective: revaluation of the Chinese currency; protection of
intellectual property; and full implementation of China’s WTO commitments,
particularly but not only in the area of financial services, among others.
On the question of better protection of intellectual property rights (IPR) there
was only a vaguely worded agreement to create a program for greater exchanges
between the two countries’ customs authorities to strengthen IPR enforcement.
There were no announcements regarding China’s exchange rate policy, although
China broadened the band for the Renminbi daily exchange rate on the eve of the
meeting from 0.3 to 0.5 percent, which led to a record high close of 7.65
Renminbi to the Dollar during the meetings.
This marked a cumulative appreciation of 8 percent since the summer of 2005 and
would yield an appreciation of about 12 percent by year end if the wider band is
maintained.
The results of the recent Security Economic Dialogue were thus were modest
indeed and are unlikely to deflect Congressional action, which may happen as
early as June.
Are we sliding toward a trade war with China? If we are, we should weigh the
likely consequences carefully.
Unilateral action against China as the result of ill considered legislation (or
pre-emptive administration actions to thwart such legislation) invites
comparable retaliatory actions by China and also risks WTO-imposed penalties.
There is much at stake here for American businesses, workers and farmers.
China is now the fourth largest export market for the U.S. and U.S. exports to
China have been growing at a much faster rate over the past two years than our
imports from China. The volume of U.S. sales to China in 2005 was nine times
that of 1990.
Also, U.S. exports to China have been growing at a much faster rate than with
any of our other major trading partners.
For example, exports to our second-largest export market – Mexico – are only
about quadruple what they were in 1990. Sales to Japan have increased only about
15 percent since 1990.
On the import side, our burgeoning trade deficit with China is not particularly
noteworthy from an economic perspective.
Trade displacement, especially in Asia, has driven down our trade deficits with
other Asian countries by almost the same amount as our bilateral deficit with
China has grown. This is simply because Asian countries have shifted export
production from their home markets to China.
Taiwan, for example, used to be the leader in laptop production, but is no
longer making any laptops in Taiwan. All of Taiwan’s laptop factories have moved
to the Mainland.
In fact, about 60 percent of China’s exports are produced or assembled in
foreign invested enterprises there. The actual added value of Chinese inputs is
only 25-30 percent of the total value of China’s exports.
Thus, an increase in U.S. tariffs on imports from China, as is being considered
in various forms by Congress, would penalize foreign (including American)
invested enterprises in China far more than Chinese domestic enterprises.
Another group that would be penalized by increased tariffs on imports from China
would be U.S. consumers, especially those on tight budgets who depend on finding
in places like Wal-Mart a steady stream of good value, low cost items supplied
mainly from China. Higher import duties simply constitute a consumption
tax on Americans since the duties are for the most part passed on through the
wholesale/retail chain and translate as higher shelf prices.
Finally, the growing list of American companies who export to China will be
hurt, too, because China will almost certainly retaliate in kind against any
measures adopted by the U.S. to constrain imports from China.
The point here is that a trade war helps no one.
What, then, to do?
On April 2, Senator Max Baucus, Democrat from Montana and chairman of the
powerful U.S. Senate Finance Committee, visited Seattle and gave an important
foreign policy address on U.S.-China economic relations. The event was hosted by
the Washington State China Relations Council.
As Chairman of the Finance Committee – which has jurisdiction over international
trade – Baucus will have enormous influence on U.S.-China relations.
Although delivered in trade friendly Seattle, Baucus’ speech was directed to
Beijing and to Washington, DC. He began by saying: “We must send a message of
what China can do. We must send a message of what America can do. We must send a
message of what our two countries can do together. We must begin a dialogue of
the possible.”
Baucus believes we must challenge our myths and engage in a dialogue of the
possible with China because, “An increasing number of American workers,
manufacturers and Members of Congress view China as the cause of stagnating
wages and economic distress.”
“In America, we risk creating a generation filled with resentment and suspicion.
We risk creating a generation convinced that China is a greater threat than it
is an opportunity. We risk creating a generation that blames China for job
losses, factory closings and other hardships.”
And, at the same time, “…more and more Chinese harbor suspicions about whether
American really wants China to succeed.”
In this climate, according to Baucus, we must send China a message that is
“carefully calibrated,” one that is firm but fair. He said, “If we solve our
problems with China, we can solve them elsewhere. If we unlock the potential of
the China market, we can unlock the potential of other markets.
If we can learn to cooperate with China, we can build stronger partnerships
around the world. Yet if we fail with China, we will likely fail elsewhere.”
In his speech Baucus called on China to bring more flexibility to its currency
exchange rate, liberalize its markets by fully meeting its WTO commitments,
protect intellectual property and actually move beyond WTO to define new levels
of openness and liberalization.
However, Baucus also called on the U.S. to pull its share of the load,
especially by spending more on export promotion and getting Americans to save
more of their incomes and spend less. For after all, China is only exporting
what Americans choose to buy and in the quantities Americans are demanding.
Further, he called on the two countries to work more closely together in areas
where we clearly have shared national interests, for example, in energy.
Unlike other proposed policies and legislative action plans gathering momentum
in Congress, Baucus’ plan offers very important trade-offs that could help both
countries (and the world) find not only an economic, but political, equilibrium.
His proposals deserve careful study, and many elements of his proposed course of
action hopefully will garner strong support in both Beijing and Washington, DC.
Absent a carefully calibrated and mutually acceptable plan for addressing the
inequities in our bilateral trade relationship such as proposed by Baucus, we
will likely be left with ill-considered policy changes or legislation by the end
of this year that could seriously disrupt bilateral relations and trade.
This would certainly have dire consequences for Washington State, which is the
most trade dependent state in the U.S. and whose largest export market is China.
But, a trade war would hurt Hawaii, too.
Hawaii is a global center for tourism, for example, and could play a pivotal
role in the further development of China’s tourism industry and also be a magnet
for increasingly wealthy Chinese globetrotters who already number in the tens of
millions.
By 2020, China will be the world’s most popular tourist destination with
projections of 180 million visitors per year. With its rich experience in the
tourism industry, Hawaii is uniquely positioned to benefit from China’s pressing
need to upgrade its tourism infrastructure.
Another pressing need for China that Hawaii can help meet is education and
training. Hawaii offers a wide range of professional, vocational and executive
training programs, exactly the huge gap that China desperately needs to fill.
Hawaii is a world leader in sustainable tourism development; international
business; teaching; health care and medical technology; government; science and
technology; and agriculture and aquaculture. Beyond expertise, Hawaii offers a
multicultural environment and a safe and healthy place to study.
Hawaii can certainly build upon its comparative advantages including the
historic and cultural ties to China to forge a deep and broad economic
relationship with China that will be mutually beneficial. But, this can only
happen if the two countries manage this relationship wisely.
However you slice it and whether we like it or not, the relationship between the
U.S. and China is the most important for both countries and the rest of the
world and will remain so for the balance of this century, at least. How both
sides manage that relationship will have a lot to say about whether the 21st
Century is recorded by future historians as one of peace and prosperity, or one
of
conflict and suffering.
###
Joseph Borich can be reached at the Washington State China Relations Council at
+(206) 441-4419 or via email at
mailto:borich@wscrc.org
June 8, 2006
Hawaii Act 88 -
Refundable Production (Movie, Film and Television) Tax Credit to become
effective on July 1, 2006
Click on the pictures below to view live video
Broken Trust
Hawaii - By Federal Judge Samuel King and UH Law Professor Randy Roth
Click on the pictures below to view live video
May 22-24, 2006
Click on the
pictures below to view live video
Pamela Young Interview Johnson Choi
of CMC Consulting Group Inc and Hong Kong.China.Hawaii Chamber of Commerce on
business and tourism training opportunities
Pamela Young Interview Yen Chun of
CMC Consulting Group Inc on business and tourism training opportunities
http://www.thehawaiichannel.com/news/index.html
 Mixplate - By Pamela Young - Special
Segment on China
Monday - May 22nd; Tuesday - May 23rd and Wednesday - May 24, 2006 5:00pm
(rebroadcast on the following mornings 5-7am)
Stories focus on building of business connections between Hawaii and China,
especially in Guangdong Province; Olympics preparations; cultural connections to
promote tourism and Sister Village relationship between Polynesian Culture
Center and Yunnan Nationalities Village.
Special footage from China with Special
Guests interview such as Ms. Yen Chun of CMC Consulting Group Inc and Sun Yat-Sin
Hawaii Foundation and Johnson Choi of the Hong Kong.China.Hawaii Chamber of
Commerce.
May 16, 2006
Lessons Learned from a Serial CEO - A
Discussion with John Dean, Former CEO of the Silicon Valley Bank (Corporate
Governance, Integrity of CEOs, How to sort out staffs with honest opinions to
CEOs, Employees as stakeholders and more) at the Cleghorn President's Room of
the Pacific Club Sponsored by the Chaminade University of Honolulu
Click on the picture to view video/picture (3 videos)
April 22, 2006
Presented to Chinese Students and Scholars
Association at University of Hawaii at the Jefferson Hall of the East West
Center - "Hawaii Inc and You, My Choice - My Future"
When we speak to students,
graduates and even our employees on career choice, we found the word “career”
meant different things to different people.
For those entering college, those
already in college and those that are graduating, the word “career” has
different meaning and urgency.
