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5391785-38608000Press Stop: YSL Calls For Cancellation of ETG FIPPress Stop: Yap State Resolution #8-75Press Stop: Samoa’s PRC Ambassador Dislikes “Negative ETG Campaign”!Press Stop: 2013-05-03 (Samoa): What next?Press Stop: What’s Happening to Ethics in Yap State?IntroductionIn order to learn more about what’s currently happening on Yap Islands, I did some web browsing to update myself on the issues, and to find who the different players might be. The (current) result of this my “research” is presented below. The only editing I have done is to make the text somewhat more readable (unified font to Times Roman 14 pt), and in places where I saw items of specific interest (to myself, that is!), I added highlighting (type “felt marker pen”).All hyperlinks from the original web sites are preserved, and every section has a link to the original web site (in some cases, I added more links, but never any additional text). The only text changes made are from sqm (square meter) to m2.Whatever the Yap State Government decides about this, I am sure that it will be a “well chewed” decision, making sure that the Yapese benefit from the results, at least as much as the visiting “investors.”Tagaytay Highlands, December 2011Henry Norman Yap resident (Anooth, Gilman; Gachpar, Gagil; Gaanelay, Colonia) 1999—2006PS. The S.J. Micronesian Seminar website maintains a lively discussion on these topics in their forum ! I have compiled all posted entries (256 comments so far (some really dumb, some quite interesting!)), see Micronesia Seminar: General ETG Discussion.See also:The ETG Project (Analysis & Reality Check) .pdf (Henry Norman)See also:Resort Hotel Development Costs .pdf (Henry Norman)See also: (U.S. Congress Report Services)Document version 58, updated June 15, 2013Contents (Latest Entries Yellow Highlighted) TOC \o "1-3" \h \z \u 2010-12-01: Letter to the Editor: Timing Is Everything PAGEREF _Toc358968574 \h 62010-12-29: Not in Our Name; Not for Pohnpei PAGEREF _Toc358968575 \h 9Chinese Investors Propose Huge Tourism Development Plans For Yap PAGEREF _Toc358968576 \h 12Ambitious Chinese Development Mooted for Yap PAGEREF _Toc358968577 \h 15China Eyes Huge Tourism Development for Yap PAGEREF _Toc358968578 \h 16Chinese Company Donates $1K to Yap Canoe Festival PAGEREF _Toc358968579 \h 18Yap State Government Briefs (DYCA Press Releases) PAGEREF _Toc358968580 \h 192011-03-14: ETG Calls on Governor Anefal PAGEREF _Toc358968581 \h 192011-03-21: ETG Ends Tour in Yap PAGEREF _Toc358968582 \h 202011-06-16: ETG Group Heads Back to China PAGEREF _Toc358968583 \h 212011-08-04: ETG Begins Tour of Yap Island PAGEREF _Toc358968584 \h 212011-08-02; Chinese Government Envoy Attended Joint Inauguration Celebration PAGEREF _Toc358968585 \h 222011-10-05: Chinese Investors Plan Major Hotel in Yap PAGEREF _Toc358968586 \h 232012-01-11: ETG Pays Visit To Yap PAGEREF _Toc358968587 \h 242012-01-13: Yap Traditional Council Signs MOU With ETG PAGEREF _Toc358968588 \h 242012-01-18: COP and ETG Signs MOU PAGEREF _Toc358968589 \h 272012-01-20: Bordallo Wants China Visa Waiver For Guam PAGEREF _Toc358968590 \h 292012-01-26: Introduction of Resolution by Speaker Henry Falan PAGEREF _Toc358968591 \h 292012-02-23: Legislative Penal <sic!> Holds Public Hearing PAGEREF _Toc358968592 \h 292012-03-08: Governor Responds To The YSL Over Resolution 8-29 PAGEREF _Toc358968593 \h 302012-03-13: YSL Speaker Responds to Governor Over ETG Proposal PAGEREF _Toc358968594 \h 312011-04-19: COP Sends Memo to ETG Chairman PAGEREF _Toc358968595 \h 332011-04-19: Yap State Legislature Adopts Resolution 8-31 PAGEREF _Toc358968596 \h 342011-04-23: Attorney General Leaves; Governor Appoints Acting AG PAGEREF _Toc358968597 \h 342012-04-25: State Leadership Welcomes President of EXIM Bank PAGEREF _Toc358968598 \h 342012-05-22: Yap Holds Discussion on ETG Proposed Investment Project PAGEREF _Toc358968599 \h 362012-06-21: YSL Public Hearing On ETG Developments PAGEREF _Toc358968600 \h 372012-06-29: Legislature To Discuss Meeting With ETG Chairman PAGEREF _Toc358968601 \h 372012-08-31: Media to Re-Run Citizen’s Meeting Over the Weekend PAGEREF _Toc358968602 \h 392012-09-21 Paramount Chiefs of Yap Address State Leadership PAGEREF _Toc358968603 \h 41Forbes Richest Chinese #339: Dèng Hóng (Age 45) PAGEREF _Toc358968604 \h 43The Exhibition & Travel Group (ETG / 会展旅游集团 ) PAGEREF _Toc358968605 \h 44Welcome to Chengdu Int. Convention & Exhibition Center PAGEREF _Toc358968606 \h 472011-07-29: Chinese Envoy Attends Joint FSM Inauguration Ceremony PAGEREF _Toc358968607 \h 48Chinese Millionaire Arrives Tomorrow PAGEREF _Toc358968608 \h 50MicSem: General ETG Discussion (Posts 1 to 50) PAGEREF _Toc358968609 \h 52MicSem: General ETG Discussion (Posts 51 to 100) PAGEREF _Toc358968610 \h 67MicSem: General ETG Discussion (Posts 101 to 150) PAGEREF _Toc358968611 \h 88MicSem: General ETG Discussion (Posts 151 to 200) PAGEREF _Toc358968612 \h 106MicSem: General ETG Discussion (Posts 201 to 256) PAGEREF _Toc358968613 \h 120Chinese in Yap: Friday, 20 January 2012 Editorial PAGEREF _Toc358968614 \h 142MicSem: Chinese ETG Vs. Yap State Leaders (Posts 1 to 50) PAGEREF _Toc358968615 \h 144MicSem: Chinese ETG Vs. Yap State Leaders (Posts 51 to 100). PAGEREF _Toc358968616 \h 153MicSem: Chinese ETG Vs. Yap State Leaders (Posts 101 to 150). PAGEREF _Toc358968617 \h 170MicSem: Chinese ETG Vs. Yap State Leaders (Posts 151 to 154). PAGEREF _Toc358968618 \h 1862012-01-19: Chinese to Develop Resort in Micronesia PAGEREF _Toc358968619 \h 1892011-12-10: China’s Startling Strategic Play in Micronesia PAGEREF _Toc358968620 \h 190China’s Influence in the South Pacific is Growing PAGEREF _Toc358968621 \h 1922012-06-16: Micronesia’s future between China and the US PAGEREF _Toc358968622 \h 1942005-06-27: China Extends Influence in the Pacific Region PAGEREF _Toc358968623 \h 1962012-04-07: A Look Inside the World’s Biggest Military Expansion PAGEREF _Toc358968624 \h 1982012-02-27: Is the Yap/China MOU a Good Thing? PAGEREF _Toc358968625 \h 2072012-02-27: Yapese Citizens Gather Signatures for Petition PAGEREF _Toc358968626 \h 2092012-03-15: Yap Governor: MOU for Chinese Development Not a Done Deal PAGEREF _Toc358968627 \h 2102012-03-16: Yap’s Anefal: “There is No Project!” PAGEREF _Toc358968628 \h 2112012-04-30: Research: ETG, EXIM bank, CRBC, CMEC, CHEC… PAGEREF _Toc358968629 \h 212ETG’s Dèng Hóng (邓鸿): PAGEREF _Toc358968630 \h 212ETG’s Partners (Visiting Yap together with Mr. Dèng Hóng) PAGEREF _Toc358968631 \h 2131) China EXIM Bank (Export-Import Bank of China) PAGEREF _Toc358968632 \h 2132) China Road and Bridge Cooperation (CRBC) en PAGEREF _Toc358968633 \h 2133) China Machinery Engineering Corp. (CMEC (Web: goo.gl/icm5R)) PAGEREF _Toc358968634 \h 2154) China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd. (CHEC) chec. PAGEREF _Toc358968635 \h 216China Policies and Cultural Issues PAGEREF _Toc358968636 \h 217Personal Conclusions PAGEREF _Toc358968637 \h 2182012-05-08: Yap Community Town Hall Meeting PAGEREF _Toc358968638 \h 2192012-05-11: China Capital to Yap Island PAGEREF _Toc358968639 \h 2202012-05-21: Yap Executive Branch Holds Public Forum on ETG PAGEREF _Toc358968640 \h 2232012-07-24: ETG “Cooperative Agreement #5” Disclosed PAGEREF _Toc358968641 \h 2252012-08-06: Yap Govt Reviewing Chinese Tourism Investment Proposal PAGEREF _Toc358968642 \h 2252012-07-28: Analysis of ETG’s “Cooperative Agreement #5” PAGEREF _Toc358968643 \h 2262012-08-13: Yap, Chinese Resort Group Sign Investment Agreement PAGEREF _Toc358968644 \h 2292012-08-14: Rolling the Chinese Dice?(Marianas Variety) PAGEREF _Toc358968645 \h 2312012-08-15: Yap Residents Wondering What Future Holds After ETG Signing PAGEREF _Toc358968646 \h 2332012-09-05: Tourism Project “Too Massive” For Yap, Says Church PAGEREF _Toc358968647 \h 2362012-09-05: Yap Tourism Development Threatens Culture & Lifestyle PAGEREF _Toc358968648 \h 2382012-09-17: Letter From Dalip Pi Nguchol (Wa’ab Paramount Chiefs) PAGEREF _Toc358968649 \h 2402012-09-18: YSL Resolution No. 8-83 (“Stop ETG Now!”) PAGEREF _Toc358968651 \h 2412012-08-30: Yap Opinions Split Over Massive ETG Tourism Project PAGEREF _Toc358968652 \h 2442012-10-01: Letter: Governor Anefal to ETG Chairman Dèng Hóng PAGEREF _Toc358968653 \h 2482012-10-01: Letter: Governor Anefal to Chairman Deng Hong (“official” version) PAGEREF _Toc358968654 \h 2502012-10-15: Letter: Concerned Citizens Group to Governor Anefal PAGEREF _Toc358968655 \h 2512012-10-19: Letter: Mr. Yang Gang (ETG Yap) to Concerned Citizens Group PAGEREF _Toc358968656 \h 2522012-09-19: Letter: Mrs. Regina Laagsag (CCG) to Yang Gang (ETG Yap) PAGEREF _Toc358968657 \h 2532012-12-31: Letter: Deng Hong’s Response to Governor Anefal PAGEREF _Toc358968658 \h 2552013-01-11: President Mori Heads to Yap for ETG Consultations PAGEREF _Toc358968659 \h 2582013-01-15 Letter from CCG to FSM President Manny Mori PAGEREF _Toc358968660 \h 2592013-01-15 CCG Presidential Letter Attachment (The Problems) PAGEREF _Toc358968661 \h 2622013-02-07: Tourism in Yap and FSM: Will China Run the Show? PAGEREF _Toc358968662 \h 2642002-03-17: Deng Hong Interview (Washington Post) PAGEREF _Toc358968663 \h 2672012-12-24: Li Chuncheng’s Fall Threatens Chengdu’s Rise PAGEREF _Toc358968664 \h 2712011-06-20: Millionaire Scouts Samoa PAGEREF _Toc358968665 \h 2762002-06-22: Small Islands Voice: Foreign Investment—Who needs it? PAGEREF _Toc358968666 \h 278Views From Auckland: Pacific Islands Drifting North? PAGEREF _Toc358968667 \h 280ETG Hopes to Make Dream for Samoa A Reality PAGEREF _Toc358968668 \h 283China ETG Hopes to Make Dream for Samoa a Reality PAGEREF _Toc358968669 \h 284Samoa and ETG Group Sign MOU for Resort Project PAGEREF _Toc358968670 \h 285Samoa Delegation Attend China International Investment Fair PAGEREF _Toc358968671 \h 2862011-11-10: China’s Hotel In Samoa On Track PAGEREF _Toc358968672 \h 2882013-02-22: Site Of Chinese Owned Casino Yet To Be Decided PAGEREF _Toc358968673 \h 2892013-02-24 (Samoa): Mulivai hasn’t been consulted, says Pulenu’u PAGEREF _Toc358968674 \h 2902013-02-25 (Samoa) ETG Yet To Submit Casino Proposal PAGEREF _Toc358968675 \h 2932013-02-26: Mulivai Safata Supports ETG hotel PAGEREF _Toc358968676 \h 2942013-02-26: Casino Company To Submit Proposal PAGEREF _Toc358968677 \h 2962013-02-26: Opposition Says Casinos Will Erode Samoa’s Culture PAGEREF _Toc358968678 \h 2972013-03-01: Opposition Mounts to Casinos in Samoa PAGEREF _Toc358968679 \h 2982013-03-04: U.S. and China Battle For Influence in the Pacific PAGEREF _Toc358968680 \h 2992013-03-08: Casino Controversy Brewing In Samoa PAGEREF _Toc358968681 \h 3012013-03-10: Casinos An Experiment, Samoa PM Tells the World PAGEREF _Toc358968682 \h 3022013-03-13: Tuilaepa’s Magic Word “Casino,” Let’s Give Him A Chance PAGEREF _Toc358968683 \h 3032013-03-15: Mulivai to Become Samoa’s Las Vegas PAGEREF _Toc358968684 \h 3062013-04-03: Sichuan Realty Tycoon Disappears Following Probe PAGEREF _Toc358968685 \h 3092013-04-05: Tycoon Probed for Involvement in Li Chuncheng Case PAGEREF _Toc358968686 \h 3102013-04-05: Wealthy Businessman Deng Hong Under Investigation PAGEREF _Toc358968687 \h 3122013-04-12: Another Sichuan Businessman Investigated for Graft PAGEREF _Toc358968688 \h 3142013-04-15: Samoa PRC Ambassador Dislikes “Negative ETG Campaign”! PAGEREF _Toc358968689 \h 3162013-04-20: Analysis: Yap/ETG “Strategic Framefork”Agreement PAGEREF _Toc358968690 \h 3172013-04-18: Rolling the Dice PAGEREF _Toc358968691 \h 3212013-04-18: ETG Island Casinos to Round Out China Offer PAGEREF _Toc358968692 \h 3222013-05-01: Chinesse Businessman Investigated For Corruption PAGEREF _Toc358968693 \h 3252013-05-02: Eighth Yap State Legislature, Resolution No. 8-75 PAGEREF _Toc358968694 \h 3272013-05-03 (Samoa): What next? PAGEREF _Toc358968695 \h 3342013-05-08 (Samoa): No Place For Casinos: Palusalue PAGEREF _Toc358968696 \h 3372013-05-09 (Samoa): Proposed Samoa Casino in Limbo PAGEREF _Toc358968697 \h 3392013-05-10 (Samoa): We’re Not “Fools” PAGEREF _Toc358968698 \h 3412013-05-13 (Samoa): Call For Investor Scrutiny Rebuffed PAGEREF _Toc358968699 \h 3442013-05-16 (Samoa): Corruption Attracts Dodgy Investors PAGEREF _Toc358968700 \h 3452013-05-17: Samoa and Yap Split on ETG Casinos PAGEREF _Toc358968701 \h 3482013-05-27: YSL Calls For Cancellation of ETG FIP PAGEREF _Toc358968702 \h 349What’s Happening To Ethics In Yap State Government? PAGEREF _Toc358968703 \h 3532013-06-13: Tibet Demonstration Targets British Hospitality Summit PAGEREF _Toc358968704 \h 355China Eyes Major Hotel Project in Micronesia PAGEREF _Toc358968705 \h 357Chinese Investment in the Caribbean PAGEREF _Toc358968706 \h 358China’s Golden Moment: Making It Last Forever PAGEREF _Toc358968707 \h 389The Rise of the Helicopters PAGEREF _Toc358968708 \h 389Watching China’s Rise Through Indian Eyes PAGEREF _Toc358968709 \h 390A Tale of Two Hotels in Lhasa PAGEREF _Toc358968710 \h 392Disappearing Pandas, Disappearing Tibetans? PAGEREF _Toc358968711 \h 393Deep Inside the Party-State Structure PAGEREF _Toc358968712 \h 394Property Developer Dèng Hóng PAGEREF _Toc358968713 \h 395Tibetans In China’s Golden Moment PAGEREF _Toc358968714 \h 396China’s Missing Voices: The Silenced Majority PAGEREF _Toc358968715 \h 397Golden Moment, Heavy Contradictions PAGEREF _Toc358968716 \h 398The Golden Sun Begins To Set PAGEREF _Toc358968717 \h 400World’s Highest-Altitude InterContinental Hotel to Open in Tibet PAGEREF _Toc358968718 \h 402InterContinental Hotel in Lhasa Helps Entrench Occupation PAGEREF _Toc358968719 \h 403Western Hotels Invade China PAGEREF _Toc358968720 \h 405The Gemini of the South: World’s Biggest Standalone Complex PAGEREF _Toc358968721 \h 408Students for a Free Tibet UK PAGEREF _Toc358968722 \h 410Chengdu Motor Show Cooperation Agreement Signing Ceremony PAGEREF _Toc358968723 \h 414Maldivian VP Returns Following Trip to China PAGEREF _Toc358968724 \h 415Maldives Paradise Atolls Project PAGEREF _Toc358968725 \h 416Maldivian Atolls From The Sky PAGEREF _Toc358968726 \h 417The Maldives are in political upheaval. Why do we care? PAGEREF _Toc358968727 \h 418China’s Hawaii to Face Hotel Slump as Supply Triples PAGEREF _Toc358968728 \h 420Appendix 1: China-FSM Aid & Development Projects, 2000-2011 PAGEREF _Toc358968729 \h 422Appendix 2: U.S. & FSM Compact Contact Information PAGEREF _Toc358968730 \h 429Links to COFA Information: PAGEREF _Toc358968731 \h 430Other Links of Interest PAGEREF _Toc358968732 \h 430YouTube and Other Video Links PAGEREF _Toc358968733 \h 430Editor’s note: Perusing this collection two years after I started it, I decided to move a couple of articles up front, as a sort of “preamble” to the whole sordid saga of greed, corruption, and callous disregard of the will of the People. These articles are of special interest, in that we can learn that the PRC interest in opening casinos in FSM is something that has been on the books since at least the year 2010. And all the while, Governor Anefal, President Mori, and the FSM Embassy in PRC has insisted that the first they heard about ETG was “Early 2011”…(HN)2010-12-01: Letter to the Editor: Timing Is Everythingby Ausen T. Lambert, Pohnpei State Senator, 2010-12-01 (Source: Kaselehlie Press)Dear Editor:Four Sundays ago, a letter was read by my religion, the Catholic Church throughout its churches in Pohnpei. This letter was written by Father Julio Angkel, Vicar of Pohnpei and Kosrae, though I suspect that the letter was a product of the collective efforts of the Catholic Church leaders here in Pohnpei.I am saddened to say that the letter alleged that the Government of the State of Pohnpei, specifically the Governor and the members of the Legislature are not doing their jobs with respect to a proposed Micronesian Tourism Complex comprised of a 1?000 room hotel, a casino and a golf course.The letter said that there has not been a study of the social, cultural and environmental impact assessments (EIA) of the casino project. As an example the letter said that fertilizers are needed in order to maintain a golf course and that those fertilizers eventually run off into the lagoon killing the reef life and hurting the local fishing industry.I say that the members of the Pohnpei Legislature are not so stupid as to allow such an example to ruin the life of the people we cherish to serve. As servants of the people, we will definitely make sure that does not happen by putting a condition into the bill that an EIA be undertaken before any actual construction begins. Further, there are golf courses throughout this part of the world that go as far as lagoon and water edges without causing the harm the letter cited.The letter said that the government has not informed the people of Pohnpei that casinos in neighboring islands have been investigated for money laundering. It went on to say that as a young state we do not have the personnel, equipment, or resources to enforce international banking regulations or to monitor transfers of money.I say that the young State of Pohnpei has a law in place that prohibits money laundering on its soil. The joint efforts of all stakeholders consisting of the FSM government, the State government and the banks, which are covered by FDIC will work together so that we would prevail over any such illegal activity.I wonder, is it wrong for someone to make his or her offering in the church with money that was laundered? How could anyone in the church know whether collected offering come from illegal activity?The letter that was read in the Pohnpei churches said that the government has not informed its people about the possible risk of human trafficking, a crime that occurs throughout the Asia-Pacific region. It went on to say that despite the fact that Tinian and Saipan are protected by U.S. immigration controls and the international data collection that informs those controls, those two places are still struggling with the problem of human trafficking. It said that the FSM is currently on the U.S. Watch List for human trafficking because the FSM lacks the means to regulate its own borders or to comply with the minimum standards necessary to control human trafficking. Once the airport runway project is completed in the middle of next year, direct flights from Asian countries will be available to Pohnpei so travelers will not be required to pass through Guam and will be able to slip past U.S. Border Patrol procedures that take place there. The letter says that factor increases the risk that illegal drug businesses and people involved in the sex industry will be able to enter Pohnpei in order to seek profit at the proposed casino hotel.But, the Compact of Free Association between the FSM and the U.S., as amended requires passport readable machines <sic!