A top China trade promotion official was scheduled to appear in Hawaii today to discuss growing economic opportunities between China and Hawaii. China official to discuss
Hawaii-China opportunitiesAssociated Press
Wan Jifei, vice chairman of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and the China Chamber of International Commerce, will address a luncheon at the Pacific Club, state officials said.
Wan will discuss China's transition to a market economy and how it creates trade and investment opportunities for Hawaii in the areas of services and education, said Seiji Naya, director of the state Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism.
Wan's appearance is being sponsored by the department, the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii, the East-West Center, the Hong Kong Business Association of Hawaii and College of Business Administration at the University of Hawaii.
Wan's agency is responsible for promoting and implementing China's trade policy and he also has a top role in China's economic zones and reconstruction of China's economy, Naya said.
Wan's Hawaii visit results from agreements Gov. Ben Cayetano signed with Chinese trade and tourism officials in December during his trade mission to China.
"In recent years Hawaii has become an increasingly significant center for training for China's government, state-owned enterprises, and private businesses," Naya said.
"On this trip, Vice Chairman Wan will be discussing specifics of the implementation agreement between China and Hawaii that will cover training and exchange business missions," he said.
Naya said China's entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO), Beijing's successful bid for the 2008 Olympic Games, reforms in its government and moving toward an open economy are all having profound impacts on China.
"It should be clear to everyone that China is undergoing a massive transformation. Undoubtedly, this is creating many new opportunities for Hawaii firms," he said.