It is obvious through proper counseling; student entering college has more
choices than those receiving their degrees. In some occasion, we heard student
got quite upset for studying the wrong field for a wide variety of reasons. I am
hoping none of you found yourself in the wrong field when you are about to get
your Master or Ph.D. degrees
I am aware that we have a number of foreign students here. Some may stay in the
United States, others may go back home, in any events, most probably want to
find out where the jobs are related to your field of study.
Two weeks ago I have listened to Dr. David Heenan, former dean of UH CBA,
current trustee for the Campbell Estates and have written more than 5 books. His
most recent book titled flight capital talk about both industries and human
capital that are leaving the United States at an alarming rate. In the area of
life science, United States is losing out to places like Singapore, India, Hong
Kong, China and Ireland. In terms of industries, everyone probably is thinking
about China because if you go to China today, you are seeing major technology
and science parks run by Chinese who attended school in USA or Europe couple of
decades ago got their Ph.D. and worked for major companies like Merck, Johnson &
Johnson, Bristol Meyers, Microsoft and so on and so forth are returning home to
become project managers.
Is China the only place attracting the best and the smartest in the United
States? The answer is a resounding no. The following is only one of the many
examples. Across the the Atlantic Ocean, a small country call Ireland has become
the choice for many big and small businesses and wealthy individuals. Dr. Heenan
got invited to a party in New York attended by more than 100 people representing
the best in science, technology and business. They have one thing in common. All
of them had left Ireland decades ago. The organizer told everyone in the room,
Ireland wants you. When they left Ireland, it was a sleepy unsophisticated place
and economy was in chaos. Today Ireland business is booming and a desirable
place for Technology and Science. Most recently a major drug company was
considering building a new factory. The first choice was USA, but when they
found out it only takes weeks for regulatory approval in Ireland compared to
years in the United States. The choice for the Company was simple. They build
the new plant in Ireland providing 1,000s of new job for the local economy.
The above clearly illustrate how the world has become so much smaller. With the
right attitude and training, you have the choice to dictate your future and
career.
What about Hawaii?
For technology related jobs, we rank 47 out of 50. There is nothing for anyone
in the technology field to cheer about.
There are basically three (3) types of jobs available to Hawaii:
1) Military related job when United States is trying to beef up Hawaii’s
military infrastructure spending billions each year in the areas of
construction, hardware and software.
2) Tourism related job
3) Government job (Federal, State, City and County)
Military related job is probably the only well paid job that you can afford to
raise a family in Hawaii.
Tourism related job tends to be lower paying job.
Working for the government at the young age, you will probably limit your future
career opportunities as few private sector employers want to hire former
government employees.
For many of you in this room, you may and you should look beyond Hawaii
especially if you are bilingual, single or married without Children.
To improve the carrier opportunities for you, your children and the future of
Hawaii, we must reconnect Hawaii with Asia. It has presented a tremendous
challenge. Why do I say that? Since after the Asian financial crisis in 1997/98,
practically all Hawaiian companies terminated their Asian operations. For
multinational companies doing business in Hawaii, Hawaii is part of their North
American operation and not Asia. After 911, with billions of Federal $ pouring
in to build up the Hawaii military bases, 1,000s of rooms going into time
sharing, many American afraid to travel abroad providing a big boost to our
tourist industry, the continuation of selling off our luxury home and land to
wealthy individuals around the world does create a boom to Hawaii economy, but
for how long? It still does not change the fact that most of our brightest and
smartest kids continue to leave Hawaii!
It is the first time since I came to Hawaii 33 years ago that Hawaii is so
internally focus, Some of the west coast cities like SF, LA, San Diego and
Seattle have become the driving force in Asian trade and businesses. As a
percentage of Asian to their General population, they are small compare to
Hawaii. But as a per capita of Asian American understanding of Asian business
and culture, they are far ahead of us in almost every aspect of it.
Spend a little time to talk to people in your field, discount most of the rosy
information you found in the newspaper about Hawaii and Asia as most are
unsubstantiated. Talk to Americans that work outside Hawaii, they could provide
you with much more accurate information if it comes from a reliable non
governmental referral. In many cases, the first job could determine your future
career. Take your time as it should be your choice and your future and not
mine’s. Thank you.
April 26, 2006
Governor Linda Lingle Announces Hawaii's
Partnership Agreement with Export-Import Bank to Grow Hawaii Export; in
Partnership with Hawaii Small Business Administration, U. S. Dept of Commerce
Honolulu, Hawaii Pacific District Export Council and DBEDT Recognized Four
Hawaii Small Businesses for Their Export Success: FAT Law's Farm Inc, Noh Foods,
Simple Green and Hawaii Pacific University.
Exim Bank
President Video Presentation
Governor
Linda Lingle Presentation
April 13, 2006
Presented to more than 130 business
executives at the Metropolitan Rotary Club of Honolulu
Hawaii Inc 2006
I came from Hong Kong in
1973 attended University of Hawaii School of Travel Industry Management with a
Major in Hotel & Restaurant management graduated with a BBA in 1977, went on to
Chaminade University of Honolulu to obtain my MBA in 1978.
I am currently working
on multiple projects focusing on Asian businesses. On the non-profit side, I am
the President of the Hong Kong.China.Hawaii Chamber of Commerce for the past 5
years. I am also the Executive VP and CFO for both CMC Consulting Group Inc and
Makai Motion Pictures with offices in Honolulu, SF, HK and Shanghai. Our focus
is Hong Kong and China.
I would like to share
some information about HK with you. Hong Kong is smaller than Kauai, around 400
square miles with a population of 7 million. Per capital income is US$25,000,
second to Japan in Asia, home to the newest Walt Disney Theme Park. The
Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) established in 1972 with broad
prosecution power kept Hong Kong a clean city to do business. Around 100,000
Americans are currently working and living in Hong Kong. About 100 Billion or
40% of direct investments into China is from or through Hong Kong. 23 million
visitors to Hong Kong in 2005, 12 millions are from Mainland China. Increasingly
more Companies from China are taking their Company public in the Hong Kong stock
exchange. The upcoming Bank of China 6 billion IPO will be in Hong Kong. 2
wealthy individuals in Hong Kong have each committed to pick up 1 billion worth
of share each.
Hong Kong has one of the
best Mass Transit, train and bus systems in the World, all funded by private
sector $ and profitable, made US$1.1 billion in 2005. It will spend another US$3
billion to purchase the HK Government owned Kowloon-Canton Railway. The Hong
Kong Convention center is about 6x the size of Hawaii, funded entirely by
private sector $ and very profitable. It is quite different from how we operate
in Hawaii.
Our challenge is to
reconnect Hawaii to Asia. Why do I say that? Since after the Asian financial
crisis in 1997/98, practically all Hawaiian companies terminated their Asian
operations. For multinational companies doing business in Hawaii, Hawaii is part
of their North American operation and not Asia. After 911, with billions of
Federal $ pouring in to build up the Hawaii military bases, 1,000s of rooms
going into time sharing, many American afraid to travel abroad providing a big
boost to our tourist industry, the continuation of selling off our luxury home
and land to wealthy individuals around the world does create a boom to Hawaii
economy, but for how long? It still does not change the fact that most of our
brightest and smartest kids continue to leave Hawaii!
It is the first time
since I came to Hawaii 33 years ago that Hawaii is so internally focus, Some of
the west coast cities like SF, LA, San Diego and Seattle have become the driving
force in Asian trade and businesses. As a percentage of Asian to their General
population, they are small compare to Hawaii. But as a per capita of Asian
American understanding of Asian business and culture, they are far ahead of us
in almost every aspect of it.
If it is up to the
business or the government to decide Hawaii’s destiny, I will much prefer the
business leaders and executives in this room to take the lead! The choice is in
our hands. My son who will be graduating next month called me from Oregon a few
months ago, “Daddy, I want to come back to Hawaii, but I cannot, my offer in LA
is 2x of that in Hawaii and I have an opportunity to work in Asia for even
higher pay”? I told my son, does it best for your future and I miss you!
April 3, 2006
China Vice Premier Wu Yi lead a business
delegation of over 100 members representing the Major Agriculture Sectors,
Aerospace, Automobile, Electronics, Petroleum, Petro-chemical and Heavy Machinery, stopped by Hawaii for 2
days to meet with Hawaii Business Leaders and Government Representatives. A
Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation was signed between Hawaii Governor
Linda Lingle and Chairman Shao Qiwei of the China National Tourism
Administration at a reception hosted by Governor Lingle at the Washington Place.
view short video/picture clips
March 9, 2006
"Hong Kong and Hawaii : Countable Islands,
Unlimited Opportunities"
 Miss Jacqueline Ann Willis, JP
- Hong Kong Commissioner for Economic and Trade Affairs
Click
here to download Microsoft Power Point Presentation in "read only" file format
PDF
Format
Opening remarks by
Johnson Choi, President of the Hong Kong.China.Hawaii Chamber of Commerce
(HKCHcc) to more
than 160 business executives at the luncheon presentation by Jacqueline Ann
Willis JP, Hong Kong Commissioner for Economic and Trade Affairs USA at the
Mauna Kea Ballroom of the Hawaii Prince Hotel
Good afternoon Vice-Consul General of Japan,
Honorable Koji Otsuka; Deputy Consul General of the Republic of Korea Honolulu,
Honorable Dong Yong Kim; Governor George Ariyoshi, Bob Lees, President of the
Pacific Basin Economic Council; Ray Jefferson, former deputy director of Hawaii
DBEDT now with the Consulting Firm of McKinsey based in Singapore, ladies and
gentlemen:
I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge our collaboration business
partners who collectively make this event possible:
Representing HKSAR Government is Jacqueline Ann Willis, Commissioner for
Economic and Trade Affairs USA; Ms Willis will be formally introduced later.