> in the FSM states in order prevent such situations from happening here in the FSM. The security of the FSM against illegal activities within its borders is the security of the U.S. with its Embassy and people here with us. Do you think that the U.S. will let us stand alone in as far as immigrations issues are concerned knowing fully well about the terrible events that occurred on September 11, 2001?Searches are still required by the Transportation Security Authority on all flights of Continental Micronesia within our region as a classic example of what I mean.Again, any illicit drug activity and prostitution in Pohnpei are illegal by laws that we set up. Twenty five percent of revenues collected from the proposed hotel casino would be used for law enforcement and public safety in Pohnpei.The letter said that since a business place is not available the government has not been able to respond in detail to questions concerning the economic advantages of the casino project mainly in terms of the revenue that will be collected and the number of jobs that will be available to locals.As servants of the people, the Legislature will make sure that a business place is part of Legislature Bill 238-09. As pointed out in our public hearing, this project alone will not eliminate Pohnpei’s financial woes. Considering the magnitude of the project it will create jobs and provide income for our people and our government.Being a member of the Catholic Church myself, I felt that it was not right for such a letter to be read or even to be addressed at a very important time of the mass which was during the homily. In all churches of different religions that I have attended, the time of homily is reserved for explanations of reading of the Holy Bible. I do not object to any religion in Pohnpei educating its church members regarding any issue that concerns its people and by this statement I am assuming that was the purpose of the reading of the letter in Pohnpei Churches.The crux of my concern is: was the letter read at the proper time and place during the mass? As Catholic my answer is “NO!”Being a member of the Pohnpei Legislature, I was offended by what my Church leaders had done by taking my attention away from the purpose for which I had gone to church, which was to worship the almighty God.To be frank, my worship was so ruined that I felt that it was a waste of time going to church that Sunday. My faith did not question the almighty God but the members of the clergy of my church. And to make matters worse, on the very next Sunday the letter was read again as part of the homily. Deep inside of me it was like hell, so much so that I had to leave immediate after the reading of the letter. I have not attended church since then despite the fact that I attended church regularly.I am a true Catholic believer but it was sad to witness what my Church here in Pohnpei did to tarnish its name. This is not the role I believe my church should play. My church should not have used the time of homily in order to accuse the Governor and Legislatures of not doing our jobs as we consider the bill on the casino resort.To tell the truth, I would not object at all if the message of the letter had been broadcast in other mediums, either by announcing it after the mass or by airing it on the radio, television, or by publishing it in this press.This letter does not mean that I do not respect my church leaders. I do respect them dearly. I only want to convey the feelings of a Catholic person who is at the same time a State Senator.Respectfully, Ausen T. Lambert Pohnpei State Senator2010-12-29: Not in Our Name; Not for Pohnpeiby Ringlen Wolphagen, 2010-12-29 (Source: Kaselehlie Press)How would you feel if someone threw a party at your house, charged admission and didn’t invite you, much less inform you? Well that, in a nutshell, is what this Administration is attempting to do with its “top priority” plan to establish a 1000-room hotel-casino resort on Pohnpei.The Governor argues that a casino would generate millions of dollars in revenue and hundreds of jobs. This may well be true. But going back to the analogy above, what good would the profits be if, in the course of the party, your house was trashed? And, since you weren’t told there’d be a party and you weren’t even invited, chances are you wouldn’t even get a cut of the sales.For all the hype about revenues and jobs, one very crucial point—indeed, we daresay this is the crux of the whole matter—has been totally ignored. Did anyone ever ask us, Pohnpeians, if we want a casino on our island? For that matter, has anyone ever asked the people of Lukop Village in Madolenihmw Municipality, who stand to be displaced, if they are willing to give up their homes so that high rollers from who knows where can try their luck at the baccarat and roulette tables? Has anyone even considered the sentiments of His Majesty, the Honorable Kerpet Hebel, Isipao the Nanmwarki of Madolenihmw, who has publicly expressed his opposition to the casino? If there is one thing Pohnpei takes pride in, it is in the preservation of our culture and traditions. So precious are these to us that we have even enshrined our traditional laws as part of our legal statutes. Part of that tradition is that no major decisions are ever undertaken without consulting and getting the consensus of the Traditional Leaders and the people of Pohnpei.And yet we have members of the Pohnpei Legislature crowing that the bill to establish the casino is on the verge of garnering the full support of the chamber.Last we looked at is, we thought we lived in a state governed by the rule of law, where public office was a public trust, not a license to do whatever one wanted, whether or not the electorate agreed.And yet here we have the spectacle of an Administration and a Legislature insisting that Pohnpei will have a casino without even asking us whether we want one or not, or whether we are prepared for one. In fact, the Governor and members of the Legislature seem to have even forgotten that opening a casino without a referendum is unconstitutional.Is it any wonder Pohnpeians are growing restless, with a growing number vowing that any senator who backs the casino bill will automatically be voted out?Sadly enough, this Administration talks only of revenues and jobs, as if the casino’s presence on Pohnpei would usher us into a golden age of prosperity and happiness. The truth is there are always two sides to the coin. And this Administration has showed us only one side. Have we heard anyone in this Administration ever discuss the potential social costs of opening a casino on Pohnpei? Has anyone in this Administration even told us that Guam, the most advanced island in the Micronesian region, has refused to have anything to do with casinos?Has this Administration ever talked of the many studies and articles written about the experiences of Atlantic City or Las Vegas beyond the garish lights? Has anyone in this Administration ever told you that US cities that have allowed the operation of casinos have invariably witnessed dramatic increases in crimes like murder, rape, robbery and car theft, not counting domestic violence and child abuse and neglect?Has anyone in this Administration ever discussed how gambling can become an addiction like drugs? That research on Nevada has shown that pathological gamblers can spend up to an average of 45 percent of their monthly income in what eventually becomes a losing proposition? Or of the other problems associated with habitual gambling, like racking up huge debts one is unable to pay, not counting the taxes and even utility bills they eventually neglect to pay? Or that states where casinos operate have the highest rates of home foreclosures and bankruptcies? Or that, very often, pathological gamblers turn to crime—fraud, embezzlement, drug dealing, theft—to come up with the money to pay their debts? Or that the criminal activities associated with gambling eventually cost the taxpayers who have to dish out more for police, courts, probation officers, and the costs of keeping offenders in jail? Or of the economic losses that habitual gamblers cause not only their employers but the state and society itself?This Administration is trying to blind us with bright lights and promises of prosperity, proclaiming that they are bringing in the casino because they care for us. Nothing can be further from the truth. If they truly care for Pohnpei and the Pohnpeians, they would be honest with us. They would consult us, openly discuss the matter with us and, most important, abide by what we, Pohnpeians, believe is right for Pohnpei.Alas, we do not see this happening here. All we see are lies, subterfuge and hypocrisy. All we see are narrow political, financial and personal interests being advanced in the guise of the people’s interests.But the people of Pohnpei are not blind and we certainly are not fools. We say, no, you will not run roughshod over our rights and our lives. No, you will not make a mockery of our laws and of governance. And no, we will not allow you to get away with this, not in our name. No way to a casino for Pohnpei.Ringlen WolphagenChinese Investors Propose Huge Tourism Development Plans For YapBy Arlynne Chugen, The Kaselehlie Press, Friday, 07 October 2011September 27, 2011 Colonia, Yap—The Exhibit and Travel Group (ETG)—a private entity headquartered in Chengdu in the Sichuan province of the People’s Republic of China is seeking to invest heavily on the island of Yap. If ETG’s plans pass scrutiny in Yap it would be the largest investment by a private sector entity anywhere in the FSM. The ETG proposal includes the construction of 8 to 10 hotel complexes with a combined total of up to 4 000 guest rooms. These complexes could be completed and opened by 2015 if the Yap State Government approves their plan. Their plans extend to the development of as many as 10 000 guest rooms by 2020.ETG’s proposals are not limited to hotel complexes. In their vision to create what they term a “world class island international tourism resort” in Yap, ETG also plans to build convention centers, casinos, and entertainment centers. To complement the need for such world-class resorts, tentative plans of development also include the construction of 8 to 15 golf courses.The implementation of such a large-scale project would require a vastly improved infrastructure in Yap. In anticipation of that need ETG has included the improvement of the transportation system in order “to satisfy the need of large passenger jets” and the expansion of ports in order “to satisfy the need of international tourism and shipment,” in its plans.In their presentation, ETG claims that their proposed development ideas will “highlight the long history of the indigenous [Yapese] culture, adding a unique ethnic element to sightseeing.” The completion of the project “will make tourism the key industry in FSM, which shall also promote the development of agriculture, fisheries, crop farming, and other industries.” Further, the private enterprise also claims their ideas reflect on such themes as “green and environmental” and a “combination of environmental protection and development.”One Yap State government official said that nothing is finalized but there are definitely some ideas of development already being discussed. An ETG entourage lead by ETG chairman Dèng Hóng, flew into Yap on August 16, 2011 on a chartered plane where they met with Yap State Leadership to discuss their proposed development plans. The August meeting between ETG and Yap State leadership was not the first meeting between the two parties. Both groups met earlier in the year to discuss the ideas. ETG had invited representatives from various Yap government agencies to visit Chengdu so that Yap’s representatives could see firsthand the types of economic development they have accomplished there. “ETG investment could be the best thing that happens to Yap, but we must maintain control every step of the way” said one employee of Yap’s Division of Commerce and Industry. Reactions to ETG’s proposals amongst members of the public we contacted were mixed ranging from outright skepticism to optimism. “We stand to gain but what do we know about what to lose?” said John G. Mangefel, a Yapese employee working at the Youth Services. “It’s good foreign investment but history has shown that foreign investment isn’t necessarily good for the general populace” another Yapese who wished to remain anonymous said. Dieter Kudler, General Manager and co-owner of Yap Pacific Dive Resort, held a different view. “It’s a lifetime opportunity for Yap Island” he said. Kudler is also the General Manager of one of the hotels on the island. He said that he thinks that competition and the possibility of an increased number of flights to the island could work to the advantage of the dive resort.The Yap State government has not agreed to any development plans in Yap but it is in the process of forming a taskforce with several mandates. In a government communication dated September 5 that was submitted to the Yap State 8th Legislature and the Chief Councils, the Governor Sebastian Anefal called for the formation of the taskforce, also known as the “Work Group.” The Work Group would be tasked to do the following: 1) “identify and describe each land parcel that is suitable for development, its relative size, and identify who owns each parcel of land”; 2) recommend the types of development (hotel, beach expansion, golf course, etc.) most compatible for each identified parcel of land; and 3) identify such land areas “that are so ecologically, historically, and culturally important to (the) people of Yap” that they should be exempted from development plans.The Work Group is expected to report its findings to the State Leadership by November 30, 2011.The members of the Work Group, as indicated in the government communication, will consist of five members: a representative of the Administration; two members of the 8th Yap State Legislature; one member of the Council of Pilung; and one member of the Council of Tamol. Any decisions and recommendations made by the Work Group will require a unanimous vote by each of the members of the Work Group.In addition to consensus decisions within the Work Group, the government would need to work out some major current roadblock to such a large scale project. For example, ETG’s proposed plans to build casinos would require some changes in Yap State law. Gambling is currently prohibited according to Title 11, Section 601 of the Yap State Code.The status of the Work Group is still unknown. Government official did not respond to our requests for comments on the status of the project plans.The Yap State Legislature is currently in recess. Their next regular session is scheduled to begin in January 2012, though their next session day is subject to call.Ambitious Chinese Development Mooted for YapBy Samantha Magick ? October 4, 2011 (Source: )Chinese investors are proposing a tourism resort on Yap which would dwarf any current development in the Federated States of Micronesia if it were to come to fruition.The Kaselehlie Press reports that a private investor group called the Exhibit & Travel Group (ETG) from Chengdu in Sichuan Province has met with Yap State officials to discuss the proposal. The development could involve as many as 10 hotel complexes with up to 4 000 guest rooms which, if approved, could be ready for occupancy in 2015.The ETG proposal involves what they call a “world-class island international tourism resort” with convention centers, casinos and entertainment centers, and from eight to 15 golf courses.The Kaselehlie Press reports that Yap Governor Sebastian Anefal has called for the formation of a task force of the Yap State Legislature and Chief’s Council members to examine the proposal. HYPERLINK "" China Eyes Huge Tourism Development for YapBy Jon A. Anderson, Tuesday October 4 2011, Maraiana Variety NewsCompetition for Guam?A development proposal which would dwarf anything so far seen in the Federated States of Micronesia has been proposed by Chinese investors for Yap State, the closest FSM state to Guam.As reported in the Oct. 3 edition of Kaselehlie Press—a biweekly newspaper published in the State of Pohnpei—a private investor group called the Exhibit and Travel Group (ETG) from Chengdu in Sichuan Province, in the People’s Republic of China, has met with Yap State officials to discuss the proposal. The development could involve as many as eight to 10 hotel complexes with up to 4 000 guest rooms which, if approved, could be ready for occupancy in 2015. The plans actually envision an ultimate total of 20 000 rooms—more than twice the number currently available on Guam.The ETG proposal involves what they call a “world-class island international tourism resort” with convention centers, casinos and entertainment centers, and from eight to 15 golf courses. The implementation of such a large-scale project would require a vastly improved infrastructure in Yap. Anticipating that, ETG says they will improve the transportation system in order to “satisfy the need of large passenger jets,” and the expansion of ports “to satisfy the need of international tourism and shipment.”An ETG entourage headed by Chairman Dèng Hóng flew into Yap in August on a chartered plane to meet with Yap State leadership. The state government has not agreed to any development plans but, according to the article by Yap correspondent Arlynne Chugen in the Kaselehlie Press, Governor Sebastian Anefal has called for the formation of a task force of the Yap State Legislature and Chief’s Council members to “identify and describe each land parcel that is suitable for development, its relative size, and who owns it; recommend the types of development (hotel, teach