U.S. lawmakers sent a joint letter to U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas requesting to revoke the Discretionary Parole Program for Chinese tourists entering the CNMI. The lawmakers raised significant concerns about U.S. visa policy for Chinese nationals entering the CNMI.
Gov. Arnold I. Palacios talked to the press and revealed that he was already aware of the letter weeks ago, even before some lawmakers publicly asked DHS to mandate the visa requirements.
The letter is stirring up discussions among the CNMI business sector. The local Chinese community is also cognizant of Governor Palacios’ view on China tourism. His pivot away from the China market remarks made headlines months ago. He has to deal with the federal government. With zero tourists and the economy on life support during Covid-19, the CNMI economy depended on vital federal funding and relief programs.
According to a U.S. Government Accountability Office’s report, federal agencies allocated more than $1.9 billion in Covid-19 relief funding to the CNMI.
The Discretionary Parole Program for Chinese tourists has been disordered and confused during the past years. Rumors of its cancelation have already been circulating over the years. The U.S. lawmakers’ letter is oddly predictable as far as I see.
According to the Marianas Visitors Authority, the China market made up over 40% of the CNMI’s tourism industry pre-Covid-19. Therefore, we can conclude the government will experience a shortfall of about 40% in tax revenues when a China market exit occurs.
The letter outlined the concerns of U.S. lawmakers that have merits and deserve attention. However, in my view, the Discretionary Parole Program appears to be manageable. The CNMI can have multiple institutions and parties participate in planning and implementation to reduce risks to border security as well as elevate economic security. Of course, the CNMI has a daunting list of things to do to tackle the issue.
In regards to illegal immigration, in terms of CNMI population and geographic area, the CNMI is puny relative to the size of the U.S. mainland.
According to U.S. nonpartisan government data, between October 2019 and June 2023, U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported almost 7.7 million border encounters. Monthly encounters peaked at over 300,000 people in December 2022. (https://usafacts.org)
The Saipan Chamber of Commerce, the Hotel Association of the NMI and some CNMI lawmakers have proposed possible solutions. One of them is the EVS-TAP Program, which would allow legitimate, vetted Chinese nationals to visit the CNMI as tourists.
All relevant parties view the matter through their filters. It is difficult to predict the results.
The CNMI, a U.S. territory in the Pacific Ocean, is caught in the crossfire due to tensions between the U.S. and China. Fortunately, on Nov 15, in the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meeting in San Francisco, U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping had more than four hours of talks. After their meeting, on President Biden said he valued the conversation he had with President Xi. President Biden said, “There are critical global challenges that demand our joint leadership. And today, we made real progress.”
I sincerely hope talks between the CNMI and U.S. lawmakers will make progress as well.
To quote an ancient Chinese proverb: “The mountains are high and the Emperor is far away.”
It is in the CNMI government’s best interest to persuade the faraway policymakers in Washington, D.C. about what the CNMI needs to achieve sustainable economic growth.
BETTY BAI
Editor, Saipan Chinese News
Power Young Publishing