Representing the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in SF are Ms. Doris Cheung,
Director and Betty Ho, Deputy Director.
Our Business Collaboration Partners are…
Mike Fitzgerald, President and CEO of Enterprise Honolulu
Lisa Maruyama, Executive Director of Pacific and Asian Affairs Council
Wendy Abe, President of Honolulu Japanese Chamber of Commerce
We have some distinguished elected government officials here today:
Hawaii State Senator Gordon Trimble
Representing the Major’s Office – Danny Auyoung
Representing Councilman Charles Djou – Willes Lee
Representing House of Representative Corrine Ching – Bev Ho
You represent an important branch of our State and City government that can help
guide the State of Hawaii to deal with positive trade issues benefiting us both
short and long term.
Our Directors and Founding Directors are…..
Chuck Gee, Dean Emeritus of the University of Hawaii, School of Travel Industry
Management, Dean Gee has served on tourism advisory committee of 3 United States
Presidents and advisors to public and private sectors organizations on the local
and national level in Asia, countries like China, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong
and the Middle East
Ken Hiyashida, President of Kai Hawaii Inc, a full service structural
engineering firm providing project management, structural design, forensic
evaluation, special inspection, and construction management services.
Yen Chun who has spent more than ¼ century on China consultancy is the VP and
COO of CMC Consulting Group with offices in Hawaii, Hong Kong and Shanghai China, also
served as the Director & Vice President of Dr. Sun Yat-sen Hawaii Foundation,
Director of Soong Ching Ling Foundation both in Beijing & Shanghai.
Garhart Walch is the President of Belizea Corporation, a multi-million real
estates holding and development company in Belize.
Other Directors not here today are Manny Menendez who was the Director of
Economic Development for the City and County of Honolulu and Brenda Foster,
President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai – the largest in Asia.
When I arrived in Hawaii in 1974, most businesses were operated by Hawaii based
companies. Hawaii had diversified industry in Sugar, Pineapple, Macadamia Nuts,
Kona coffee, Travel Related Industries, Military and Government Services. From
late 1980s until around year 2000, Major Hawaii banks like Bank of Hawaii,
Central Pacific Bank and City Banks had banking operations throughout Asia. For
a period of almost 10 years, State of Hawaii had an economic development office
in Hong Kong until mid 1990s. Hawaiian Electric had operations in Philippines
and China. Aloha Airlines had direct flight to Taipei, Taiwan. Hawaii private
sectors had an opportunity to take the business lead to Asia. But the 1998 Asian
financial crisis had changed the business landscape. By early 2000, almost all
Hawaiian companies sold off or abandon their Asian operations.
Today, almost all Hawaiian businesses are control by mainland multi-national
companies as part of their United States operation. Asia in general is handled
by their Asian division headquarters in Hong Kong, Japan and Singapore with
branch operations in Guangzhou, Shanghai and Beijing. This form of corporate set
up has excluded Hawaii from their overall Asian corporate strategic plan.
Today, our once diversified economic engine is in the hand of 3 public and
private sectors employers, Travel related businesses, Military Operations and
Government (Federal, State and City). If you sit back and analysis the
situation, you will see Hawaii economic engine is internally focus.
Hong Kong.China.Hawaii Chamber of Commerce was formed 5 years ago after
discussion with the Hong Kong Government representative immediately followed
then Secretary of Hong Kong, Miss Anson Chan visit to Hawaii on the frustration
to identify an organization, that is 100% focus on business with the desire,
vision and courage to by-pass red tapes and political obstacles to promote
bilateral trade between Hawaii, mainland USA, Hong Kong and China. The
conclusion was to start fresh to find a small cluster of knowledgeable
executives to carry out the dreams and mission. Hong Kong.China.Hawaii Chamber
of Commerce was born, with hard work; we have developed the reputation of
“Getting Things Done with Tangible and Measurable Results with no government
subsidies.
Please go to our website for complete information and listing.
For a small State like Hawaii, Hong Kong is both an ideal partner and an ideal
test market for Hawaiian Companies to enter the China market? Why do I say that?
Hong Kong has 7 million consumers, 5 times the population of Hawaii with an
average income of US$23,000. 23 million visitors, 3 times the number of visitors
to Hawaii visited HK in 2005! Will you feel more comfortable to work with a
partner that speak your language, subscribe to very similar legal system (the
British Common Law) and with China experiences for more than 30 years? Your
partner in Hong Kong has made all the mistakes, learn from the mistakes, know
the market and is now very successful. So successful that more than 40% of the
direct investment into China is from or through Hong Kong. Many Hawaii Companies
took multiple trips to China to seek out new projects, in the end; they found
out the projects are funded by money from Hong Kong. Why take the long route?
Why not follow the money, right in Hong Kong!
On March 5th, Sunday, China Premier Wen Jiabao said Hong Kong will maintain its
position as China's international center of finance and trade after Beijing
referred to the city's development in its five- year plan for the first time in
53 years. Beijing will support Hong Kong's efforts in developing finance,
shipping, trade and tourism, while cooperating with it on infrastructure,
resources and environmental protection.
"We will fully support the chief executives in Hong Kong and Macau to implement
their policies," China Premier Wen Jiabao said.
Chief Executive Donald Tsang said the mention of Hong Kong in a five-year plan
for the first time is encouraging. "We will try to develop Hong Kong's
international financial and RMB services, deepen the Closer Economic Partnership
Arrangement, and expand the individual travel scheme. Hong Kong tops the
rankings of investors in China. In January 2006, it invested nearly US$1.3
billion there, according to latest Ministry of Commerce statistics. More
mainland companies came to Hong Kong to raise funds in the stock market since a
ban on domestic share sales came into effect last May. Thirty seven mainland
companies listed in Hong Kong last year - over half the number of new listings.
Hong Kong is also trying to be the offshore RMB center for deposits and loans.
Relationship or “Guanxi” is an important part of Asian Culture. The Guanxi may
help you open doors, but no longer a guarantee to cement a business relationship
on “Guanxi” alone. Meeting with Government Officials, Photo Opps and Memorandum
of Understanding for news media consumption give you absolutely no assurance on
business relationship. I am quoting Mr. Siva Yam, President of the US-China
Chamber of Commerce who so well put it, “Public and private sector consultants
say they can help you build relationships in China, but the reality is if you
walk into China with $100 million in cash, you’ll have the relationship
overnight”.
How many of us have $100 million of small change to create that overnight
relationship? It is how Hong Kong.China.Hawaii Chamber of Commerce, our partners
in this room, Hong Kong Trade Development Council, HKETO in SF, United States
Department of Commerce and American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, Guangzhou,
Shanghai and Beijing are important ingredients of your China strategy to
increase your potential for successes without requiring you to spend 10s of
thousands of dollar, and in most cases going around circles resulting in
disappointments and frustrations!
One very important role our Chamber of Commerce has been playing as an
organization is to promote understanding between the People of United States and
our Asian counter parts in Hong Kong and China. When LESS than 25% of our
Citizen carry a valid United States Passport, including our elected Officials,
one should not be difficult to understand why few Americans know and understand
what Asia is all about. Their information from Asia often comes from News Media
when bad news increased viewer ship and rating and sell more newspaper and that
is not necessary the correct image of Asia, Hong Kong and China.
Hawaii has high concentration of Asian Americans often promoted by policy makers
as the reason why Hawaii is an expert in Asian affairs and businesses. When look
more closely, one soon discover that few Asian American stayed connected or
remain in contact with their home country after 1st or 2nd generation. To
develop a business relationship, companies should have some basic understanding
of the Host culture, adequate preparation, advance information on regulatory
requirements and financial commitments. We are hoping to be here to bridge the
gap and provide you with useful hand on information helping you to move forward
one step at a time.
An institution, an organization, a Chamber of Commerce cannot function without
good and knowledgeable management team. They are the people that run the day to
day operation. I am fortunate and bless with the support from many of you in the
room as well as my Officers and Directors that make my daily challenging work
very rewarding.
It may be time for Hawaii to take the paradigm shift to approach the China
market differently. The result may surprise you.
Next year same time, when we invite you back to have lunch with us again, may be
you will buy us lunch to share your success story.
Lunch is being served, go ahead, enjoy your lunch, formal program will begin at
around 12:45pm.
February 24, 2006
"From
Aloha to China Guanxi" -
MIKE ROWSE, Director General - Invest Hong Kong, HKSAR Government. It was a
completely sold out event well attended by more than 180 business executives at
the Ala Moana Hotel, Honolulu Hawaii -
Microsoft Power Point Presentation -
download
"read only" file
February 24, 2006
Opening remarks by
Johnson Choi, President of the Hong Kong.China.Hawaii Chamber of Commerce
(HKCHcc) to more
than 180 business executive at the luncheon presentation by Mike Rowse, Director
General of Invest Hong Kong, HKSAR Government at the Ala Moana Hotel
Good afternoon ladies
and gentlemen:
I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge our collaboration business
partners who collectively make this event possible:
Representing Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in SF is Yue Mei Chow, Senior
Manager & Lawrence Tang, Head of Investment Promotion.