expansion, golf course, etc.) most compatible for each identified parcel of land; and identify such land areas that are so ecologically, historically and culturally important to the people of Yap that they should be exempted from development plans.”In additional to consensus decisions within the “work group,” the government would need to work out some major current roadblocks to such a large-scale project. For example, ETG’s proposal to build casinos would require changes in Yap law, which currently prohibits gambling.In their presentation, ETG claimed their proposed development will highlight the long history of the indigenous (Yapese) culture, adding a unique ethnic element to sightseeing. The completion of the project will make tourism the key industry in the FSM, but the investors say they will also promote the development of agriculture, fisheries, crop farming and other industries.No dollar amounts are mentioned in the article, but such a development can expect to run into the billions of dollars. It would also enable mainland Chinese tourists to fly directly into Yap, bypassing Guam and the CNMI. The next scheduled session of the Yap State Legislature is not until January, but the working group formed by the governor is considering the huge development proposal. Chinese Company Donates $1K to Yap Canoe FestivalMonday, October 31, 2011Colonia, Yap State Government—The Exhibition and Travel Group (ETG) has donated $1,000 to the 3rd Annual Canoe Festival, slated for Nov. 11-13.The donation was presented Thursday by Matti Dubee, on behalf of the administration of the ETG in Chengdu, China, to Tim Bigelow, chairman of the 3rd Annual Canoe Festival Organizing Committee.Dubee is the project manager for the Exhibition and Travel Group and is based in Yap, Federated States of Micronesia.A letter accompanying the donation stated, “I present my compliments and am pleased to inform you of a small donation to your good committee’s significant work on the annual Canoe Festival, which is slated to take place this year from Nov. 11-13, 2011 at the Colonia Community Center. As such, please allow me, on behalf of the Exhibition & Travel Group, to present to you a $1 000 donation to Yap Traditional Navigation Society and the 3rd Annual Canoe Festival Organizing Committee.”The letter concluded by saying, “Your committee has been putting out public announcements requesting support for this event and this donation is to help support this year’s event in any way your committee see fit.”The organizing committee has been soliciting support for the events and activities that will take place during the annual festival. So far, only few private companies and government agencies have expressed interest to sponsor some of the events.Office of the DirectorDepartment of Youth & Civic AffairsYap State Government Briefs (DYCA Press Releases)2011-03-14: ETG Calls on Governor AnefalAt 9:00 am today, March 14, 2011, the representatives of the Exhibition and Travel Group (ETG) from the People’s Republic of China along with a representative of the FSM Embassy in Beijing met with the Governor at the Cabinet Room and discussed details of a tourism development project which the private company is hoping to bring into Yap within the next few years if things are worked out well between ETG and the State Government including other organizations, groups and entities.Members of the visiting group include Mr. Haihao Sun, who is ETG International Marketing Representative and Head of Delegation, Mr. Gang Yang, Advisor and Mr. Vince Sivas, First Secretary of the FSM Embassy in Beijing, People’s Republic of China. The ETG group is based in Chengdu, the capital city of Sichuan Province and has been in existence for over ten years specializing in hotels, exhibition and convention centers, property management, real estate development and tourism.The purpose of the group’s visit to Yap is to explore possible investment opportunities in tourism sector. The company plans to build a convention center in Yap State, which will bring people from the Asia and the Pacific area to hold regional meetings in Yap. Governor Anefal has informed the ETG group at the meeting this morning that the State has three top priority areas for development. These areas are in Fisheries, Agriculture and Tourism. He also told them that he has constantly been in contact with the FSM Diplomatic Office in Beijing requesting its assistance in promoting Yap’s tourism industry in China so potential investors can bring investment and other benefits to the people on these islands. He said he is now happy that this private company has expressed interest to invest in Yap ernor Sebastian Anefal also joined the ETG group when it discussed the same investment issue with representatives of appropriate departments and agencies of the government including the private sector.The Exhibition and Travel Group will continue to meet throughout the week with individual groups and organization to find out if Yap should be an ideal location for its investment project, which is believed to bring an increase to the number of visitors into Yap Island.The ETG group will be flying out to Ulithi on Friday to explore the islands and meet with the Chiefs and the people before returning to Yap on the same day. 2011-03-21: ETG Ends Tour in YapRepresentatives of the Exhibition Travel Group (ETG) from the People’s Republic of China who came to Yap on a fact-finding mission have departed on Sunday following a trip to Falalop, Ulithi, on Friday, March 18, 2011.The three member delegation from China consisted of Mr. Haihao Sun, ETG International Marketing Representative, Mr. Yang Gang, Director, China Sea International Travel Service, and Mr. Vince Sivas, First Secretary of the FSM Embassy in Beijing were accompanied to Ulithi on the PMA by Governor Sebastian Anefal and Assistant Protocol Officer John Hasmai where they met and discussed with the Chiefs, the purpose of their visit to the Atoll and how the company intends to bring investment to the islands should things work out fine according to their plan.The investment plan has been in collaboration between the FSM Embassy in Beijing, People’s Republic of China and the ETG, an investment group based in Chengdu, a city in Sichuan Province, which has been in existence for over ten years now specializing in hotels, exhibition and convention centers, property management, real estate development and tourism among others.During the meeting in Ulithi on Friday, the Chiefs of Falalop, Ulithi who were present at that time have told the members of the Chinese delegation that they really appreciate their plan and that they will look forward to assist them in the near future. The group was taken on an island tour before returning back to Yap late in the afternoon. Upon arrival in Yap that evening, the ETG hosted a dinner reception for the State Leadership at the Marina Grill and Bar Restaurant where they bit <sic!> farewell to all who assisted them one way or another by making their trip to Yap on fact-finding mission fruitful and successful.The Exhibition and Travel Group ended its fact-finding mission in Yap following a ride on the PMA plane on Saturday at which time they took aerial photos of the Main Island as part of the data that they have been collecting since their arrival on Sunday, March 13, 2011.The company will decide on whether or not it will accept the proposal to invest in the state of Yap after it reviews the team’s report on their fining <sic!>.2011-06-16: ETG Group Heads Back to ChinaThe charter plane bearing the ETG (Exhibition & Travel Group) representatives arrived today at 1:00 PM after returning from a trip to Samoa. The plane stopped by Yap for refueling at the airport before heading back to China.After the representatives from the ETG left Yap last Sunday, they visited Pohnpei where they met with the FSM President and key National officials. A party from the FSM National Government, which included the President, left with the ETG to visit the South Pacific nation of Samoa. After meeting with the Samoan leadership, the plane returned to China via the FSM.Yap State Government officials were present at the airport when the plane arrived for refueling today. After nearly a couple of hours of refreshing and refueling, the ETG embarked the charter plane for their trip back to headquarters.The Exhibition & Travel Group is expected to return to Yap after a month.2011-08-04: ETG Begins Tour of Yap IslandThe Chinese Exhibition and Travel Group (ETG) has begun its tour in Yap by taking a boat ride to the northern part of the island on Wednesday August 3, 2011 where they visited the Yap Cultural Center at Bechiyal, Maap during lunch break yesterday.The group spent several hours on the beach in Maap before they return back to Colonia in the evening. Technical Experts from the ETG have also avail their time yesterday by meeting with the Yap State Public Service Corporation to discuss the detail of its service which is part of ETG’s plan to assist YSPSC by increasing the load capacity of its power plant to accommodate the demand that will come about as a result of its proposed multi-million development project on the island.The Chinese Exhibition and Travel Group (ETG) hosted a dinner reception for the government at the Yap Pacific Dive Resort Cave <sic!> & Bar Restaurant in the evening.Part of the activities scheduled for the ETG today included a tour of the Cultural Center in Kaday village, a tourist site in Weloy municipality and Sunset Drinks at Malay where members of the group have enjoyed their drinks as they spent time on the beach watching the sunset from the Kanifay Recreational Park.The ETG and the officials from the Chengdu government will continue with their schedule on Friday August 5th before they depart from Yap on Saturday August 6th, 2011.2011-08-02; Chinese Government Envoy Attended Joint Inauguration Celebration Kolonia, Pohnpei (China Embassy Press Release, Aug. 02, 2011) — His Excellency Wang Guoqiang, the Special Envoy of the Government of the People’s Republic of China, Vice Minister of the Ministry of Health, attended the Joint Inauguration Celebration for the new Leadership of the Federated States of Micronesia in Palikir, the capital of the FSM on July 29th. During his stay in the FSM, His Excellency Special Envoy Wang Guoqiang met with His Excellency President Emanuel Mori, His Honorable Vice President Alik Alik, His Honorable Speaker Isaac Figir, His Honorable Vice Speaker Berney Martin, His Honorable Lorin Robert, Secretary of Foreign Affairs, Her Honorable Dr. Vita Skilling, Secretary of Health and Social Affairs and His Honorable John Ehsa, Governor of the Pohnpei State.His Excellency Special Envoy Wang conveyed the cordial greetings of the Chinese leaders to the newly-elected leadership of the FSM and extended warm congratulations to its Inauguration on behalf of the Chinese Government and people. Mr. Wang positively valued the development of bilateral relations since the establishment of diplomatic relationship between the People’s Republic of China and the Federated States of Micronesia, appreciated the firm position of the FSM on the “One China” policy. Mr. Wang expressed the willingness of the Chinese side to work together with the FSM side in further increasing the bilateral exchanges of all levels, deepening the substantial cooperation of multi-aspects, strengthening the communication and coordination on international and regional issues, upgrading the friendly relations of the two countries to a new high.His Excellency President Mori and other national leaders of the FSM welcomed Special Envoy Wang’s attendance to the Joint Inauguration Celebration and expressed gratitude to the Chinese Government for its long-term assistance to the FSM economic and social development. H.E. President Mori stated that the FSM Government, attaching great importance to the promotion of mutual relations with the People’s Republic of China, would continue to commit firmly the “One China” policy, look forward to increasing exchanges and cooperation with China in all fields and working for further development of the bilateral relations between the two countries.His Excellency Special Envoy Wang also met with the members of the Chinese medical team in Chuuk State and paid visits to several projects aided by the Chinese Government in Pohnpei State such as the Pohnpei State Government Administrative Building, the FSM-China Friendship Sports Center and the Pilot Farm. H.E. Special Envoy Wang also visited the Pohnpei State Hospital.The Chinese Ambassador to the FSM, His Excellency Zhang Weidong accompanied the Special Envoy to attend most of the above-mentioned activities. 2011-10-05: Chinese Investors Plan Major Hotel in YapHag?t?a, Guam (Marianas Variety)—A development proposal which would dwarf anything so far seen in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) has been proposed by Chinese investors for Yap, the closest FSM state to Guam.As reported in the Oct. 3 edition of Kaselehlie Press, a biweekly newspaper published in the Pohnpei, a private investor group called the Exhibit and Travel Group (ETG), from Chengdu in Sichuan Province, in the People’s Republic of China, has met with Yap officials to discuss the proposal. The development could involve as many as eight to 10 hotel complexes with up to 4,000 guest rooms which, if approved, could be ready for occupancy in 2015. The plans actually envision an ultimate total of 20,000 rooms — more than twice the number currently available on Guam.The ETG proposal involves what they call a “world-class island international tourism resort” with convention centers, casinos and entertainment centers, and from eight to 15 golf courses. The implementation of such a large-scale project would require a vastly improved infrastructure in Yap. Anticipating that, ETG says they will improve the transportation system in order to “satisfy the need of large passenger jets,” and the expansion of ports “to satisfy the need of international tourism and shipment.”An ETG entourage headed by Chairman Dèng Hóng flew into Yap in August on a chartered plane to meet with the Yap leadership. The state government has not agreed to any development plans but, according to the article by Yap correspondent Arlynne Chugen in the Kaselehlie Press, Gov. Sebastian Anefal has called for the formation of a task force of the Yap State Legislature and chief’s council members to “identify and describe each land parcel that is suitable for development, its relative size, and who owns it; recommend the types of development (hotel, teach expansion, golf course, etc.) most compatible for each identified parcel of land; and identify such land areas that are so ecologically, historically and culturally important to the people of Yap that they should be exempted from development plans.”In addition to consensus decisions within the “work group,” the government would need to work out some major current roadblocks to such a large-scale project. For example, ETG’s proposal to build casinos would require changes in Yap law, which currently prohibits gambling.In a presentation, ETG said its proposed development will highlight the long history of the indigenous Yapese culture, adding a unique ethnic element to sightseeing. The completion of the project will make tourism the key industry in the FSM, but the investors say they will also promote the development of agriculture, fisheries, crop farming and other industries.No dollar amounts are mentioned in the article, but such a development can expect to run into the billions of dollars. It would also enable mainland Chinese tourists to fly directly into Yap, bypassing Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). The next scheduled session of the Yap State Legislature is not until January, but the working group formed by the governor is considering the huge development proposal.2012-01-11: ETG Pays Visit To YapA team from the Chinese Exhibition and Travel Group in Chendu, Peoples Republic of China has arrived on a visit to the State of Yap yesterday January 10, 2012.The team is led by Mr. Dèng Hóng, Chairman of the Chinese Exhibition and Travel Group in Chendu (ETG), People’s Republic of China.The group arrived at Yap International Airport at around 6:00 pm yesterday and went thru Immigration and Custom proper procedures before they proceeded to the Pacific Diver’s Club Hotel in Colonia where they will stay during their visit.While in Yap the ETG is scheduled to make tour of the island and meet with traditional leaders as well as the local chiefs to find out the status of its proposed investment project in the State.The group is expected to return to mainland China on its private plane during the weekend. 