ACCORDING to your article of May 21, “Gov’t to Address ‘Problems’ with Chinese Workers,” the Chinese government has no diplomatic or trade office in the CNMI although there are about 18,000 Chinese workers in the commonwealth.
Your reporting is inaccurate.
You also quote Lt. Gov. Diego T. Benevente as saying that although there may be problems associated with a large non-resident workforce from China, he doesn’t feel an office on Saipan would necessarily serve the interests of the government.
You further paraphrase DOLI Secretary Joaquin A. Tenorio by stating, “only the executive branch of the government has the power to negotiate for the establishment of a Chinese office here.”
Notwithstanding the constant rat-a-tat-tat of Variety’s anti-garment industry drum, I think it would have been helpful to more thoroughly investigate this story before printing it. After all, Variety was there to witness this important signing, and featured it in its daily reports.
On May 8, 1997, then Gov. Froilan C. Tenorio signed a memorandum of understanding with Liu Shanzai, vice minister of the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Economic Cooperation of the People’s Republic of China.
Then Attorney General Robert C. Dunlap II approved as to form and content, and the U.S. Department of State, through the U.S. Department of the Interior’s OIA representative, notified the CNMI that the MOU had been accepted, allowed and approved by the United States government.
This MOU officially established the CNMI Chinese Economic Development Association. Both the past two CNMI administrations have worked with this office for improvement in the relationship between employers and employees, consistent with U.S. and CNMI labor laws. The lead agencies in carrying out this MOU are CEDA and DOLI.
This office can, and has, proved beneficial in addressing “problems” associated with a non-resident population working abroad. Just like the government offices here in the CNMI from Japan, the Philippines and Korea.RICHARD ALLAN PIERCE
Executive Director
Saipan Garment
Manufacturers Association