Representing Invest Hong Kong is Mike Rowse, Director General and Angela Ko,
Manager – Mike is our keynote speaker today and will be properly introduced
after lunch
Congressman Ed Case, Our Key Note speaker at our last month’s annual membership
meeting sent his congratulatory note.
Hawaii House of Representative Corinne Ching, together with 10 other
Representative sent us congratulatory note.
Mayor of Honolulu, Mufi Hannemann has proclaimed February 24, 2006 as “Aloha to
China Guanxi Day” to recognize Hong Kong.China.Hawaii Chamber of Commerce and
our distinguished local partners for this event.
Honolulu City Councilman Rod Tam together with all 8 other councilman have sent
us congratulatory note.
They are….
Mike Fitzgerald, President and CEO of Enterprise Honolulu
Lisa Maruyama, Executive Director of Pacific and Asian Affairs Council
Lisa Gibson, President and CEO of Hawaii Science and Technology Council
Phil Bossert, President and CEO of Hawaii Technology Development Corporation
You can find their printed messages inside our program.
We have some distinguished elected government officials here today:
From our Hawaii State Senate:
Senator Will Espero
Senator Clarence Nishihara
Representing Senator Suzanne Chun Oakland, Cici Fong
Representing Senator Gordon Trimble, Chief of Staff Kristine Sue-Ako
From our Hawaii State House of Representatives:
Representative Jerry Chang
Representative Corrine Ching
(Councilman Rod Tam?)
You represent an important branch of our State government that can help guide
the State of Hawaii to deal with positive trade issues benefiting us both short
and long term.
Our Directors and Founding Directors are…..
Chuck Gee, Dean Emeritus of the University of Hawaii, School of Travel Industry
Management, Dean Gee has served on tourism advisory committee of 3 United States
Presidents and advisors to public and private sectors organizations on the local
and national level in Asia, countries like China, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong
and the Middle East. Dean Gee is also my teacher, my mentor both in school, in
business and in life.
Brenda Foster is the President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai,
the largest in Asia. She was the Executive Administrator for former Governor Ben
Cayetano in charge of international affair for eight years.
Yen Chun who has spent more than ¼ century on China consultancy also served as
the Director & Vice President of Dr. Sun Yat-sen Hawaii Foundation, Director of
Soong Ching Ling Foundation both in Beijing & Shanghai.
Garhart Walch is the President of Belizea Corporation, a multi-million real
estates holding and development company in Belize.
Other Directors not here today are Manny Menendez who was the Director of
Economic Development for the City and County of Honolulu and Ken Hiyashida,
President of Kai Hawaii Engineering.
Hong Kong.China.Hawaii Chamber of Commerce was formed 5 years ago after
discussion with the Hong Kong Government representative immediately followed
then Secretary of Hong Kong, Miss Anson Chan visit to Hawaii on the frustration
to identify an organization that is 100% focus on business with the desire,
vision and courage to by-pass red tapes and political obstacles to promote
bilateral trade between Hawaii, mainland USA, Hong Kong and China. The
conclusion was to start fresh to find a small cluster of knowledgeable
executives to carry out the dreams and mission. Hong Kong.China.Hawaii Chamber
of Commerce was born, with hard work; we have developed the reputation of
“Getting Things Done with Tangible and Measurable Results” in 5 short years with
absolutely no government funding or subsidies.
Please go to our website for complete information and listing. Our website
registered an average of 530 hits per day.
For a small State like Hawaii, Hong Kong is the ideal partner to enter the China
market? Why do I say that? Will you feel more comfortable to work with a partner
that speak your language, subscribe to very similar legal system (the British
Common Law) and with China experiences for more than 30 years? Your partner in
Hong Kong has made all the mistakes, learn from the mistakes, know the market
and is now very successful. So successful that more than 40% of the direct
investment into China is through Hong Kong. Many Hawaii Companies took multiple
trips to China to seek out new projects, in the end; they found out the projects
are funded by money from Hong Kong. Why take the long route? Why not follow the
money, right in Hong Kong!
I am quoting Mr. Siva Yam, President of the US-China Chamber of Commerce who so
well put it, “Public and private sector consultants say they can help you build
relationships in China, but the reality is if you walk into China with $100
million in cash, you’ll have the relationship overnight”.
How many of us have $100 million of small change to create that overnight
relationship? It is how Hong Kong.China.Hawaii Chamber of Commerce, our partners
in this room, Hong Kong Trade Development Council, HKETO in SF, United States
Department of Commerce and American Chamber of Commerce in Hong Kong, Guangzhou,
Shanghai and Beijing are important ingredients of your China strategy to
increase your potential for successes without requiring you to spend 10s of
thousands of dollar, and in most cases going around circles resulting in
disappointments and frustrations! The best part is you can go there on your own
by working through us with some advance planning and preparation.
One very important role our Chamber of Commerce has been playing as an
organization, for us and all of our Directors and Officers that has been doing
it on our own for many years is to promote the understanding between the People
of United States and our Asian counter parts in Hong Kong and China. When LESS
than 25% of our Citizen carry a valid United States Passport, including our
elected Officials, one should not be difficult to understand why few Americans
know and understand what Asia is all about. Their information about Asia primary
comes from News Media when bad news increased viewer ship and rating and sell
more newspaper and that is not necessary the correct image of Asia.
Hawaii has high concentration of Asian Americans, but few stay connected or
remain in contact with their home country after the 1st or 2nd generation.
Without some basic understanding of the Host culture, adequate preparation,
advance information on regulatory requirements and financial commitments, when I
talk about financial commitment, I am not referring taking an annual trade
mission to Hong Kong and China – one can go back to Hong Kong and China each
year and not expect any tangible result. We are hoping to be here to bridge the
gap and provide you with useful hand on information helping you to move forward
one step at a time.
An institution, an organization, a Chamber of Commerce cannot function without
good and knowledgeable management team. They are the people that run the day to
day operation. I am fortunate and bless with the support from many of you in the
room as well as my Officers and Directors that make my daily challenging work
very rewarding.
It may be time for Hawaii to take the paradigm shift to approach the China
market differently. The result may surprise you.
Next year same time, when we invite you back to have lunch with us again, may be
you will buy us lunch to share your success story.
I know I am the one that stand between you and your lunch.
Go ahead, enjoy your lunch, formal program will begin at around 12:30pm.
Thank you.
Johnson W. K. Choi
April 16, 2005
on May 1, 2005
Direct Link
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Format
Hawaii
Inc - It is important how you present yourselves and how prepared you are
to land your first job. It is equally important that where you land your first
job could determine your future and your future career path! When I say “where”,
I meant from the prospective of taking a world view!
What does Hawaii meant to you?
For students attending the University here which I once was as a foreign
student, this is a place for higher education.
For many of us Hawaii is our home, the place we work, live and may be to raise
our family.
If the world begins and ends in Hawaii with no other choices, may be everything
will be fine and happy with what we got. The reality is the world does not begin
and ends in Hawaii. With less than 25% of the American, including our elected
Officials on both Federal and State levels carry a valid USA passport. 75% of
the people live in Hawaii, the world may begin and ends here.
Since 75% of the people do not travel outside of the United States. Many in
politics and policy makers would like you to believe that since 70% of our
Population in Hawaii has Asian blood. We automatically know and understand Asia
and our tie with Asia is automatic. Is it really? I asked my Asian clients
frequently on their knowledge of their country of origins, most of the 2nd or
3rd generation Chinese and Japanese live in Hawaii, majority of them think they
know or thought they have relatives back home, but were not in touch with them
for decades and most of them do not even know where they are. Therefore our ties
with Asia may look distinctive on the surface yield little substance. As a
matter of fact, more Asian American in Hawaii knew more about Las Vegas than
their original home countries.
I have spent my entire adult life in Hawaii after completing my high school at
Rosaryhill in Hong Kong. During the last 25 years, my business allows me to
travel extensively to Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Mainland USA and Canada. I have
witness many cities in Asia progress with time, many by leaps and bounds, Hawaii
and its citizenship, especially our children are continued to be handicapped for
the limited opportunities here.
Since my arrival in Hawaii in 1973, I have seen Hawaii gradually shift from
businesses controlled by the Big five (Amfac, Theo H Davies, Alexander and
Baldwin, Castle & Cooke, C Brewers) now taken over by many mainland business
institutions like Macy, Costco, Walmart, Kmart, Home Depot, Office Depot and the
list goes on.
Back in 1973, we have a little more diverse economic base with Sugar, Pineapple,
Tourism, Federal & State Government and Military. Today, we have two categories
of employers. They are the tourism related industries in one category, State,
City & County Government and Federal which includes military in the second
category. The Federal and State government are our biggest employers.
Between 1990 and 2002, we had a big exodus of Hawaii residents, majority left
Hawaii for Mainland USA, and a number of them went to Asia and found
opportunities there, over 100,000 according to statistics, representing some of
the smartest and brightest. We have commonly referred it to the brain drain of
Hawaii in the 90s.
What is Hawaii today? What are the opportunities for many of you in this room
here?
Let us examine a few realities we must face.
Politics – Except for our largest business sector, the tourism related
industries that has the money to do effective lobbying, most of the legislations
come out year after year continue to be anti-businesses, support by Unions and
special interest groups. Hawaii is currently ranked 5th with the highest tax
burden in the United States. If and when we add another 1% to our General Excise
Tax to pay for the proposed Mass Transit, Hawaii government will probably move
Hawaii up the rank to 2nd or 3rd place.