2012-01-13: Yap Traditional Council Signs MOU With ETGMembers of the State Leadership were on hand to witness and help officiate the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the Yap Council of Pilung and ETG during a ceremony held at the Dining Room of the Yap Pacific Dive Resort at 5:00 pm on Thursday, January 12, 2012. The signing of the MOU by the Honorable Bruno Tharngan, Chairman of the Traditional Council of Pilung, and Mr. Dèng Hóng, Chairman of the Exhibition & Travel Group, based at Chengdu city in Sichuan Province, People’s Republic of China, signifies the beginning of an investment offer by the ETG.With the MOU in place, ETG will open an office in Yap where people who owns land could make deal for their land parcels that could be used by ETG for the investment project.The ETG Chairman delivered a remark after he and Chairman Bruno Tharngan signed the MOU last night.Chairman of ETG, Mr. Dèng Hóng and Chairman of Yap Council of Pilung, Chief Bruno Tharngan.During his remark, Chairman Deng told the State Leadership that the signing of the MOU is both special and historical because this will move the proposed investment project forward.He pointed out that this project will bring more benefits and improve the living standards of the people of the State. He said people would benefit from the money they receive under their land lease, employment that company will create and business opportunities for locals. Chairman Deng also mentioned historical and cultural plans in which the company will build new villages where the local people could conduct business with visitors interested in the culture. The villages will serve as centers for local activities such as local dance performance, carvings, weaving, etc. The ETG plans to build several villages which will be given free to the communities so they could be used for daily activities by the local people. The ETG has a plan to assist the State Government with its education and health development plan. He said the company could donate medical equipments and build facilities for the education system.Before he concluded his remark, Chairman Deng told the State Leadership that the success of the project will depend on the development and improvement of the infrastructure in Yap, especially the International Airport so it could open up for direct flights between Yap and Asian countries including Japan and Korea. In conclusion, the ETG chairman expressed his feeling towards the number of people in Yap infected by the Dengue Fever outbreak and wished for their speedy recovery. He presented a check in the amount of US$20,000 to Governor Anefal as a donation for medications for the people of the ernor Sebastian Anefal, delivering a remark on behalf of Chairman Bruno Tharngan, first thanked Chairman Hong, CEO Liu and the rest of the ETG group for taking the time off from their busy schedule to visit and deliberate more with the people in Yap on the project.The Governor also thanked members of the State Leadership who were able to make it to the ceremony and the Honorable Carl Apis, Chargé d’affaires of the FSM Embassy in Beijing, People’s Republic of China for his active role for the initiation of the project. Governor began his remark by saying, “I join Chairman Deng in giving full recognition to the very special guests this evening. This moment is one at the same time historic in that the signing as we have witness of the MOU between ETG and the Council of Pilung signifies that we have taken one of the many steps going forward in as far as the ETG project is concerned.” The Governor mentioned that although ETG and Yap State haven’t gone through the process of many papers to be reviewed, signed or approved, the signing of the MOU has given both Yap State and the ETG more anticipation on the project moving forward.He said the project involves many things that we are not really clear on but as Chairman Deng has described, it is a dream and a dream must start somewhere. Governor Anefal added that we cannot do much on the project without the support and understanding of the FSM national government, which has a very important role to play.He emphasized on the need for the people in the State Government as well as the people of the State to support and fully understand the benefits and other unforeseen impacts that the investment project will bring to the State so we could have control of both.Before concluding his remark, Governor has mentioned that Yap and the FSM still have so many things to undertake before this project could be implemented. The ETG will deal directly with the Council of Pilung on any issues concerning the implementation of the investment project with Yap State Government as facilitator and network safety. The MOU signing ceremony at the Pacific Divers Resort ended following a dinner reception hosted by the ETG.2012-01-18: COP and ETG Signs MOUThe signing of the Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) between the Yap Traditional Council of Pilung (COP) and the Chinese Exhibition and Travel Group (ETG) at 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 12, 2012 has signified the beginning of a unique tourism project that ETG proposed to invest in the State of Yap.The MOU was signed by the Honorable Bruno Tharngan, Chairman of the Traditional Council of Pilung and Mr. Dèng Hóng , Chairman of Chengdu Century City New International Convention & Exhibition Center Company Ltd (ETG).With the MOU in place, ETG will open an office in Yap where it could deal directly with the Council of Pilung and Chiefs on land issues regarding the investment project.Following is the MOU signed between the Yap State Government and the Chinese company:Memorandum of Understandingbetween the Council of Pilungof the State of Yap, Federated States of Micronesia(“Council” hereafter)andChengdu Century City New InternationalConvention and Exhibition Center Company Ltd.(“ETG” hereafter)Whereas the government of the State of Yap and ETG agreed to develop a unique world renowned top grade tourism project in the State of Yap according to a master development plan to be developed, which will include without limitation planning, designing, construction, management, operations for tourism development related projects (the “Project” hereafter). The master plan will cover the development of tourism sites and activities on all appropriate Yap islands where feasible and viable.Whereas ETG bears the intention to reconcile the development of the Project with the economic and social development of the local community of the State of Yap and the Council acknowledge the positive effect and benefit that the Project would bring to the local community and the State of Yap as a whole. ETG and the Council (each as a Party and as Parties collectively) both agree as follows,1. ETG acknowledges and commits its full respect towards the tradition and customs of the State of Yap and undertakes that the development of the Project shall benefit the development of the local culture. ETG further undertakes to provide assistance and contributions in establishing necessary public facilities which will benefit the welfare of the local community.2. The Parties acknowledge that the role of ETG as the full scale developer of the tourism resource of the State of Yap. The Council hereby supports ETG regarding the development of the Project to the largest extent. The Council further agrees to give to ETG their full assistance regarding the acquisition of land lease.3. The Parties agree that the Member of the Council shall witness, in a written form, the execution of the land lease instruments between ETG and the land owners with respect to the lease of land located within the community that said Member is associated with.4. The Parties agree that the Member of the Council shall coordinate and mediate should any dispute arises between ETG and respective local community.5. For the purpose of reconciliation of future investment by other investors with the development of this Project and the State of Yap, the Council and ETG shall discuss investment by other future investors regarding potential effect and influence to the development of the Project and the State of Yap, which may be imposed by such investment when such investment is proposed. The Parties agree that they shall put their best efforts to reject and avoid any activities which may harm the environment, local tradition, culture and social development of the State of Yap.6. The Parties acknowledge that the development of this Project shall be carried out by the ETG in a manner that is consistent with the continuing economic and social viability of the local community. ETG agrees upon the request of the Council or the Chiefs at any time, ETG shall consult with the Council and the Chiefs to mutually establish plans and programs for the implementation of this objective, and thereafter ETG shall in good faith cooperate with the Council and the Chiefs in long term.Signed,32702519748500For and on behalf of the Council of Pilung, the State of YapBruno Tharngan Chairman For and on behalf of the Chengdu Century City New International Convention and Exhibition Center Company, Ltd.Dèng Hóng Authorized Representative2012-01-20: Bordallo Wants China Visa Waiver For GuamGuam Congresswoman Madeleine Bordallo says last week’s signing of an MOU between a Chinese developer and the Yap State Government underscores the need for a China visa waiver for Guam.In reaction to the news of direct flight to Yap and the massive tourism development that is being planned there the Congresswoman released the following statement:“The recent addition of direct flights to Yap from China highlights the importance and urgency of including Chinese visitors under the Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program. I continue to work with Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense, as well as our island leaders, to push for the inclusion of Chinese visitors. The Chinese market would be an important growth market for our tourism industry in the future.”2012-01-26: Introduction of Resolution by Speaker Henry FalanResolution No. 8-50: A resolution respectfully requesting Governor to defer signing an investment agreement proposed by the ETG until such time when the people of the State of Yap have been fully informed about the proposal, and until the State Leadership has unanimously agreed that such proposal will be in the best interest and welfare of the people of the State of Yap. (Introduced by Henry Falan and assigned to CoW)2012-02-23: Legislative Penal <sic!> Holds Public Hearing Today, February 23, 2012, the Committee on Resources, Education and Development of the 8th Legislature of the State of Yap held a public hearing with the representatives from the government to discuss the detail of an amendment measure which is still pending with the Committee.The measure seeks to amend Title 22 of the Yap State Code by amending Chapter 3, on Foreign Investment Act, to establish a Foreign Investment Board, to provide technical amendments, and for other purposes.According to the proponents of this particular measure, the current Investment Act does not have a Board and therefore, all the functions and responsibility rests with the Director of the Department of Resources and Development.The Legislature is trying to create a board, which will protect the local businesses and at the same time bring in all the foreign investors who are interested to establish their businesses within the State of Yap. The proponents of the measure believe that a Foreign Investment Board should be created because it could make better decisions than a one person especially during the approval of business applications from outside investors.During the discussions, government witnesses have raised questions as to whether a Foreign Investment Board is really needed at this point in time. Witnesses have expressed concerns that an Investment Board may delay the process for approval of business applications.Others shared the experience the Marshalls had years back with investors from China and other countries that came and closed down all the local businesses in Majuro and had to restart again after they pulled out from their islands. Some of the principle witnesses pointed out that the problem with Marshall was similar to other places where they allowed foreign investors to become citizens and earn the same right as the local to establish their businesses.Others believed an Investment Board should be created in order to attract foreign investors to open up businesses in Yap. They explained that Foreign Investors are looking at places where their investments could be protected. They will have trust to invest their money in Yap if they see that a Board is in place to protect their investments.Before they wrap up the public hearing, the RED Committee told the witnesses that they would take all their comments into consideration during their work on the Bill. 2012-03-08: Governor Responds To The YSL Over Resolution 8-29In a letter to Speaker of the 8th Yap Legislature, Governor Sebastian Anefal explained the government’s position regarding the Chinese Exhibition and Travel Group’s (ETG) proposal for the development of Yap State’s tourism.Resolution 8-29, which was adopted on January 26, 2012, was Legislature’s response to a January 19th meeting between the Government of the State of Yap and ETG in which the State Leadership “learned of an investment proposal offered by ETG...in the form of an investment agreement to be signed by the Governor of the State of Yap.”The resolution further expressed the Legislature’s concern over the “magnitude” of the investment proposal which would potentially involve “millions of dollars and conceivably requiring vast areas of land throughout the State and would directly affect the lives and welfare of the people of Yap.” To this end, the Legislature has “respectfully requested (the Governor) to defer signing an investment agreement proposed by the ETG until such time when the people of the State of Yap have been fully informed about the proposal...”In response to this, Governor Anefal issued a letter to Speaker Falan dated February 28, 2012, which made clear that the State “has not entered into any investment agreement with ETG.” Further saying that, “currently there is no final agreement to execute.”The Governor further stated “that there were no comments, suggestions, proposed revisions, or policy considerations communicated by the Legislature for inclusion in a counter-offer proposed by the State.” Furthermore, the Governor stated that the Legislature failed to comment on the informal counter-offer made by the State to the ETG for their consideration.The Governor felt that “the process of negotiating a final agreement with ETG may be a lengthy one, and may involve communication of several drafts of an agreement...” and that “the most logical point and time to conduct any program of public education on the proposed ETG investment would be once the terms and conditions of an agreement have been largely finalized.”Governor Anefal further expressed, “that as the elected leadership of the State we have a duty and responsibility to keep the people of the State informed about the actions of their government.”The Governor ended his letter by inviting the Legislature to communicate their input in the ongoing negotiations, to collaborate in educating the communities, and to “present a unified resolute State leadership in any future dealings with ETG and others.”2012-03-13: YSL Speaker Responds to Governor Over ETG ProposalIn response to Governor Anefal’s letter (News/03-2012/03-08-12.htm) to YSL dated February 28th, Speaker Henry Falan responded on behalf of the Legislature with the following statement:Dear Governor Anefal:Thank you for your letter of February 28, 2012 concerning the ETG proposed investment agreement for which a counter-offer, according to you, “has been transmitted to ETG for their consideration,” and also concerning the Yap State Resolution No. 8-29.As you clearly pointed out in your letter, the Legislature did not forward any specific comments on the specifics of the unofficial copy of the proposed investment agreement which we received from your legal staff. Our reading of the unofficial copy, together with our unequivocal support for development, especially in the private sector, prompted the adoption of YSR 8-29 expressing the sense of the Legislature as a whole that a proposal of this magnitude requires the review and complete understanding of the State Leadership and the people of Yap. YSR 8-29 is merely requesting to “defer signing an investment agreement proposed by the ETG until such time when the people of the State of Yap have been fully informed about the proposal, and until the State Leadership has unanimously agreed that such proposal will be in the best interest and welfare of the people of the State of Yap.”Since we learned of the proposed agreement during the January 19, 2012 State Leadership meeting, we took to heart with the understanding that a position will be taken on the proposal by consensus of the Leadership.The proposed agreement specifies that “ ETG has executed the Strategic Framework Agreement with the government of the State of Yap,..., to develop a unique world renowned top grade tourism project according to a Master Investment Plan to be developed,....” The Leadership needs to review and discuss the proposed agreement along with the strategic framework agreement which is already signed, before making any decision for the most appropriate next course of action to take, if any. It appears that the proposal may require the use of privately owned land in Yap over which the State Government may not have any authority to commit to ETG for the project. Because of the potential requirement for lands NOT owned by the government, we must be extremely cautious and not respond in any way to the proposed agreement until we have fully informed the people whose lands and communities may be directly affected.The government news brief of January 18, 2012, stated that the Chairman of the Council of Pilung had signed the MOU with ETG on Thursday, January 12, 2012; this has cause concern amongst the people of Yap as more people have been calling the Legislature to register their concern about ETG, and to find out more about the project which some people claim will be implemented in their own communities. People want to know what ETG is planning to do in Yap. Obviously, the Legislature does not have any information except the proposed investment agreement.Although most of the specifics of the ETG matter may still be unknown or unclear to some, the known specifics such as the signed documents agreement should be shared with the people of Yap.The Legislature through the Chairman of the Committee on Government, Health and Welfare, has asked for a copy of the MOU and copies of any other signed documents including the signed Strategic Framework Agreement; and to date we have not received any copy of any of these signed documents. An unsigned copy of the MOU between the Chairman of the Council of Pilung and ETG was given to us by a staff of the Council. If the signed document is in fact the same as the unsigned document, then we as elected leaders should defer taking further action until the people understand the possible direct affect that ETG activities could have on their lives. As you know, the MOU includes statements such as:“The Parties [ ETG and Council of Pilung] acknowledge that the role of ETG as the full scale developer of the tourism resource of the State of Yap. The Council hereby supports ETG regarding the development of the Project to the largest extent. The Council further agrees to give to ETG their full assistance regarding the acquisition