Commonwealth Ports Authority Board Chairman Jose C. Ayuyu gestures while speaking during a special board meeting on Thursday in the Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting classroom at the Francisco C. Ada/Saipan International Airport.
COMMONWEALTH Ports Authority Board Chairman Jose C. Ayuyu said he is “very happy” that a CNMI delegation headed by Gov. Arnold I. Palacios visited Taiwan.
Ayuyu said Taiwan has a lot of potential as a tourism market. Noting that reviving its tourism industry is a big challenge for the CNMI, the governor’s trip will help enhance the economic relationship between Taiwan and the Commonwealth, he added.
Joining the governor were Speaker Edmund S. Villagomez, Senate Vice President Donald Manglona, Rep. Angelo Camacho, Rep. John Paul Sablan and Marianas Visitors Authority Managing Director Christ Concepcion. Their six-day visit was approved by the U.S. State Department and funded by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Taiwan.
They were invited by the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Guam and Taiwan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to visit the Asian country from Oct. 30 to Nov. 4.
Ayuyu believes that the Taiwanese not only would like to visit the CNMI, but may also see the islands as an “investment haven.”
The local economy needs more visitors and new investors, he said, adding that with a population of over 23 million, Taiwan could be a “big market” for the CNMI.
The CNMI’s Little League Administration has strong ties with Taiwan’s Little League organization under the Little League’s Asia-Pacific regional family.
Ayuyu said the CNMI should enhance its relationship with Taiwan, which has a highly developed economy and is considered a top player in the world’s information and communication technology industry.
“There’s a lot of work that needs to be done to further improve our ties with Taiwan,” he added.