Transportation – More than 90% of our goods are transported by ships or by air,
under current law like the Jones Act that limits foreign ships to operate
between USA ports costing us more than 100% higher in freight charges to ship
goods to Hawaii.
Lack of businesses taking the lead – When we work with businesses in USA and
Asia, it is common for leading businesses like major banks (i.e. Bank of
America, Hong Kong Bank), Airlines (i.e. Cathay Pacific, United Airlines, Dragon
Airs and etc), Technology Companies (i.e. Microsoft, Oracle, Cisco and etc) and
Logistic Companies (i.e. Federal Express, UPS and etc) taking the lead. We have
not one single Hawaii business wanting to or able financially to take any
business lead or take any business initiative outside of the State of Hawaii.
The lack of major businesses in Hawaii also directly affecting the ability of
all Chamber of Commerce operations in Hawaii, limit it mostly to local business
networking or cultural related events (i.e. Cherry Blossom Festival, Miss
Chinatown, Narcissus Queen and etc). Let me give you an example, the Chamber of
Commerce of Hawaii recently asked all affiliated Chamber of Commerce to lobby
for Workman Compensation reforms. The same issue has come up year after year for
more than 10 years. The problem is member of the Chamber of Commerce continues
their support by sending campaign contribution to the same anti-business
legislators at each election helping to re-elect them year after year. If you
are to sit back and think about it, will you hire a known crook in your bank to
handle bank’s money? After you hire the crook, we spent money to hire a security
guard to watch the crook. This is what the business community been doing all
these years making Hawaii one of the top anti-business State in the nation to
allow all of us in business to have something to complaint about it. If you have
not already noticed, Hawaii has the lowest voters turn out in the nation. In
other words, almost 45% of the people in our room is very happy with what is
happening in Hawaii or willing to let less than 30% of the eligible voters in
Hawaii to determine Hawaii’s future that affects our life.
Companies wanting to export are confused. When we discuss with the major
exporters of Hawaii goods & services on opportunities in Asia, most of them
asked us “Are there really business opportunities in Asia”? We were dump founded
when they asked us the question. So we follow up and asked them to qualify their
statements. Most of them told us, the State has been sending them 35 – 50
business delegations visiting their stores or factories every year for more than
10 – 15 years. In the earlier years, they were excited to produce high quality
presentation with nice gift packages to the delegates after each of their
visits. As time goes by, all participating companies found out almost all
business delegates from Asia just want to plan a business agenda to justify
their Hawaii visit with no intension of doing any business transaction.
The “Hawaii” brand according to our market research in Asia reinforced by our
regular dealings with clients in Hong Kong, Japan, China and Taiwan. What does
the word “Hawaii” meant to them (i.e. New York for Financial Center, Milan for
High Fashion and etc)? The images of Tourism, Sun, Sea, Surf, Beautiful Weather,
Hula Girl almost immediately come to mind. It is one of the top 5 desired travel
destinations in the World. Hawaii need to preserve its fragile environment, the
Aloha spirit we experienced in the 70s and 80s seems to be slowly disappearing.
Service industry job tends to pay a lower wages are having difficulties hiring
and retaining good employees. It is a challenge for many of you in this room
looking for a job to earn enough to provide for a quality life for you and your
family.
For those that have almost everything, Hawaii Inc will continue to attract the
rich and We have friends that are actors and actresses from Asia. They love
Hawaii and they could enjoy the beaches and doing leisure shopping without worry
about the News Media. Many have purchased multi-million vacation homes in
Hawaii.
The Hawaii Inc for many of our college graduate, especially those attended
Universities in the mainland, returning to Hawaii meant a reduction in pay of
their very first job of up to 60%? It may also limit their future job prospects
with very limited employers to choose from.
What can Hawaii Inc offer you in the next 10 years? I meant if you want to make
it on your own (without rich parents giving you 70% down payment on your 1st new
house, or allowing you to live with them, or a family own business that you are
smart enough to take it over without ruining it.)? Washington DC and its policy
makers have determined that China will challenge United States as a dominant
Military and Economic power in the coming years. The unpopular of military bases
in Asia has forced United States to scale back or close down operation there.
Hawaii is a natural choice as one of the major staging ground for future
military operations in Asia. With the help of our Senior Senator, Daniel
Inouye’s help and if he is to remain healthy, we will expect billions of dollars
continued to come to Hawaii in the foreseeable future. Therefore, if you have
the skill and/or technical know how working in all phases of this military built
up. You are expecting to get good high paying job, but you must be a USA citizen
and many must passed security clearances!
Hawaii demand for real estates will continue to grow. Many of the demand are
from wealthy individual from the mainland USA as well as from around the world.
Job or business supporting real estates and real estates development will
continue to prosper.
Working for the government, the largest employers in Hawaii is also a viable
alternative. But if you are planning to work for the government, plan to work
for them for life as most privately owned businesses do not want to hire former
government employees.
For some of you with technical skills (i.e. Engineer, Software and Hardware) or
professional skill (CPA, Attorney) and the ability to speak a 2nd language like
Mandarin or Japanese. I will suggest to you as I have suggested to my two (2)
Children who now live in Oregon to leave Hawaii to go to Mainland USA, if you
are bilingual, go to Asia. You will increase your chances of success as
opportunities there are plentiful. When you shall become successful, if the
Hawaii employer wants you, they will pay you the mainland wages, in most cases
50 – 100% higher than the local hire.
I want to close out my remarks with a real story. In 1978, when I finished my
MBA, I have worked for a very smart lady. Frances Goo may have known her. She
was Miss Narcissus Queen 1955. Her husband who is an eye surgeon and with her
are owners of many investment properties including an apartment hotel in
Waikiki. I was the manager of her apartment hotel. She was the very person to
encourage me to start my own business which I did in 1980 and promised to hire
me back if I failed, it was 25 years ago. Two weeks before I left her for my own
business in 1980, we talk extensively about Hawaii. She has asked me to
remember, Hawaii will be a place for the rich, our smartest and brightest
children will not call Hawaii home. What do you think?
Complete text in
Microsoft Word
or PDF format
(click to download)
Johnson W. K. Choi, MBA, RFC.
President & Executive Director
September 3, 2004
BEHIND THE NEWS -
Chasing Chinese influence -
STEVEN
KNIPP - South China Morning Post
For Complete story click here to download the entire article in Microsoft Word
Format
With
neither Secretary of State Colin Powell nor National Security Adviser
Condoleezza Rice putting in an appearance at this week's Republican national
convention in New York, the Bush administration is taking pains to present the
Republican Party as an inclusively happy home for diverse and assorted Americans
of all colours, creeds and gender - and not just the party of affluent,
middle-aged white men.
Perhaps that's one reason why US President George W. Bush's Labour Secretary,
Elaine Chao, was pushed into the limelight and up on to the podium to make a
brief speech during the week-long political gala. When Ms Chao spoke on
Wednesday, her topic - job-creation programmes - hardly mattered. More important
was the fact that Ms Chao is both female and ethnic.
Although Ms Chao is the first Chinese-American ever to hold a Cabinet post, many
Chinese-Americans say that both Republicans and the Democrats take
Chinese-American voters for granted. Such sceptics say the 51-year-old,
Taiwan-born, Harvard MBA-holder Ms Chao actually wields more power through
marriage to her influential husband, Republican Senator Mitch McConnell, than in
her role as labour secretary.........
Ms Au
dismisses the idea that Chinese-Americans will ever vote en bloc. Principles and
issues, she says, will be the deciding factors.
In Honolulu, Hong Kong-born
Johnson Choi agrees with Ms Au. As president and executive director of the Hong
Kong Hawaii Chamber of Commerce, Mr Choi is actively involved in Chinese groups
with origins in Taiwan, Hong Kong and the mainland.
"Chinese-Americans don't vote as a
bloc," Mr Choi says, "and they don't vote as a bloc for many reasons. Chinese
from various countries in Asia tend to take a different stand in American
politics. As a result, they can't combine to produce a bloc vote for either the
Democratic or Republican parties. In fact, votes for Republican and Democratic
parties tend to cancel each other out."
Mr Choi says that in heavily
Democratic Hawaii, Democrats get a slight edge with Chinese-American voters,
"except for those who own businesses - they tend to vote Republican, no matter
where they're from originally"............
"As a group," says Mr Choi,
"Chinese-Americans have one of the lowest percentages of voter turnouts. And
first-generation Chinese, especially those from mainland China, have the least
tendency to vote. This is a fact known to most politicians."
A July editorial in the US edition
of the Sing Tao Daily reflects Mr Choi's thinking. Noting that Asian-Americans
have not received the attention that other minority groups have from
politicians, the paper says: "The Asian community also needs to have a
self-evaluation in the area of electoral participation. Have we done our share?
Politicians are aware of the low rate of Asian-American voter
participation.".........
The
largest population areas of Chinese-Americans, with more than 100,000 residents
each, include New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Honolulu - all heavily
Democratic. But in recent years, there has been rapid growth in several states,
including Texas, New Jersey, Maryland, Illinois and Washington State, each with
sizeable numbers of Republican voters.
OCA
executive director Christine Chen says politicians have long ignored the
political clout of Asian-Americans. But in a close election, their vote could
spell the difference.
"We
are part of the American fabric," says Ms Chen, whose organisation includes
Chinese and other Asian-Americans. "The issues that we are fighting for are some
of the same issues other Americans are fighting for."