of land lease.” “The Parties agree that the Member of the Council shall witness, in a written form, the execution of the land lease instruments between ETG and the land owners with respect to the lease of land located within the community that said Member is associated with.” “The Parties agree that the Member of the Council shall coordinate and mediate should any dispute arises between ETG and respective local community.”We all fully support economic development, and especially improvement and development of the private sector, but it must be done responsibly and in a sustainable manner. This would require transparency and informed decisions by all stakeholders and especially the people and communities whose lands will be required for the ETG project to become a reality.In your letter you were asking if we have any questions regarding the “counter-offer,” and to work together moving forward. As much as I am grateful for working together moving forward, I also truly believe that the people of Yap must first be made aware of the things that their government is negotiating on their behalf. It is on behalf of the people of Yap that any moving forward will occur. The people of Yap are unequivocally sophisticated who need to be fully informed of government acts that are being contemplated to affect their lives. The people should be fully informed about what the State government may have agreed to and/or may be negotiating with ETG concerning the people’s lands and their communities. Hence, perhaps the “counter-offer” could be reconsidered and be referred to the State Leadership for assessment and appropriate next course of action.Thank you.Sincerely,Henry Falan, Speaker2011-04-19: COP Sends Memo to ETG ChairmanIn a memo to Chairman Dèng Hóng of the Chinese ETG Committee, Chairman Bruno Tharngan of the Council of Pilung stated the following:“We are most happy to learn from the Governor that you and your delegations, both ETG and ExIm Bank, will be coming to Yap soon. We look forward to seeing you again for another opportunity to renew our acquaintance and, more significantly, to reaffirm our faith and understanding in the pursuit of a mutually beneficial long-term ETG investment in Yap State.You are probably aware of recent rumblings and grumblings relating to our ongoing discussions on the ETG proposal. These are not to be constructed in any way as an indication of wavering or weakening of resolve on our part. Our position had not changed. We are still committed to our MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) now as we were when we signed it.Looking forward with pleasure to seeing you soon,With warmest and best regards,Chairman Bruno Tharngan (signed)”2011-04-19: Yap State Legislature Adopts Resolution 8-31The 8th Yap State Legislature recently adopted Resolution 8-31, which states:“Respectfully requesting the Exhibition Travel Group (ETG) to refrain from engaging in any further action in the State of Yap in connection with its plans to invest in the State until the Legislature has authorized that ETG may engage in further action in the State in connection with their investment plans to insure that such plans will be in the best interest and welfare of the people of the State of Yap.”The Resolution was offered by Senators Henry Falan, Jesse Raglmar-SUBOLMAR, John E. Mooteb, Clement Mulalap, and Sabino S. Sauchomal and was adopted on April 19, 2012. 2011-04-23: Attorney General Leaves; Governor Appoints Acting AGLast Friday, April 20, 2012, Governor Sebastian L. Anefal appointed Assistant Attorney General Jeremiah Luther as the Acting Attorney General.Subsequent to a previous memo from the Lt. Governor and pursuant to Title 3, section 152 of the Yap State Code, Assistant AG Jeremiah Luther was officially appointed Acting AG. He will carry on his duties as Acting AG for 90 days until the successful appointment of a new AG.The Attorney General, Michael Nigrey, resigned his position and left Yap for the U.S. due to an unexpected family-related issue. 2012-04-25: State Leadership Welcomes President of EXIM BankThe Yap State Leadership and the FSM National Government jointly hosted a welcoming dinner reception at the Yap Pacific Dive Resort Restaurant upon arrival of a Delegation from the Export-Import Bank of China in Yap on April 24, 2012.The group from the People’s Republic of China consists the Head of Delegation, Mr. Li Ruogu, President/Chairman of the Export-Import Bank of China, Mr. Wu Shaohau, General Manager of Corporate Business Department of the Export-Import Bank, Mr. Fei Zhaohui, General Manager of the International Business Department of the Export-Import Bank, Mr. Liu Weifeng, Vice Governor Chengdu Sub-Branch of the Export-Import Bank, Mr. Zhang Jianchu, Chairman China Road and Bridge Corporation, Mr. Li Chaoyang, Vice President China Machinery Engineering Corporation, Mr. Shi Yingtao, Vice General Manager China Harbor Engineering Company Ltd, and two staff, Mr. Liu Qiang, Executive Officer of the Export-Import Bank and Mr. Yao Zhanhong, International Department of the Export—Import Bank.Attending the reception on behalf of the State Government were Governor Sebastian Anefal, Speaker Henry Falan, Vice Speaker Ted Rutun, Chairman Bruno Tharngan of the Council of Pilung and Vice Chairman and Treasurer Thomas Falngin of the Council of Pilung and other state government officials.On the national side were the representatives of the President Mr. Marion Henry, Secretary of the Department of Resources & Development and Mr. Akillino Susaia, FSM Ambassador in Beijing who arrived with the ETG from Chengdu.Both Governor Anefal and Chairman Li Ruogu made short statements during the welcoming reception last ernor Anefal in his opening remark welcomed both the Export—Import Bank and ETG groups to Yap. “I believe this is history in the making most especially for the Chairman of Export/Import Bank of the People’s Republic of China to have come to the State of Yap, FSM,” said Anefal. “On behalf of the government of the State of Yap, I continue encourage and welcome you to the State of Yap for further acquaintance, negotiation on the “business” deal of ETG. Our door has never been closed to any Foreign Investor and we welcome all foreign friends to the State of Yap,” Anefal said. In his statement, Chairman Li Ruogu thanked the governor and the people of Yap for the warm welcoming since at the arrival at the Yap International Airport yesterday late in the afternoon. “This is not my first time to have dealt with people of the nation of Micronesia. I have, in my capacity, met and worked with other fellow Micronesians earlier in my career where our Bank provided funds to a certain project of the FSM,” said Mr. Ruogu. “Chairman Deng of the ETG and his proposal in the FSM made it more important for us to consider the project of ETG thus our visit this time to meet and get to know more about the people of the nation especially in Yap State. “We” as people of both of our countries are not only friends through our political ties. Someone long time ago told me that Micronesians came from China,” jokingly stated by Chairman Ruogu. In his final statement Mr. Ruogu thanked the Chairman of Council of Pilung for their show of support towards the private entity of ETG in China and look forward to more collaborative efforts between the two parties. The delegation from the Export–Import Bank will be departing from Yap this evening to attend other important meetings in Indonesia and other places.The delegation from Chengdu is scheduled to depart for Pohnpei on Thursday where they will meet with President Emmanuel Mori and continue from where they left their discussions during their first visit to Pohnpei before the Signing of a MOU between FSM and China.Ambassador Akillino Susaia and Secretary Marion Henry will be accompanying the ETG on their trip to Pohnpei. The ETG will return to Yap on their private plane late Thursday before they continue on to China.2012-05-22: Yap Holds Discussion on ETG Proposed Investment ProjectOn May 21, 2011from 2:30-4:30 pm, the Government of the State of Yap held its first open forum with the people to discuss the proposed development project in Yap by an Investment Company known as “Exhibition and Travel Group” (ETG) which is based in Chengdu city, Peoples Republic of China.The public forum was conducted at the Colonia Community Center yesterday by a group of Government employees who are updated on the current status of the negotiations between the State Government and ETG. The group consists Mr. Jeremiah Luther, Acting Attorney General for the State of Yap, Former Governor Vincent Figir who is now the Director of the Department of Public Works & Transportation, Mr. Frank Haregaichig, Director of the Department Resources and Development, Mr. Ruotpong Pongliyab, Director of the Department of Youth & Civic Affairs, Mr. John Paul Fattamag, Acting Director of EPA, and Mr. Vitus Foneg, Division Chief of Commerce & Industry.Mr. Luther, who led the discussions yesterday, told the crowd that the Government has signed several documents with ETG. “On April 21st of last year the Governor signed the strategic framework of Cooperation between the government of the State of Yap and ETG. The framework is a document pledging cooperation between the State of Yap and ETG. The Government agreed to attempt to help ETG make its project in the State. ETG promised that its project would not harm the economy, traditions, health or environment of the State of Yap or its people.”Mr. Luther said the Framework does not mean that ETG will get whatever it want from the Governor nor it does not mean that the Governor, Legislature or Court of Yap are forced to support ETG’s proposed project. The Acting Attorney General said “On October 21st 2011, the Director of the Department of Youth & Civic Affairs signed a Memorandum of Understanding with ETG on behalf of the State. This document simply commits both parties to continue to communicate and negotiate in good faith regarding specific needs of the project. This Framework nor the Memorandum of Understanding forces the State to approve the project or sign any agreement including an Investment Agreement.”He also stated, “On January 12 of this year, the Council of Pilung signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the Council and ETG. The Council pledges its support for ETG’s proposed development and agrees to act as mediator between landowners and ETG regarding Land Lease.” The situation on current negotiations regarding specific sections of the latest investment agreement there’s still some big issues that must be discussed and resolved. Before a final version of the Investment Agreement is to be put before the Legislature, the Governor staff must be consulted regarding the specifics prior to the review and approval by the Governor. Once the document is finalized, a copy would be sent to the Legislature for their review and comments.Web Administrator’s Note: Adding to the news brief, followings are also heard from Mr. Jeremiah Luther, Acting Attorney General, during the meeting:1) It is highly recommended to consult with a lawyer who helps on your side before entering any agreement with ETG, because there are top class lawyers working for ETG on their side. 2) If anyone witnesses or experiences of bribery, please contact Mr. Jeremiah Luther directly. This thing needs to be investigated. 3) He agreed to plan similar meetings in the village communities.2012-06-21: YSL Public Hearing On ETG DevelopmentsThe Standing Committee on Government, Health and Welfare has scheduled a public hearing to be held at the Legislature Chamber on Tuesday, June 26, 2012 on Governor Communication No. 8-176 ernor Communication No. 8-176 is a document concerning ETG’s proposed economic development in the State of Yap.Principle <sic!> witnesses include Governor Sebastian Anefal, Acting Attorney General, Jeremiah B. Luther and Director of the Department of Resources and Development, Frank Haregaichig. The Government, Health and Welfare Committee had also invited the public to attend so they could offer their testimonies following the key witnesses.2012-06-29: Legislature To Discuss Meeting With ETG ChairmanTablaw, Colonia (8th Yap State Legislature)—The members of the Legislature met in the Committee of the Whole to discuss the request by ETG to meet with ETG Chairman Dèng Hóng.In a letter date June 26, 2012 from ETG to Speaker Falan, the Speaker was informed that Mr. Dèng Hóng, Chairman of ETG will be in Yap from July 4 to July 9th and that he would like to have a meeting with the Speaker and members of the Legislature on the Development Project in Yap State.The Committee of the Whole, Chaired by Vice Speaker Ted Rutun, to which the communication was assigned, convened a meeting at 2 p.m. yesterday afternoon for members to discuss the ETG letter and the request for meeting by Dèng Hóng.The meeting discussion took some time because the request by ETG for Mr. Dèng Hóng to meet with members of the Legislature is at best awkward in view of the positions that the Legislature has taken and most especially the adoption of Resolution no. 8-31 in which the Legislature informed ETG to hold all efforts to carry out its investment in Yap until such time that the people of Yap have become informed about the ETG Project and are able to make decision and express their free will and views on the ETG Project. This position is in line with the Petition of the People to the Government asking the Government to refrain from further action with ETG on its investment project in Yap until the people are informed and are aware of the component and impact of the ETG Project on Yap and the lives of the people and to exercise their free will and decision on the Project.The Legislature has essentially told Mr. Dèng Hóng to stay away or stop dealing with Yap to allow our people to learn and become aware of the impact of the ETG Project on the customs and traditions, environment and the lives of the people and so how can the Legislature now decide to meet with Mr. Dèng Hóng. Generally all members agreed that ETG and Mr. Dèng Hóng know the Yap State Legislature’s position and yet why they are so persistent in their approach. Some say they are persistent because others are working with them and convincing them that the ETG Project is OK, despite the lack of public awareness.A number of members said that “if we agree are to meet Mr. Dèng Hóng that meeting must be undertaken as an opportunity for the Legislature to restate firmly its positions.” The Legislative positions are not against ETG but for ETG to stop until the people of the State of Yap are informed and become aware of the components and impact of the ETG Project on Yap and their lives and future, so they can express their free will and make their decision. Other members said that the opportunity is for the members to get more information from Mr. Dèng Hóng, while others felt that what is needed is for the opportunity to make sure that Mr. Dèng Hóng understands the positions of the Legislature.A number of the members pointed out that the Legislature has made its position clear and meeting Mr. Dèng Hóng is contrary to those positions and perhaps the members should not even meet with Mr. Dèng Hóng, because he has not taken heed of the expressed position and intent of the Legislature.In the end, although a number of members were not persuaded, the members agreed that meeting Mr. Dèng Hóng will not alter the positions of the Legislature but it will allow for more information and the opportunity for the Legislature to firmly and clearly assert its position with Mr. Dèng Hóng.A decision was finally reached to have the meeting with Mr. Dèng Hóng to get more information and to reassert the positions of the Legislature to him. The members agreed that the meeting be broadcast live to permit the public to listen in on the meeting and perhaps call in their questions. There were expressed concerns about the broadcast in that the FM radio signal does not reach many areas on the main island of Yap and also to ensure that Yapese people abroad are able to listen and call in their questions during meetings and Public Hearings.2012-08-31: Media to Re-Run Citizen’s Meeting Over the WeekendThe Concern Citizens on ETG project meeting with our 8th Yap State Legislature on August 23rd, 2012 recording will be re-broadcasted this weekend September 1 & 2 beginning at 430pm each day on Saturday and Sunday. This re-broadcasting was initially scheduled by the Station Manager to be done last weekend as been the normal practice by the Management since 2005. However, due to high level of risks and threats by other opposing callers the Station Manager cancelled the program late last Saturday morning until resolved during the week with the Director of DY&CA and the Governor.