November 9, 2003
Getting it Right in Hong
Kong -
View event - RealOne Player Format
Remarks by United States Consul
General James R. Keith (Hong Kong SAR)
to the Heritage Foundation, Washington, D.C.
September 23, 2003
Hong Kong has been through a
tough and eventful year. The government's pursuit of new national security
legislation evolved into one of its largest tests since the handover in 1997.
SARS was an unwelcome surprise that continues to cast effects as people worry
that it might resurface in the months ahead. Retail and service industries
suffered, and, although related service industries have substantially revived,
there was genuine and significant economic pain associated with the spring 2003
outbreak of this new disease.
News from the economic front has
been largely bleak: deflation accelerated as of June 2003 stood at -3.1 percent;
unemployment ticked down to 8.6 percent; the rise in negative equity mortgages
in second quarter was 27 percent; the financial sector in Hong Kong has cut more
than 5,700 jobs since March 2002; the list goes on. But the government has
demonstrated initiative and seems determined to come to grips with the
challenges associated with Hong Kong's changing circumstances. Very recent news
in the property and retail sectors is encouraging. Some estimates for GDP growth
for 2003 were revised upwards at the end of last month to 2.0 percent. The
Closer Economic Partnership Arrangement, increasing momentum behind the building
of infrastructure that will connect the crowded and developed eastern with the
less developed western portions of the Pearl River Delta, new measures to
increase the flow of visitors from southern China, the development of a center
for the study of infectious diseases with support from the international
community, including the U.S. Centers for Disease Control -- all of this and
more adds up to an emerging sense of renewed vitality in Hong Kong. But the real
change in outlook in Hong Kong goes back not just to fiscal, social, or trade
policy steps undertaken by the government. It is not just a response in Hong
Kong to the new leadership team taking charge in Beijing in the aftermath of the
10th National People's Congress last spring. And it is not just a reflection of
emerging optimism about the revival of the U.S. economy.
July 1 a Watershed?
The real change in Hong Kong this
summer arises directly from the remarkable expression of popular will that
occurred on July 1. The people of Hong Kong spoke with unmistakable clarity in a
show of the kind of unity of purpose that has been sorely lacking among their
elected and appointed leaders. They spoke of their desire for more effective and
more responsive government. They called for a course correction, a new direction
calculated on the basis of the best interests of the Hong Kong people, interests
that they wanted to have a hand in defining. And they spoke in such large
numbers, with such patience, fortitude, wisdom, and maturity that their voices
had a most telling and significant effect. It was a remarkable episode, one that
will go down in the books as perhaps the single most important event in Hong
Kong's short political history since the handover in 1997.
Before exploring further the
implications for the future, let us clear away some of the misapprehensions
associated with July 1 by examining what it was not. It was not the work of
outsiders bent on undermining the sovereignty of the PRC over Hong Kong or the
work of ideologues determined to oppose the Communist government in the PRC. The
July 1 demonstration of popular will in Hong Kong was homegrown. It was an
accurate reflection of widely held views among the middle class in Hong Kong,
and it was directed at the government of Hong Kong, not the central authorities
in Beijing. Moreover, it was not just a referendum on the property market or the
government's fruitless efforts to stem the tide of unemployment and it was not a
walk in the park during a local holiday by an essentially apolitical people.
Although one would have to
conclude that the frustrations of six years of deflation and the uncertainty
associated with economic restructuring in Hong Kong have to weigh heavily on the
minds of the citizens of Hong Kong, the precipitating factors that brought the
middle class out into the streets were primarily political, not economic. One
doesn't have to dig too deeply to identify the single most important issue that
brought people to demonstrate -- with civility and patience -- against their
government. The government's handling of new national security legislation was
the immediate focus of the demonstration, but most observers believe that the
people's concerns went well beyond the specific provisions in the text of the
government's proposed new law.
To put it as succinctly as
possible, it appears that the Hong Kong people, frustrated by the government's
handling of the new national security legislation, want political restructuring
to go along with the revisions of the economic structure that are underway.
Doctors and dentists and clerks and shopkeepers joined together on July 1 to
complain that the system was broken. Dialogue between the government and the
people shouldn't require a street protest by half a million people. There must
be a better way if Hong Kong is to compete with other economies that are
afforded the full participation of their citizens.
And in fact the Basic Law in Hong
Kong points toward a better way in its Articles 45 and 68, which provide a
mechanism for the ultimate goal: the election of legislature and the selection
of the Chief Executive by universal suffrage. It may take some time to build the
institutions of democracy in Hong Kong, including stronger political parties,
better mechanisms and greater resources to improve the quality of district
council campaigns and local governance, and the emergence of leaders in
political and social life who are trained to build public consensus and unity in
the free-for-all that is life in democratic society. One has to recognize that
Hong Kong has a way to go yet before these institutions are fully formed and
mature. The sooner that Hong Kong begins to strengthen and expand these building
blocks of democracy, the better for all concerned.
The Hong Kong Government
Responds
This is a conclusion that is not
lost on the Hong Kong government. The government was late in responding to the
message of July 1. There was a moment in early July, after the demonstration but
before the scheduled vote on new national security legislation, when it appeared
that the government intended to press ahead with the vote beginning with what is
known as a "second reading" on July 9. No one will know how badly that might
have turned out because events led -- fortunately -- to the postponement of a
vote on the bill.
To the government's credit, it
has followed up that constructive decision with additional positive steps. The
Chief Executive announced September 5 that the Hong Kong government had
withdrawn national security legislation from formal consideration by the
Legislative Council. We welcome this good news for the Hong Kong people. The
Secretary for Security has made clear that dialogue with the Hong Kong people on
the salient aspects of the controversial legislation will continue, that the
government has neither ruled in nor out proceeding in the future on the basis of
a "white bill," and that in any event the government will not seek to advance
the new legislation without the people's support. From our perspective, this is
as it should be: we welcome the government's intent to secure the community's
approval before enacting new national security legislation.
The Mainland's Perspective
Article 23 of the Basic Law calls
for Hong Kong to enact laws "on its own" to prohibit treason, secession, and the
like. That phrase - "on its own" - is important, for it points to Hong Kong's
greatest possible autonomy under the "one country, two systems" structure given
to Hong Kong by the mainland for fifty years from 1997. There is every
indication that the central authorities in Beijing continue to value highly Hong
Kong's system. My view is that we can safely dismiss the more capricious
rhetoric from PRC officials in the immediate aftermath of July 1: It is evident,
both from July 1 and thereafter, that the people of Hong Kong were not intent on
revolution (Cultural or otherwise). On the contrary, it is quite clear that the
demonstrators went to exceptional lengths to focus their complaints precisely on
the government in Hong Kong. As Martin Lee and others have written, the people
of Hong Kong called for their government in Hong Kong to improve its
performance, not to seek independence from the mainland. The middle class in
Hong Kong can demand more effective and responsive government without radical
surgery on the body politic. Indeed, since the July demonstrations, the central
authorities have fully supported the Hong Kong government's conclusion that
there should be no predetermined timetable for passage of the new national
security law. It will be important for Beijing to be similarly supportive of the
Hong Kong government's efforts to advance the Basic Law's provision for progress
toward universal suffrage.
The U.S. Stake in Hong Kong
Getting It Right
In plain language, the U.S. has
an interest in the Hong Kong government first "getting it" and second "getting
it right." Does the Hong Kong government get it? That is, has the people's
expression of political views on July 1 fully registered with the authorities? I
believe the actions of the Hong Kong government since July 1 indicate that it
and the central authorities in Beijing do indeed understand the profound
implications of what transpired on July 1. Only time will tell if the government
"gets it right" in response to popular demands, but one very encouraging sign is
the government's recognition that they need to ask the people whether the
government is on the right track. The Chief Executive, the Secretary for
Security, legislative members from the entire political spectrum, and other
government officials are engaged in outreach and active listening, seeking to
learn from and build upon the views and concerns of their citizens. The world
will be watching to see whether Hong Kong's people and government are on the
same page.
It is only natural that the Hong
Kong government would need to make adjustments to its policies since 1997 given
the new ground that is being cultivated in the SAR. This is virgin soil that
requires original, creative thinking for the implementation of the "one country,
two systems" formula. The challenge to the Hong Kong government, it should be
recognized, is steep. Six years since 1997 is a very short time for a
politically inexperienced leadership to "get it right." The question should not
be whether they are always right -- how many governments are? -- but whether
there are mechanisms in place to raise alarms when the government is headed in
the wrong direction; and to allow for mistakes not only to be corrected in the
present, but also to be avoided in the future.
The United States cares about the
answers to the fundamental questions facing the Hong Kong government because we
have long-standing ties and a deep and abiding friendship with the Hong Kong
people; because we have political and economic interests invested in Hong Kong's
success as a thriving free market economy and a vital civil society on the
border with China; and because our security and law enforcement relationships
provide mutual benefits to the American and Hong Kong people. The Hong Kong
Policy Act, recognizing these interests, provides for unique policy treatment of
the Hong Kong SAR to match its unique, international character. The Act requires
the Administration to evaluate the degree to which Hong Kong is living up to its
end of the bargain. Again, speaking as plainly as possible, it is up to Hong
Kong to advocate for itself, to do its part in our bilateral relationship to
sustain the special treatment that the United States provides under the terms of
the Hong Kong Policy Act.