“As a Public mandated Radio station, we are seriously considering the Public at large in this scenario but not by one partisan,” said the Chief of Media & Protocol. “While we have gone against the odd in the beginning without interrupting the live feed during the special meeting, I was compelled and confirmed Saturday morning, when I received the last call, how serious it could be if we pursue on with the re-broadcasting. I felt we had to take a time out talk with our heads and try pacify the matter over the week prior to pursuance of re-airing such program in future,” the Chief of Media added.The State Media (V6AI) reinstated the Legislative Live-broadcast in 2005 after consultation with the Former Speaker of the Legislature Tony Ganngiyan was done by the Former DY&CA Director Aloysious Fong. Due to lack of proper equipment at that time full measures took place late in 2006 up to now. Re-airing of such proceedings is never mandated by the radio policy or by law, but has been solely the idea of the Station Management ever since without any serious concerns or harm to the public.V6AI does simple screening of contents of records; songs and programs with any sounds or remarks that may be of offensive to the culture and tradition of Yap. “Libelous and Slanderous are two major things we consider as well,” said Tamagken who is the Chief of Media & Protocol. “While I personally didn’t see or hear much of such, as others were claiming, I believe it is the threatening part involving welfare of other Leaders that we had to be more careful as we don’t want to be responsible of starting any riots in future. What’s even more confusing is when you get the same concern from member of the same group asking to differ action on re-broadcasting you are left in the middle of a high way with a landing train,” added Tamagken.On Tuesday, August 28, 2012, the Speaker of the 8th Yap State Legislature, Honorable Henry Falan wrote a memo to the Governor inquiring why that pre-recording of the “Citizen’s Meeting” was not aired as scheduled last weekend. According to Speaker Falan, the pre-recording of the “Citizens Meeting with the Legislature on August 23, 2012 was to have been aired in two parts over Saturday and Sunday, August 25 and 26. However, that scheduled broadcast has never happened.Speaker Falan also stated in the memo that since during the weekend, he has received numerous inquiries from various concerned individuals and citizens both on island and from overseas, along with his fellow colleagues of the Legislature.The Speaker has pointed out that there was instruction not to air the proceedings of that meeting. Therefore, he asked for an explanation as to what the reason for those instructions and for not airing the meeting. Finally, Speaker’s memo also pointed out how the release by the media on the 23rd of August was incorrect in many forms. A clarification of points by the Legislature Assistant Legal Counsel, Ms. Genevieve Mangafel was attached where it showed the incorrect reports.In response to the Speaker’s inquiry, Governor Anefal wrote to the Speaker and said, “It is no secret that many of the citizens who spoke at the Meeting disagree sharply with my decision to sign the Investment Agreement, but I still applaud their willingness to speak out and let their concerns and opinions be heard by all who are willing to listen.”The Governor continues his statement by saying that he must apologize that the Meeting was not re-broadcast as scheduled on August 25th and 26th, but after speaking with DY&CA staff, “I have learned that the decision to refrain from re-broadcasting the Meeting resulted from a miscommunication between my office, DY&CA, and V6AI staff.”He said that at some point, V6AI management learned of concerns that he and his staff raised about threats of violence made by a few, unreasonable members of our society during and after the original broadcast of the Meeting. Moreover, the V6AI staff also received phone calls from some opposing to the live broadcast.The Governor went on to explain that it seems as though the staff at V6AI interpreted these concerns to be a good basis to hold off on broadcasting the Meeting. While their actions were in good faith, “It was never my intent to prevent this important gathering from reaching the greatest number of ears.”In conclusion, Governor Anefal informed Speaker Falan that he has forwarded instructions to the Director of DY&CA to have the Meeting rebroadcast in full, this upcoming Saturday and Sunday and at a time most likely to reach the greatest number of listeners. The Governor also instructed the DY&CA Director to run an on-going air ad announcing the re-broadcast at least four times daily in the coming days.In regards to Speaker’s concern on the erroneous news brief by the media on the 23rd, The Chief of Media has explained and apologized to the Director of DY&CA of the erroneous reports and promised to ascertain correct reporting prior to release in future. In the same line it has been suggested that the media will refrain from making reports on Legislative matters and leave it in the hands of the Legislative PIO (Public Information Officer) before the media do necessary publicity on it. The signed ETG Cooperative Investment Agreement may be found on the government website at 2012-09-21 Paramount Chiefs of Yap Address State LeadershipThe Three Pillars, Paramount Chiefs of the State of Yap known as the “Dalip Pi Nguchol,” have jointly signed a letter to which was submitted to the whole State Leadership in response to an alleged letter by the Dalip Pi Nguchol to the whole state government and Mr. Dèng Hóng-Chairman of the ETG on September 17, 2012.The alleged letter read as follows:“We, the undersigned Dalip Pi Nguchol, the Paramount Chiefs of all of Yap State, pursuant to our traditional authority which is also recognized by Article III, Section 1, of the Yap State Constitution, do hereby command all of you to prohibit the Exhibition and Travel Group from proceeding with its intended Project for Yap State.Signed by Aloysius Faimau-Arib Estate, John B. Ranganbay-Ru’way Estate and William Yad-Bulwol Estate.”In response to this “alleged Dalip Pi Nguchol” the real Dalip Pi Nguchol has issued the following letter today on September 21, 2012:Siro’,We understand that you may have received a letter allegedly from the Dalip Pi Nguchol. As far as we know, the Dalip Pi Nguchol has neither been consulted nor contacted on any matter whatsoever.However, we feel that it is now of the utmost importance that, as leaders of the State Government, you come together with a unified voice in addressing the many challenges facing the State and her peoples. No matter the challenges, this Yapese maxim will always hold true: Ra tareb lungdad ngay ma ra fel, ma rawagey lungdad riy ma rawagey.Recent events have revealed great public concerns on foreign investment. Not all these concerns are the same, nor do they all come from the same points of view. But they all recognize one simple truth—that Yap State needs sustainable foreign investment. And they all share one common underlying goal—that foreign investments must truly suitable for the State in terms of their sizes, types, and impacts.We are, therefore, requesting the State Leadership to unify and ensure that the line agencies of government will always continue to promote foreign investment, but with the underlying goal that the totality of foreign investments be sustainable and suitable for Yap, considering the size of our lands and waters, the limitations of our resources, the fragility of our environment, and the livelihood of our customs and traditions.This underlying goal must apply to ETG as it must to all others. We ask that you make and keep this as a commitment to the peoples of the State. Thank you.Respectfully, we will always remain,Francis Fithingmow Pebnaw Estate Tho’lang, Gachpar—BulcheSteven Mar Namath Estate Teb, Tomil– BulcheVictor Nabeyan Tithera’ Estate Ngolog, Rull—BulcheThis letter was signed and submitted to;The Honorable Sebastian L. Anefal Governor The State of YapThe Honorable Henry Falan Speaker The 8th LegislatureThe Honorable Bruno Tharngan Chairman Council of PilungThe Honorable Ignathio Hapthey Chairman Council of Pilung.Since the Dalip Pi Nguchol represents, serves, and protects its entire people of Yap State, it remained within its role by addressing its State Government Leadership only. An official copy to the ETG is per discretion of the Government.Forbes Richest Chinese #339: Dèng Hóng (Age 45)Net Worth:$660 millionCompany:Exhibition & Travel Group (ETG), ChinaIndustry:Real EstateCity:ChengduExcerpt from Lhasa Hotel Boom: The Back Story:A Washington Post article, In China, the rich seek to become the ‘big rich’, names Dèng Hóng as the latest real estate developer to create wealth in Jiuzhaigou. Deng migrated to the US, bought property in Hawaii and Silicon Valley before returning to China because, as he told the Washington Post, “becoming ‘big rich’ in China was easier than in the United States. He was right: At last count he owned 35 cars, including a Ferrari, a Lamborghini, some jeeps, a Corvette, several 600 series Mercedes-Benzes and a fat Lincoln Continental. He recently purchased the rights to develop 100 square miles of land next door to one of China’s national parks [Jiuzhaigou]” How did Dèng Hóng get so rich, and how will Jiuzhaigou make him richer? “Many of China’s wealthiest people are members of the Communist Party or are relatives or friends of party members and have parlayed their connections into cash. Deng is an example. His father was an officer in China’s air force. Deng, in addition to his military background, has assiduously cultivated ties with the city government of Chengdu. Ask him which is more important, his relationship to other businessmen or to the government, and he does not hesitate: ‘I really don’t have anything to do with my fellow businessmen,’ he said, echoing other well-off Chinese. ‘My business depends on the government.’ So much so that last year Deng surrendered 30 per cent of his stake in the convention centre to the Chengdu city government, for nothing. One of his senior executives is the former deputy mayor of Chengdu. For his development project next to the national park in western Sichuan, he has hired retired government officials. Deng had to rely on government ties to win approval to develop that site, 260 km2 of land next to one of China’s last remaining wilderness areas, Jiu Zhai Gou. Deng plans to build 100 vacation homes, a five-star hotel and a golf course. Each vacation home will sell for at least $300,000, he said.”What could induce such a wealthy man to give away his stake in a lucrative convention centre in a major metropolis, unless the deal gave him access to an even greater profit opportunity?The Exhibition & Travel Group (ETG / 会展旅游集团 )Headquarters:198 China Road, Century City Chengdu, SichuanInformation:+86 28 8538 0342Media, Advertising:+86 28 8538 0335Website related:+86 28 8538 0336Group report:+ 86 28 85380337Founded in 1997, Exhibition & Travel Group (ETG) is a large enterprise group which specializes in Exhibition & Convention, Tourism, Tourist Attraction Operator, Hotels, Property Management, Real Estate Developer as well as other distinct businesses. The ten years successful track records have testified and made significant achievements. ETG has become one of the top enterprise groups in West China, that demonstrates, elevates the standard of developing the most innovative business model and creative operating techniques.ETG established its business range from Conference & Exhibition trade to travel related services based on three integrated projects—Century City New International Convention & Exhibition Centre, Jiuzhai Paradise International Resort & Convention Centre, and Chengdu International Convention & Exhibition Centre (Shawan). The real estate development activities have contributed hefty profits to ensure the further growth in tourism project development. The continue synergizing innovative business and social initiatives value support to city cultures, driving environmental protection and have attributes to the area’s economy by playing a vital role in city construction, building professional tourism business and development in the exhibition industry that have showcase as the role model in “Exhibition Business in Chengdu.” ETG ongoing dedications projects are recognized by the social community, which contributed a great interest in boosting the economy.Two exhibition halls cover areas amounting to 200?000 m2, and 50 multi-purpose conference rooms cover areas amounting to 100 000 m2. We also has successful portfolio of about 1 000 large and medium exhibition events and over 10 000 conferences. We own 7 hotel properties, 5 000 rooms rated from 4 to 5 stars, and commercial property area at 1?000?000 m2. “Panda Travel” has become the most premier tourist brands in Chengdu/southwest China. In addition, the group has been authorized as the exclusive operator of the tourist destinations which cover Goddess Lake, Ganhaizi, The First Bend of the Yellow River and Flower Lake. There are estimated to be 30 million visitors mainly from exhibitions, conferences and tourists business.Since ETG founded, it has been ongoing dedication and driving economic development of Chengdu, and has received positive impact from the community. Till 2009, ETG has paid taxes amounted to RMB 2 billion, and have donated over RMB 100 million for public welfare, charity, environment protection, and created over 12 000 job opportunities. Currently, some large and medium sized cities such as Wuhan, Kunming, and Qingdao have invited the group to share the development experience for their infrastructure projects.Century City New International Convention & Exhibition CentreCentury City New International Convention & Exhibition Centre is located in southern city of Chengdu. The zone consists of International Convention, Exhibition Hall, and supporting facilities including sightseeing, shopping and hotels. It is a multifunctional Expo Complex Project with Convention & Exhibition, Culture Entertainment & Leisure Resorts, Office Complex, Commercial Residential and Folk Culture combined together.The regional city leaders were present at the foundation stone laying ceremony of Century City in December 28, 2003. And the exhibition hall was completed and put into operation in the same day of the next year. The international convention centre and Holiday Inn Century City Chengdu were put into service in August of 2006. At the end of 2007, we completed all of the principal parts of the project and put them into commission.Exhibition hall with 150 000 m2 is currently fulfilling the PRC exhibit rules. The Pride International Convention Centre holds 28 multipurpose meeting rooms covering an area of 100 000 m2. It is currently one of the most fully functioning, well equipped and modern convention centres in China. Intercontinental Hotels Complex Century City Chengdu, including Intercontinental Century City Chengdu and Holiday Inn Century City Chengdu, housed approximately 1 500 rooms, which could be sufficient to meet the requirements of exhibition or convention both domestic and international. The Boutique Plaza and the West Shu Bridges Walk Valley & Commercial House has formed a complete set of featured area to consummate the exhibition hall. Sited beside the lake, the Leisure Paradise is a resort combined with catering, entertainment, culture, leisure, travel and shopping facilities, plus a variety of business and observation services.Jiuzhai Paradise International Resort & Convention CentreJiuzhai Paradise International Resort & Convention Centre is located in Aba Tibet & Qiang autonomous prefecture in Sichuan Province. As a large-scale multifunctional eco-tourism resort with MICE, sightseeing, exploration, canyon rafting and folk culture combined together, Jiuzhai Paradise was put into operation on 28 September, 2003. Composed of natural & human landscape and post-modern art of building, Jiuzhai Paradise was reputed as “City in the Forest,” “Disappeared Building,” which including InterContinental Resort Jiuzhai Paradise, Holiday Inn Jiuzhai Jarpo, Ganhaizi Tibet & Qiang Cultural Reserve, Goddess Lake, the First Bay of the Winding Yellow River, Flower Lake (Zoige Grassland) and so on. With completion and being put into operation, Jiuzhai Paradise indicated that the core economic circle of tourism in Jiuzhaigou has come into existence. And that enriches and consummates the function of Chengdu as the most important city featuring exhibition and travel in Southwest China.Chengdu International Convention & Exhibition Centre (Shawan)Chengdu International Convention & Exhibition Centre (Shawan) is located in Shawan Road, Chengdu. The groundbreaking began in November 1995, and was completed in September 1997; and the 2nd phase project was in operation in October 2000. The entire project finished in yearend 2001 and began full operation. Exhibition hall in Shawan covers an area amounting to 30 000 m2. The California Garden Hotel and the VIP Tower housed over 400 rooms, with meeting rooms, F&B outlets, entertainment, fitness centre, SPA facilities and a shopping centre. Ten years operation and development have build up the premier brand name, such as California Garden Hotel, Golden Theatre, Chengdu Modern Art Gallery, ShunXing Ancient Tea House, and Palm Spring SPA Centre.Welcome to Chengdu Int. Convention & Exhibition CenterFounded in 1997, Chengdu International Convention & Exhibition Center is the largest enterprises group which specialized in Exhibition & Convention, Tourism, Tourist Attraction Operator, Hotels, Real Estate Developer as well as other distinct businesses. It is jointly invested by Chengdu Exhibition & Tourism Group (ETG). The ten years successful track records have testifies and made significant achievement. ETG has become one of the top enterprises group in Southwest China, that demonstrates, elevates the standard of developing the most innovative business model and creative operating techniques. ETG established its business range from Conference & Exhibition trade to travel related services based on 3 integrated projects—Century City New International Convention & Exhibition Centre, Jiuzhai Paradise International Resort & Convention Centre, and the Chengdu International Convention & Exhibition Centre (Shawan). The real estate development activities have contributed hefty profits to ensure the further growth in tourism project development. The continue synergizing innovative business and social initiatives value support to city cultures, driving environmental protection and have attributes to the areas economy by playing a vital role in city construction, building professional tourism business and development in the exhibition industry that have showcase as the role model in “Exhibition Business in Chengdu.” ETG ongoing dedications projects have recognized by the social community, which contributed a great interest in boosting the economy.Two exhibition halls cover areas amounting to 160,000 m2, and 50 Multi-purpose conference rooms cover areas amounting to 100,000 m2. It also has successful portfolio of over 700 large and medium exhibition events and over 6,000 conferences. It owns 8 hotel properties, 5,000 rooms rated from 4 stars to 5 stars, and commercial property area at 1,000,000 m2. “Panda Tourism” and “Jiuzhai 360” have become the most premier tourist brands in Chengdu- southwest China. In addition, the group has been authorized as the exclusive operator of the tourist destinations which cover Goddess Lake, Ganhaizi, The First Bend of the Yellow River and Flower Lake. There are estimated to be 30,000,000 visitors mainly from exhibitions, conferences and tourists business. Since ETG founded, it has been ongoing dedication and driving economic development of Chengdu, and has receive positive impact from the community. Till June 2008, ETG has paid taxes amounted to RMB 1,000,000,000, and have donated over RMB 100,000,000 for public welfare, charity, environment protection industry, and created thousands of jobs opportunity. Currently, some large and medium sized cities such as Wuhan, Kunming, and Qingdao have invited the group to share the development model to their infrastructure.2011-07-29: Chinese Envoy Attends Joint FSM Inauguration Ceremony(Source: Chinese Embassy in the FSM, )On July 29, 2011, Wang Guoqiang, Special Envoy of the Chinese Government and Vice Minister of Health attended the joint inauguration ceremony of President Mori and members of the 17th Congress of the Federated States of Micronesia in Palikir, capital of Micronesia. During the stay, Wang also met with President Mori, Congress Speaker Figir and Secretary of the Department of Health and Social Affairs Skilling respectively.The inauguration ceremonyWang conveyed greetings of the Chinese leaders to the leaders of Micronesia’s new government and congress and extended congratulations to them on behalf of the Chinese government and people. He spoke highly of the development of the bilateral relations since the two countries established diplomatic ties 22 years ago and expressed admiration on Micronesia’s adherence to the one-China policy. He said that China is willing to work with Micronesia to strengthen the bilateral exchanges at all levels, deepen the bilateral pragmatic cooperation in various fields, step up coordination and communications on both regional and international issues and further enhance the bilateral friendly relations.Meeting with President MoriPresident Mori and other leaders of Micronesia extended welcome to Wang and thanked the Chinese government for its long-term assistance to Micronesia’s economic and social development. They said that Micronesia attaches great importance to developing relations with China and will unswervingly pursue the one-China policy. They expect to strengthen the exchanges and cooperation with China in all fields and continue to develop the bilateral ties.Meeting with Speaker FigirDuring the stay in Micronesia, Wang held talks with all the members of the Chinese medical team stationed in Chuuk and inspected a number of projects built with the assistance of China, including the Pohnpei government building, China-Micronesia Friendship Sports Center and a demonstration farm.Meeting with Secretary of the Department of Health and Social Affairs SkillingChinese Ambassador to the Federated States of Micronesia Zhang Weidong was present at those activities.Holding talks with the Chinese medical team in ChuukChinese Millionaire Arrives TomorrowBy Aigaletaule’ale’a F. Tauafiafi. Source: samoaobserver“Nothing is impossible. I always take a positive view on anything that will benefit the country regardless of the obstacles.”—Prime Minister TuilaepaThe talk of building a 500-room Chinese hotel in Samoa is reaching another level. Arriving tomorrow evening, is a delegation from the Intercontinental Chendu hotel in Sichuan to scout the potential. Several attempts were made to contact Samoa’s Ambassador to China Tapusalai’a Terry To’omata who is in the country to organize the visit. “A press release is being put together by Samoa Tourism Authority (STA). Give Sonja a call for the information,” said Tapusalai’a. But CEO Matamali’i Sonja Hunter said that that was Terry’s [Tapusala’ia] responsibility. “I’m to make sure all the background support is done.” Efforts to gain further information on the identity of the Chinese businessman were unsuccessful. The only lead the Sunday Samoan has was from a high government official naming him as Chengdu businessman Dèng Hóng .Mr. Hong is a Chengdu-based property tycoon who succeeded in his plan to turn Lhasa into a world resort destination. He is famous for showing off his status symbols, his acquisition of the most glamorous and expensive cars on earth at the resort hotels he builds. Mr. Hong made his $660 million in personal wealth (Hurun richest 500 in China list, 2010) turning a remote corner of Tibet into a global destination attracting millions of tourists a year. He took the nine stockaded Tibetan villages of the Dzitsa degu valley, at the easternmost edge of Amdo, directly north of Chengdu, and made it a tourist paradise. Mr. Hong and his global partners, the London-based InterContinental hotel chain, made the crystalline waters, forested slopes, disappearing pandas, UNESCO World Heritage protected landscapes and quaint Tibetan villagers into an irresistible package for tourists, both Chinese and international, seeking a fairyland paradise on earth.Mr. Hong has built tourist resorts not only in Jiuzhaigou and Chengdu, but also shopping malls and convention centres in Chengdu, and he has steadily risen in personal net wealth, in the Hurun top 500 richest Chinese annual rankings, leaping from $220 million in personal wealth in 2008 to $660 million in 2010. Forbes magazine ranks his wealth similarly.This seems to be the man arriving tomorrow evening. However, Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi is on an official visit to Australia. Last week, he spoke with the Samoa Observer about the delegation’s visit. “This visit is different because previously they sent only their representatives. This time round the boss is coming.” In reply to whether this could actually be the visit that confirms plans for the hotel, PM Tuilaepa said that nothing is impossible. “I always take a positive view on anything that will benefit the country regardless of the obstacles.” He believes that the delegation is also thinking along the same lines that practically it is possible. “In these days there are major changes and many positive points for Samoa regarding its stability,” the Prime Minister said. More unique are Samoa’s natural assets. “Yes, our people are naturally friendly and that’s a seller. We have a clean pristine environment, our culture, well, that’s an unbeatable asset.” The other advantage Tuilaepa says may lead to a positive outcome. Similar to Fiji, Samoa is centrally positioned in the Pacific on the North-South bound flights.In a previous interview in this newspaper, Tuilaepa spoke about the possibility of a direct flight from China. In avoiding visa requirements by New Zealand and Australia, Samoa could become an endorsed tourist destination for the Chinese people. The hotel development will be a major milestone. Since Samoa’s independence in 1962 a big hotel was one of its main aims. “I’m talking about five star accommodation where you stand at ground level and the upper floors you can’t see because of the clouds. That’s what I’m talking about.” But the PM said, until he sees machinery digging the earth, only then will he believe that the hotel plans are a reality. “Otherwise it’s all talk at this stage.” The major push for PM Tuilaepa is job creation. “Work means less social problems like marijuana farming, it will reduce the number of problem youths in those areas [where hotel is built] and people will earn wages for the family.” It’s also a part solution to solving government’s growing surplus of returning scholarship students with no placements. Only teachers and doctors are in short supply. Possible locations for hotel could be Satapuala, Satuimalufilufi, Vailu’utai or Mulifanua. “It will lead to thousands of new jobs and benefits to people in those villages. That’s the importance of these developments.” But the story where Mr. Hong had his other business interests in Tibet shows a trend.According to the Students for a free Tibet website, since 1999, the Chinese government has supported the large-scale migration of Chinese settlers into Tibet; billions of Yuan have been pumped into the country to build infrastructure programmes, doubling the economy in the first half of the last decade.But contracts, stated the website, are mostly awarded to Chinese state-owned companies or to those close to the regime, giving them good reason not to criticize as they gain financially from the system that privileges some while exploiting the basic human rights of others. In an interview with The Washington Post Mr. Hong said “My business depends on the government.” Money goes into Tibet, but most of the money goes straight back out before it can touch Tibetan lives. The concern of the Students for a Free Tibet is that, “If InterContinental Resort Lhasa is completed it will further entrench China’s occupation of Tibet.” This is some of the history of the man possibly touching down on Samoan soil tomorrow.MicSem: General ETG Discussion (Posts 1 to 50)Mor Watit Sep 13 2011Office of the DirectorDepartment of Youth & Civic AffairsYap BRIEFS, September 6, 2011Yap Governor Seeks To Establish ETG Taskforce The Governor issued a communication to the State Leadership in an act to establish a taskforce to deal with the ETG development plans in Yap. In his communication, the Governor requests members for the ETG Work Group from the respective branches of the government.In the last State Leadership meeting in August 16, 2011, it was agreed that a taskforce would be formed with the assignment of identiFYIng available land for the use in development by the Exhibition & Travel Group (ETG) of ernor Sebastian L. Anefal communicated that the group will consist of five members; one member representing the Executive, two members from the Legislature, one member from the Council of Pilung, and one member from the Council of Tamol. The group is tasked to identify and describe suitable land parcels for development, recommend what type of development (hotel, beach expansion, golf course, etc.) is suitable for each identified land parcel, and make recommendations on what land parcels should not be developed in relation to their ecological, historical, and cultural importance to the people of Yap. The group will then compose a final report of their findings to be presented to the State Leadership on November 30, 2011.As soon as the Legislature and Councils submit their representatives and all five members are confirmed, the Work Group will begin its task. HYPERLINK "" Mor WatitThe way watit is reading this, a decision has already been made that the ETG will definitely come in. when was this decision made, and by whom?The ETG developmental plan will definitely have a profound effect on every Yapese for better or for worse, why wasn’t this question put to the people to have their say, i.e. a referendum? There are a lot of people who, like watit, do not trust the Chinese at all. don’t they have a say in the matter? HYPERLINK "" Bull02agree, that’s an important question, I don’t like this way of doing HYPERLINK "" NoobThe very least they should inform us of what developmental plans the Chinese have in mind. This definitely calls for a petition to halt any such activities until the public is informed and a consensus is reached. HYPERLINK "" peace2u Sep 13 2011I heard from one of the state leaders that there was no decision at the state leadership meeting that the Chinese are to come in. There was no definite decision made at that leadership meeting that the Chinese are to come in and develop some areas of the state. It was a complete surprise to some leaders that the governor was calling for the creation of a task force to recommend the types of development to be undertaken by the Chinese and where those developments to be located.I have had the chance to view what the Chinese wants to put up in Yap, and they want to develop the whole southern area of the state from Gilman to Gaalil with hotels and beaches. The villages in these areas are to be relocated, possibly into high rises. They also want to develop a big portion of the northern parts of the state into golf courses. The plans look ambitious.Yap should be careful in light of the track record of ETG in Tibet.The whole population of the state should be informed as to what the plans are and whether those plans will involve the displacement of some people from their villages. We should know the environmental impact of these plans to the affected areas as well as to the whole state. Maybe this is the time to ask our leaders to hold an open forum and invite the public to hear what the plans are and what our leaders want to do. To leave the recommendations to a five-member task force may not be transparent.What we do not want to see happen is for the Chinese dangle the green bucks in the faces of our people; we know that some people will take the big bucks and the future of our state be damned. HYPERLINK "" Mor Watit Sep 13 2011The public should speak up on this matter and ask the necessary questions. it’s obvious to watit someone is trying to pull the wool over everyone’s eyes. Watit wants to give anyone the benefit of a doubt, so he will not go on record saying someone is getting some “under-the-table dealing” on this matter. Let’s just say it’s an oversight by our leaders not to seek the general public’s input on the issue. HYPERLINK "" Noob Sep 13 2011I wonder if the recent “aid” in the millions from China had anything to do with this? Villages in high rises?! Golf courses! Hotels and beaches! I am totally against this ‘development’. How about developing our fishing industry or other sustainable ventures? I call for a petition immediately! HYPERLINK "" alii2 Sep 13 2011Mor Watit,Your suspicions about your government slows Yap’s progression into the future. HYPERLINK "" alii2 Sep 13 2011Noob,Same goes for you. HYPERLINK "" Noob Sep 13 2011alii2,If Yap citizen’s want the progress to be slow so be it. Who are you? A Palauan that cannot seem to mind his own business. Stick to things concerning Palau. Who cares what your opinion is on this matter. Yap citizens will decide Yap’s affairs. End of story. HYPERLINK "" Mor Watit Sep 13 2011watit doesn’t know how many times he has to rub alii2’s face in it to sink in the message, this guy has a very high tolerance for abuse, we’ve got to give him that, at least. LOL. Alli2, what you don’t seem to understand is Yapese patience, we are patient people, bidding our time, studying every situation, not jumping ahead. We do not have a lot to begin with, unlike Palau rich with resources. So we are very careful how we do things. Do not use your Palauan timetable on us as we are very different. At any rate, we will be collecting the interest on our stone money deposited in your rock islands bank soon. hehehhe am guyew ko ra nang fan e na’en ni kug gog ngak fa dangay. gadad bochi nam nib achigchig machane kab kakrom I yib ni I mul yu balaw nga lan lolgadad. hehehehehe :p** HYPERLINK "" alii2 Sep 13 2011Mor,You and Noob are bidding your time while your governor is forging ahead with the Yapese people. Now when you accuse your Yapese leadership of “dealing under the table.” without any proof, the governor of Yap ought to have you and Noob jailed. In fact, they are probably knocking on your doors. HYPERLINK "" dr.fix Sep 13 2011Mor Watit,Alii2, I nike you and agree with your assessment on the issue at the Yap per’s hands. Yap needs some quality leadership. They have a Governor who is indecisive and at times his administration clashes with his legislature. Yap had some quality leadership in the past, now at least for the last three administration, Yap ers have been putting people in office who cannot make decision right on the spot. The governor seems to pass the buck to the others and therefore create task forces to deal with matters on his lap. He, he, Yap is slipping backward when everyone is moving turtle pace forward. lolNoob Sep 13 2011Sorry to disappoint but it was only the pizza delivery guy knocking on my door. I just can’t help but wonder what does Yap affairs have to do with people who aren’t even Yapese? Is your village in Yap going to be affected? Do you even have lands in Yap? Would your family be relocated? Idiots like you talk when nobody ask for your opinion. I can imagine your childhood when your mother and father fight you would go and interrupt them with your own thoughts. When people are talking across the street, you would run across just to bother them with your own ideas. People like you are just so annoying.Mor Watit Sep 13 2011alii2,what’s a child like you doing in a serious discussion like this, didn’t your momma and father tell you to mind your own business? Honestly alii2, nobody in Yap gives a rat’s arse about your opinion, so keep it to yourself. As for you Dr. Fix,watit doesn’t know what kind of doctor you are and really don’t care. Perhaps you ought to use your doctorate expertise in your own state and affairs before you attempt to concern yourself with somebody else’s. Your state is the cesspool of the FSM, and it doesn’t look like its coming out of its anal retentive situation anytime soon. so take care how you bad mouth others while ignoring the mountain of manure in your own backyard.fke Sep 13 2011tin tomal e case e yer... lolMor Watit Sep 13 2011Ay, ra I liki’iy ma ra pire’eg. hehehehenorthernwarrior Sep 13 2011Let’s not all fight a losing battle. Let’s all learn from each other and come up with a better attack plan. It’s the people from the other big countries that we should be looking out for and their interests in this tiny spot on this big planet. First of they have the biggest piece of land mesh. And yet they also have are the most populated. They are bringing in their money for our development leaving behind their poor and starving people. What’s the catch? Should we work together or fight apart, while we can learn from our neighbors.We can lie to ourselves and spend more of the governments time while the Chinese’s timeline is ticking.Noob Sep 14 2011LOL@pire’eg nib tomal e case. Chanir e rib kireb lolgan. LOLBelas Sep 14 2011since those rai was carved in our islands it will be a great injustice if you decide to charge us for such aforementioned interests. I say let it be. lol!as for the famous “Wisdom is in the basket” people of Yap, yes, do ball is in your court so do choose wisely for the sake of your people and the generations to come.I only ask that this is an open forum and