The Hong Kong people have earned
praise for their remarkable demonstration of political will peacefully expressed
on July 1. Everyone in Hong Kong should feel proud of this achievement, one that
was based on and evidence of the core attributes that make Hong Kong a special
place: its vibrant civil society, a thriving independent judiciary, profound and
widespread respect for the rule of law, and strong fundamental freedoms,
including the freedoms of assembly, speech, the press. But Hong Kong has
discovered since 1997 that, like its competitors in the global marketplace, it
cannot afford to rest on past achievements. The foundation for development of
democracy in Hong Kong is very strong, but if the people are to participate
fully, new mechanisms and institutions will be required.
Americans' Desire to Support
the People of Hong Kong
The Hong Kong people should --
and, if July 1 is any indication, will -- decide their own future in Hong Kong.
The United States stands ready to help in many different ways. We'll sustain our
productive bilateral ties in areas ranging for common efforts in the war on
terror to advancing trade liberalization in the Doha Round. We have experience
in areas ranging from containing hospital infections to building stronger
political parties that might be of use to individuals and institutions in Hong
Kong. We offer our experience as a resource for the people of Hong Kong because
we have high hopes for the Hong Kong SAR. We respect what the entrepreneurs and
free traders in this historic port have achieved and want to see their spirit
persevere for their own benefit, for the benefit of citizens pursuing economic
reform on the mainland, and for the benefit of all of us who gain from Hong
Kong's significant contributions to the global trading system.
Dangers of Dashed
Expectations?
Observers have pointed with
trepidation to the dangers of mass movements in China. Might the legacy of July
1 be a series of dashed expectations? Could the potential for chaos or
instability lead the mainland to crush this budding move toward greater
democratization? The question is being asked, and it deserves discussion. If the
July 1 demonstration had been radical in intent and origin, perhaps people in
Hong Kong might be more concerned. But the demonstrators sought not to go to the
roots of Hong Kong's social and political structure. These were people who
themselves have deep roots in Hong Kong and who want to see it prosper. What did
the July demonstrators expect? Simply a better government, a more responsive
government, and more of a voice in government decision-making. They sought
answers to the years of political and economic questions that have been piling
up since 1997. These are the demands of a people still invested in and
thoroughly committed to the current system. We should praise the Hong Kong
people not only for their carefully reasoned and heartfelt call for action on
July 1, but also for the perseverance over the course of the last six years as
they have continued to pay their mortgages and work hard at their jobs to get
Hong Kong through this rough patch.
American investors or businessmen
and women should not be concerned about the political stability of Hong Kong. On
the contrary, the fact that Hong Kong's middle class spoke out on July 1 was a
tonic for what ails the SAR. This was a healthy sign as Hong Kong sought -- and
seeks -- to heal itself. My guess is that Hong Kong will come through this test
stronger as a result. We Americans have had that experience. Adversity has made
us more vigorous, more capable, and, yes, wiser. It has been said that we don't
receive wisdom. We must discover it for ourselves after a journey that no one
can take for us or spare us. I believe the people of Hong Kong are well embarked
on such a journey, and the American people wish them Godspeed.
October 20,
2003
"China Hawaii Chamber of Commerce" and "China Council for the Promotion of
International Trade (CCPIT) Hebei Sub-Council" agree to enhance the liaison and
cooperation in the area of import and export, investment, business information
and other commerce related activities for the benefit of the members of both
organizations signed Memorandum of Mutual Cooperation in Honolulu Hawaii on Oct
20, 2003.
Governor Linda Lingle's
Commendation (PDF File)
Cooperative Agreement
(PDF File)
Sing Tao
Newspaper Website Coverage (PDF File)
Sing Tao Newspaper
Print Version Coverage
World Journal Newspaper
Print Version Coverage (PDF file)
Pacific Business
Newspaper Coverage (PDF file)
Hawaii Chinese News
Coverage (PDF file)
Speech
by Johnson Choi, President & Executive Director of China Hawaii
Chamber of Commerce 10/20/03
Chairman Wang
(Chairman
of CCPIT Hebei),
President
Meng (President
of Hebei Jinguang Yuan Group), President
Liu (President
of Hebei Qianxibe Group),
General Manager Chang (General
Manager of Industry Co, Hebei Construction Investment Group),
Director Liu, (Director for International Liaison & Business, WTC Shijiazhuang), Director Liu,
Director Ted Liu,
刘恩博
主任
(Director of Hawaii Department Business Economic Development & Tourism ),
Director
Manny Menendez,
孟士德主任
( Director of the Office of Economic Development,
City & County of Honolulu), President Tollefson
(President of The Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii), President
Terrill Chock,
卓少华会长
(President of The Chinese Chamber of Commerce), President
Vernon Ching,
陈惠昌
会长
(President of the U. S. China People Friendship Association - Honolulu Chapter), President
Michael Zhang,
张
少
炯
会长
(President of the China Club),
Dean
Emeritus Chuck Gee (Dean Emeritus of the School of Travel Industry
Management, University of Hawaii at Manoa),
Vice President
Su (Vice President of the China Student and Scholar
Association, University of Hawaii at Manoa), Honor Guest, Ladies and
Gentleman. Aloha.
On behalf of China Hawaii Chamber of Commerce, I
would like to extend our warm welcome to our friends from Hebei, China. We
appreciate your making a stop in Hawaii to strengthen our ties between our two
organizations.
We have a very distinguish group of business leaders in the room
who are friends of China for many years. Many of them have business
ties
with China.
It was back in 1985 when Yen Chun,
a few other Chamber members,
and I visited Hainan
Island representing the City and County
of Honolulu to sign our Sister City Agreement. Now as you all may know that
Hainan is a province of
China and has extended the
Sister State Agreement with Hawaii. The State is planning a visit to Hainan in December. The seeds we helped planted
are showing results.
In 1991 China Hawaii Chamber of Commerce signed a collaboration
business agreement with CCPIT Guangzhou.
It resulted in more
than 10 million of trade and business between Hawaii, California and China.
Our Chamber of Commerce has more than 15 collaboration business
partners in Beijing,
Shanghai, Guangzhou,
Hong Kong, Singapore, Hawaii,
Mainland USA and Canada focusing on doing business and getting things done.
Our collaboration business partners have continued to provide
valuable information on the ground level to us helping us to navigate through
the maze of information. We have continued to reach out to those that are
willing to do business.
Since our Chamber is 100% supported by our members and receive no
funding from government. It enables us to focus on projects that make business
sense benefiting our members.
Hebei
is located in the
Jing-Jin-Ji (Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei) Economic Region （京津冀經濟圈）and the Bohai Bay
Economic region （環渤海經濟圈）.
It is a
major producer of iron and
steel. In 2001, Hebei's
output of iron and steel ranked the first and third in
China.
In 2001, Hebei's industrial output totaled Rmb376.7 billion or
US$46 billion (+9.9%). Heavy industry amounted to RMB 246.2 billion or
US$30.02, i.e. 65% of the province’s total industrial output.
The North China Pharmaceutical Plant, locates in
Shijiazhuang,
is the major antibiotic producer in China with its output of penicillin ranking
the highest in the world.
In coming years, Hebei will actively attract foreign funds and
introduce advanced technology in all production sectors. The province aims to
upgrade the overall productivity and product quality of its industrial
enterprises and raise market competitiveness. Meanwhile, Hebei also targets to
boost the tertiary sector such as finance, banking, information services and
tourism.
Hebei is a popular tourist spot in Northern China with many
historical sites such as the Chengde Summer Resort（承德避暑山莊）,
the Shanhaiguan Pass of the Great Wall（山海關）, the Beidaihe（北戴河）Summer
Resort, the Eastern Tombs and Western Tombs of the Qing Dynasty. Beidaihe is
the Camp David of China and the place has hosted many important politburo
meetings.
The agreement we are about to sign is only the first step on a
long-term relationship. How the relation will grow depends on the efforts of our
esteemed organizations,
members and its leaders. We feel the
agreement with Hebei is a good one and present excellent opportunities for
Hawaii Companies.
We are looking forward to report back to you in
12 months and share with you many successful stories.
Thank you very much.
Johnson W. K. Choi, MBA, RFC.
President & Executive Director
May 6, 2003
It
is amazing that Hawaii lawmakers would support raising nearly $100 million in
new taxes...... - By Lowell Kalapa, Hawaii Tax Foundation
Go to Hawaii Reporter for complete story
April 29, 2003
SARS Epidemic: Hong Kong is Open for Business.....Please
enter here for complete story from Honolulu Advertiser
or
Go to Hawaii Reporter for complete story
April 27, 2003
Fear of SARS Hurting Hawaii Chinatown, Business and Hawaii's Tourism -
"It's scary,"
said Johnson W. K. Choi, tax consultant and president of the Hong Kong China
Hawai'i Chamber of Commerce. "A lot of people are very,
very
concerned."
.....Please enter here for complete story from Honolulu Advertiser
March 25, 2003
"Hawaii Failed Business Image
and Continue Missed Opportunity"
Johnson Choi, President and Executive Director of HKCHcc spoken to more than 100 students at
the BYU Hawaii's Entrepreneur Lecture Series
Download complete speech in PDF format
March 4, 2003
Another Trade Opportunity Talk - Why Hawaii Business is Not......
Go to Hawaii Reporter for complete story
February 26, 2003
Hawaii's Travel Industry: Is There Another Japan - Sponsored by the Asia Business Network,
The Plaza Club, PBEC, Hong Kong China Hawaii Chamber of Commerce and Korean
Chamber of Commerce
(HKCHcc)
Speaker's Note in PDF
format
December 21, 2002*
*Courtesy of HKTDC, HKCHcc collaboration partner
December 16, 2002
AmCham-Hong Kong's response to the consultation document on Article 23 in PDF
format
December 13, 2002
DOE Olympic seminar held in
Beijing December 5 - 6, 2003, go to the following link to obtain 18 pages of
seminar notes in PDF format.
Download Seminar Notes in PDF Format
November 14, 2002
"Opportunities in the Pacific Century - Are we
Ready?" by Johnson W. K. Choi, MBA, RFC., President & Executive Director, Hong
Kong China Hawaii Chamber of Commerce (HKCHcc) and Director, Treasurer & Past
President of University of Hawaii, Travel Industry Management Alumni Association
The Meeting was held
in HONG KONG Sponsored by the Hong Kong China
Hawaii Chamber of Commerce (HKCHcc), Hong Kong UH-Travel Industry Management
(TIM) Alumni Association, University of Hawaii Alumni Hong Kong, Hong Kong Ohana
Club and Friends of Hong Kong
Invitation were being extended to HKCHcc members
and collaboration partners in Hong Kong for business networking and for a
formal/informal discussion on how various organizations could work together to
promote trade/business/education/high-tech/film between Hong Kong, China, Hawaii
and United States.
Download Speech in PDF Format
September 30, 2002
Guangdong / Hong Kong / Taiwan Economic Cooperation Forum
|
Distinguished speakers from Hong Kong and across the Straits address the
Guangdong-Hong Kong-Taiwan Economic Cooperation Forum organised jointly by
the Trade Development Council and the Guangdong Sub-Council of China Council
for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) in Hong Kong on 27 August
2002. The forum focuses on three themes: "Hong Kong - Global Trade Platform
for Guangdong", "Hong Kong and Taiwan, New Economic and Investment
Environment of Guangdong Upon WTO Accession", and "Taiwan Enterprises'
Investment Directions in Guangdong and Hong Kong". |
|
Opening
|
Welcome Remarks by
Mr. Michael Sze, Executive Director, HKTDC
(02:54)
 |
|
Speech by Mr. Tung
Chee-hwa, Chief Executive, HKSAR
(14:11)
|
|
Speech by Mr. Lu Ruihua, Governor, The People's Government of Guangdong
Province
(35:38)
|
|
Speech by Mr. He Xiaowei, Assistant Minister, Ministry of Foreign Trade
& Economic Cooperation
(07:17)
|
|
Speech "'Three Links' - An Imperative Issue for Cross-Strait Economic
Cooperation" by Mr. John H. Chang, Chairman, Chamber of Taiwan
Businessmen in China
(29:24)
|
|
Luncheon Speech
|
|
Keynote Speech by Mr. Antony Leung, Financial Secretary, HKSAR
(18:04) |
|
Panel Discussions
|
|
Panel "Hong Kong - Global Trade Platform for Guangdong, Hong Kong and
Taiwan" |
Joint Effort by Guangdong and Hong Kong to Simplify Immigration and
Customs Clearance Procedures for Taiwan Enterprises
(13:14)
|
Speaker: |
Mr. David Hwang, President, China Crown Footwear Inc. |
|
Hong Kong - The International Logistics Centre of the Pearl River Delta
Region
(10:46)
|
Speaker: |
Mr. Liu Shufeng, General Manager, Guangdong Shengyi Sci. Tech Co.,
Ltd. |
|
Utilising Hong Kong's Financial Services to Capture Global Business
Opportunities
(09:48)
|
Speaker: |
Mr. Andrew Kuo, Vice Chairman, Greater China Operating Committee and
Senior Officer of Taiwan and Hong Kong, JPMorgan Chase Bank
|
|
Hong Kong's Advantages - The Key to Foster Joint Economic and Trade
Development of Guangdong, Hong Kong and Taiwan
(11:36)
|
Speaker: |
Mr. Henry Tang, Secretary for Commerce, Industry and Technology,
HKSAR |
|
|
Panel II¡G"New Economic and Investment Environment of Guangdong Upon WTO
Accession" |
Introduction of Guangdong Province's Investment Environment
(16:24)
|
Speaker: |
Mr. Liang Weifa, Director General, Department of Foreign Trade and
Economic Cooperation of Guangdong Province |
|
Future Development Plan of the Pearl River Delta
(15:57)
|
Speaker: |
Mr. Huang Weihong, Director, Guangdong Provincial Development
Planning Commission |
|
Progress of Speeding Up Customs Clearance in Guangdong
(13:40)
|
Speaker: |
Mr. Sun Songpu, Director General, Guangdong Sub-Customs
Administration, Customs General Administration |
|
Taiwan Enterprises' Demand for Financing in Guangdong and the Mainland's
Opening of the Financial Sector to Hong Kong & Taiwan Investors
(11:55)
|
Speaker: |
Mr. Chiang En-hsieh, President & General Manager, Shenzhen Paragon
Industries (China) Inc. |
|
Effective Utilisation of Guangdong's Labour, Management and R & D
Expertise
(10:48)
|
Speaker: |
Mr. Chan Wing-kee, Life Honorary President, Hong Kong Chamber of
Commerce in China-Guangdong |
|
|
Panel III¡G"Taiwan Enterprises' Investment Directions in Guangdong and
Hong Kong" |
How Taiwan Enterprises Capitalise on Guangdong's Investment Environment
and Advantages
(21:19)
|
Speaker: |
Mr. Yeh Hong-dan, Chairman, Digital Industry Association of Dongguan
and Chairman, Taiwan Businessmen's Dongguan School |
|
Hong Kong and Guangdong as Business Partners for Taiwan's Technology
Industry
(08:31)
|
Speaker: |
Mr. C.D. Tam, CEO, Hong Kong Science & Technology Parks |
|
Taiwan Enterprises' Development Prospect in Hong Kong in the Post-WTO
Era
(08:50)
|
Speaker: |
Mr. Wang Lu-yen, Honorary Chairman, Taiwan Business Association (H.K.)
Ltd. and President, Vigor International (Hong Kong) Ltd.
|
|
Economic Cooperation Between Guangdong and Taiwan and its Implication
for Hong Kong
(12:31)
|
Speaker: |
Professor Feng Bangyan, Director, Research Institute of Hong Kong,
Macao & Taiwan Economies, Jinan University |
|
Guangdong/Hong Kong/Taiwan - Division and Complementarity of Economic
Roles
(14:20)
|
Speaker: |
Professor Sung Yun-wing, Department Chairman, Department of
Economics, The Chinese University of Hong Kong |
|
|
Concluding Remarks by Mr. Christopher Cheng, Council Member, HKTDC
(05:10) |
|
March 21, 2002
Approving and Authorizing
the Establishment of a Sister-State Relationship between the State of Hawaii of
the United States of America and the Municipality of Tianjin in the People
Republic of China - (House
Bill 160) - Public Hearing Scheduled for
March 21, 2002 - testified in support of the bill.
Download
Detail of the Proposed House Bill 160 in PDF Format
March 12, 2002
Is
Hong Kong’s currency
board system in trouble? -
S.
Ghon Rhee, Pacific Business News, Friday, Feb 22, 2002
The recent collapse of Argentina's currency board system raises concerns about
Hong Kong's ability to sustain its currency peg to the U.S. dollar. Hong Kong
has been operating a currency board system that was established in 1983 to peg
its currency at HK$7.78 to US$1...Complete
Story (click here)
Tony Latter, Deputy Chief
Executive of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority offers his prospective at the
AmCham HK Luncheon on March 12, 2002 "When
things aren’t going too well, it’s natural to look for scapegoats. In the
case of the Hong Kong economy, the pegged exchange rate certainly gets its fair
share of that treatment. What is the basis for complaints about the peg, and how
far are they justified?" Download
Presenter's Note in PDF Format
February 5, 2002
International-Cultural-Business-Center "ICBC" -
Geneva
of Pacific (Senate Bill#2606) - Public Hearing Scheduled for
Feb 12, 2002 for the creation of statewide entity from the private and public
sectors to create a strategic economic development plan and to appropriate money
for its development for a "International Cultural Business Center" to promote
Hawaii as the "Geneva of Pacific".
A Business Model - How Hong Kong use the Private-Public
Sectors Partnerships to benefit the community? Examples are the Hong Kong
Convention and Exhibition Center and the Cyberport Projects - By Johnson W. K.
Choi, President and Executive Director, HKCHcc Download
Presenter's Note in PDF Format
January 15, 2002
Luncheon Presentation -
Opportunities in Hong Kong for
Hawaiian Companies in
telecommunications, media/multimedia, IT, technology &
biotechnology and tourism & entertainment -
How
China's accession to the WTO will further increase Hong Kong's attraction as
investment destination, as well as a conduit to business opportunities in the
Mainland?
Helen Peterson, Associate Director-General of Investment Promotion,
Invest Hong Kong (based in HK) Download
Presenter's Note in PDF Format
September 25, 2001
Seminar -
"Doing
Business in Hong Kong, China & Its Neighboring Economic Regions"
Alan Kojima, Vice President, American
Custom Brokerage Co Inc - "Importing from Hong Kong & China" Download
Presenter's Note in PDF Format
December 3 - 10, 2001 Business/Trade
Match-Making Mission to Hong Kong & Southern China Survey Form Download
Survey Form in PDF Format
|