please allow all voices to be heard wherever them voices originate from for we are all linked together and share so much history amongst each other. Would you rather have an immediate brother whom you’ve shared so much history and friendship over the years since time immemorial share opinions and ideas with you—whether positive or negative— or skip this fact, and rely on the words of those whose relationship with you is as new as it has still been in existant for less than a hundred years (if you dig it)?Kamaghar from the Rainbow’s End!Mor Watit Sep 14 2011Belas,uhmmm, ahhhhhh, well, you do have a point there regarding the interests. watit kind of forgot that lil part.. hehehe Shhh, don’t tell alii2 that though, let him sweat it out for a lil while longer. hehehewatit has no intention of stopping anyone from contributing constructively to any discussion, but takes great exception to people who are disruptive, disrespectful, and all around making a big nuisance out of themselves. Such behavior cannot be tolerate, and yes, sometimes watit goes overboard with his admonitions. watit has a tendency to get carried away because he passionate about his discussions. Watit does not say things just for form sake, he is committed to the core of his being to what comes out of his mouth, or in this case, what comes out from his finger tips onto the keyboard.Belas Sep 14 2011Likewise, likewise. I emerge myself from the same beginnings as you in not having no “loose lips” and disrespect in here. It’s inexcusable. Our dialogue should maintain integrity—Always!Anyway, as we speak, ROC-Taiwan just recently presented the Women Group of Ngarachemayong of Koror with a 55-passenger boat to be utilized by our people traveling within our interislands. Once the service picks up, it will certainly be a blessing since we commute constantly to the other islands. This is in no relation to the topic whatsoever. But then again, I thought I’d share it to show that our “Friends” from abroad do share genuine feelings of compassion and companionship and want to help us for the sake of helping us. Again, the world is becomming such a smaller place, and our connectivity goes far and beyond and therefore our interactions with others will inevitably blossom one way or the other. Let’s just hope we can continue to control our destiny!Viva!dr.fix Sep 14 2011Bellas,Watch out for our bra, Mor Watit, he is becoming belligerent. I debating whether or not I should move my practice to Yap. I can make a ton of money with my practice when they become hostile to the point they’ll be stabbing each other in the back. I can treat the victims and make little money off my practice. Listening to Mor Watit and Noor, I doubt they’re going to take it anymore, they can’t even take any advise from their bra. To be safe, go to the rock islands and enjoy the reminiscent of some foolish people who traveled some three hundred miles to carve rocks for their treasures. So many of them lost their lives in search of useless rocks. A race stupidity, my priend. Hey, bra, if you ever come to my island, I treat you to the best pounded breadfruit, better than those you found in the stores on Guam. lolMor Watit Sep 14 2011ahhh were would we be without Dr. fix, the eternal pain in the buttocks, to provide the itch in the knuckles? images flashes in watit’s mind, images of watit’s fist pounding the good docter’s face until it caves in. What Dr. Fix failed to mention about the same “foolish people” is that they also sailed about the same distance eastward and conquer Dr. Fix’s ancestors and made servants out of them. The question watit is dying to ask is; where was your toughness when watit’s great great great grandfather placed his foot on Dr. Fix’s great great great grandfather’s neck with face down in the dirt???BTW, watit has this itch in his nether region, would the good docter scratch it for him??Belas Sep 14 2011no need for this. u just added additional weigh of hate in MicSem. u the one whose stubborn. either shut if u don’t have anything good to say is a good remedy. guess your malpractice antics has caught up with you since you too have befallen to the sickness of “impoliteness.” the stage is yours dr.fixedonstupidchild’splay, make FSM proud, dis ur fellow constituents and their islands and their history. it’s all a game to you. A KEL TMUTRABENGEL (LUV U MUCH)!!!Belas Sep 14 2011btw, kudos to the Yapese who brought medals representing the FSM in the recently concluded Pacific Games. just know dr.fixatedOnNegativity will never see if your injured because of the fact that he sees u stupid… stupid enuff to win medals for his pathetic self. GO STEP ON A CLAM YOU!!!Mor Watit Sep 14 2011Belas,watit thanks you for acknowledging the little contributions Yap state has done for the FSM Unity. Its nice for watit to know somebody (even if they are not part of the FSM) notices these little things as they serve to contribute to the National Pride. But ALAS, you and watit are a part of a very few who sees and cares for these things.NewPort Sep 14 2011The plan calls for at least 30 000 new employees to work in Yap. Yap only has a population of 12 000?alii2 Sep 14 2011Mor-de-watitee,Your paying too much attention on how you feel by reacting especially to my posts. The reason is because you have never had someone challenged you to your face. Therefore, your immaturity shows when you are pushed into this area. Here’s the secret I want to share with you. Stop reacting and just dialogue with me. Now if you decide to do that, you know I am going to push you further. But, hang in there and be more calm, cool and collected and we’ll see how far we can go. Look, you want your Yap to progress. Well, then I am here to give you some ideas. You can’t find these ideas if you just decide to stop in the middle of the road and not go further. So hang with me bra?!So now let’s get back to the subject at hand. You suspect that your “leaders are dealing under the table.” Can you explain why you have a total lack of confidence in your leadership? Look, you can’t just accuse your own people especially those who are in the position to make major decisions and not tell us why. You owe your explanations to your Yapese people, and to MicSem forumers. We want to know!Noob Sep 14 2011alii2,Some pointers, why Mor Watit is reacting that way is because he is fed up with your failure to comprehend time and time again.Case in point:Mor Watit post “Watit wants to give anyone the benefit of a doubt, so he will not go on record saying someone is getting some ‘under-the-table dealing’ on this matter. lets just say its an oversight by our leaders not to seek the general public’s input on the issue.”I am sure Mor Watit is fine to be challenged. the reaction is because he rather be challenged with someone on his level and not with immature posters such as yourself. Who wants to dialogue with people who can’t get things straight from the start? Why do you constantly want to start something that was never there.I feel the same way with people like you who can’t seem to mind their own business and who foolishly wants to muddy the water just for their own self interest. Believe me when I say I am not interested in your opinions. Mor Watit will speak for himself but I am sure he feels the same way. I can not speak for all Yapese but so far two Yapese are not interested in your views about Yap.The problem is this, you will continue your crusade of annoying us with your posts rather than leaving this thread therefore a cycle of reaction continues against your lack of sense to leave us Yapese discuss this amongst ourselves. Mor Watit you don’t owe anybody any explanation as far as this Yapese is concerned.Yuliol Sep 14 2011If Yap allows ETG to go forward with their propositions, it’ll just be a matter of time before Yap becomes like Guam or Hawaii—losing control of indigenous lands and the eventual loss of much of our traditional culture/customs. The social and cultural impacts could be devastating and this does not seem worth the few extra bucks that the venture would bring. By allowing foreigners to come and build on local lands, control over these lands by the indgenous people will be lost. To me, this potential consequence is not worth it. Our land is our identity and our means of cultural and physical survival—we should not place a dollar sign on something so valuable.Noob Sep 14 2011Yuliol,I totally agree with you. Let me know where and when to sign my signature on a petition to halt this development until further assessment can be done.alii2 Sep 14 2011 Noob,Are you somehow Mor-de-watitee’s twin brother? I guess when Mor can’t think of something to say, he tells you to vouch for him. Anyways, let’s take a look at what Mor-de- watitee said in his post.MOR >>>Watit wants to give anyone the benefit of a doubt, so he will not go on record saying someone is getting some “under-the-table dealing” on this matter. lets just say its an oversight by our leaders not to seek the general public’s input on the issue. Alii2 >>> In essence, your twin brother MOR “suspects” there’s fowl play going on among his leaders. That’s the hidden message your twin brother is sending out. Well, again, why the suspicion? No wonder why your twin brother Mor does not believe in Capitalism. Why? because you two first of all do not trust your leadership in the first place.alii2 Sep 14 2011Noob, I represent the Yapese people especially those who somehow can’t challenge you both. I’m here for them. That’s my contribution to the Yapese people. They read your posts and they read mine along with other great posters’ and they each make an informed decision based on the information and ideas we give them.You want me to leave you two alone so that you can discuss your Yapese politics alone. Well, sorry, can’t do that. Why? The Yapese people deserve to hear the other side of the story. Why? because the Yapese people are more smarter than you two. They know that if they listen to a one sided story they’ll end up making a one sided decision just like you two. Therefore, they opt out a look for better a solution. They need to hear from both sides. That’s where others and I come in. So prepare yourselves because, you both are not getting away with this. alii2 Sep 14 2011Yuliol, Great post, however, I have a question for you. If I ask you to define “progress” with Yap in mind, how would you explain it to me.A Sep 14 2011Yuliol,What if the law protects your land from being owned by foreign entities, would you still be against the revenue needed to sustain your demand for electricity, running water, roads, etc, etc?I’m not saying that we should go this particular avenue. What I’m saying is Yap, may no longer have the luxury of being pampered like an infant by Uncle Sam. After half a century, we have become too accustomed to realize that most revenue that sustains our economy and public services come from the dwindling assistance from the USA. Inevitably, Yap would need to start walking on her own. Apparently, self-sufficiency is long over due, considering the current circumstances. This little we know, a toddler’s first step is always “risky” and would require much courage. Much effort and sacrifices have to be made thereafter; That is a trait of grown ups. From an elder’s point of view, at the outset, there is no such thing as a “safe voyage.” In life, we only pray for the best, do what we can, and put our trust on our navigator.Whatever you may decide, envision it for the benefit of your grand children. For instance, do you want to preserve the weedy, mosquito infested undeveloped land for your children to inherit, or do you want them to inherit roads, electricity, running water, colleges and ships, etc.? Because how successful and happy they would be someday depends on your sacrifices and courageous decisions today.Noob Sep 14 2011alii2,No I am not his twin brother and no I do not speak for him. As you can see Mor Watit can speak for himself without my help. I was just trying to prevent him from tearing you a new one. Oh well.Again let me mash the food so you can swallow it easily.While you are busy reading hidden messages and posting things that aren’t there, you will get another cycle of abuse from Mor Watit calling you an idiot 101 different ways. You in hand, try to defend the position embarrassingly. Since you lack the insight, let me break it down for you step by step. Because of your continued ignorance, you will only create a distraction from us Yapese who are trying to address the issue amongst ourselves. But because you see yourself as a self righteous savior for the under privilege Yapese, it adds to further problem and more distraction. In the end, the citizens of Yap will be more confused because you decided to talk about things you don’t know anything about.Here’s an example: You want to talk about Yapese politics with us Yapese. Come on now, be real. That’s like me a Yapese trying to explain Palauan politics to Palauans. But because you see yourself as some sort of genius you will be confronted by people like Mor Watit and I who have very little tolerance for fools. Another example is A’s post which is more productive to the issue on hand. You alii2 read things that are not there, assume, speculate and do mind readings on hidden messages adding to further distractions by Mor Watit calling you among other things an idiot. Therefore it will be a distraction contributing nothing but nonsense and confusion. This is a very important issue for us Yapese to discuss without your input. The sad thing is you will continue to post unknowingly hurting my fellow citizens by preventing us from talking about the issue.I predict that you will again post, claiming to represent the poor illiterate Yapese who can’t think for themselves painting your own picture of yourself a martyr for the Yapese citizens. Go ahead and prove me right by posting again. So predictable.Gastuw Sep 14 2011Mogew ri kad paged a mathil ko biney TOPIC!!!!!Mor Watit Sep 15 2011A,“do you want to preserve the weedy, mosquito infested undeveloped land for your children to inherit, or do you want them to inherit roads, electricity, running water, colleges and ships..etc.? Because how successful and happy they would be someday depends on your sacrifices and courageous decisions today.”We definitely want to improve things in Yap. That goes without saying. But the question is: what are we willing to give up to get these development in place? That is where the argument is. Is ETG the only option available? Aren’t there less risky options available to Yap? ETG wants to buy up complete parts of the island and relocate everyone from that area? Is this what we really want? Surely there has got to be a better option than that.Mor Watit Sep 15 2011alii2,You have worn out your welcome so now do the gentlemanly thing and scram. Your input in these particular discussion is no longer wanted. Even if you have discovered the secret to eternal riches, keep it to yourself, we don’t want it. Malwangil e ngarang? eh bro?Noob Sep 15 2011A,What you are saying is understandable and is a very good question. But in my humble opinion, hotels, beaches and golf courses are not the way to go. This method is not sustainable in the future. We want developments that are sustainable and beneficial to the State.Bozz Sep 15 2011Is it always true that haste makes waste? What in the hell is the point of rushing into a storm fermenting in the horizon?According to the recent telegraphs from the Yapese coconut wire service, the governor is not rushing into this Chinese deal. He wants a task force that could help him make the right decision. The task force would help him by carrying out assessments, analysis, and evaluations on Yap’s ability to handle such ambitious development projects like ETG’s ones in China and other places. “Yap’s Ability” entails Yap’s capacity in all aspects of its society. The task force may also be tasked to put together Yap’s counter offer to whatever the ETG may come up with.Keep in mind what the ETG has shown the governor—powerpoint presentations on wishful dreams. Nothing substantial yet. The governor refused to make a decision that is purely based on some Chinese wishful dreams. He hasn’t even gotten the gist of the ETG plan yet. All he’d been provided are powerpoint presentations and the actual ETG establishments in China and Tibet.Don’t forget that the task force is to help the governor come up with a decision. The task force will consult with the people. The task force will do the leg work for the governor and the islands’ leadership. THERE IS NO DECISION TO ACCEPT ETG YET… enjoy…dr.fix Sep 15 2011So it is been said, the Yap Gova cannot make decision. What a coward? He, he lolMor Watit Sep 15 2011But he is the governor of Yap, compared to you, what are you? a jobless welfare drainer who can’t mind his own business?dr.fix Sep 15 2011Mor Watit,Regardless of what you say, your state is known for its people stupidity. Yap ers have worship pieces of rocks from the rock island of Palau, claim to be navigators who traveled to Guam and overshot your island, and known for electing idiots into office. lol. And for you Mor Watititii, I suggest you go jump in the ocean and drift away. You’re just adding useless weight to the earth, especially your small island that is about be submerged. Get out of hea!A Sep 15 2011Thanks Mor, Bozz and Noob, Please fill us in, when you can, on the specifics of ETG. Are foreign investors to buy and “own” land, or “lease” land? What area, specifically, are they wanting to develop? What benefits will the various Yapese people get out of this deal? How many jobs will be reserved for Yapese? What are the pay rates for Yapese workers, Etc. And Noob, why is it not a sustainable development? Decades ago, when major infrastructures were being constructed on these islands, many conservative land owners, whose fear of change and loss overwhelmed them, protested against those projects. Today, those “nay-sayers” and the Yapese public enjoy the benefits of those roads, schools, hospitals, dispensaries, ports etc. Of course, there were those too stubborn who remained unwilling, like a community that protested against road and bridge access to their “forbidden” island. That was then, though. Today, the circumstances and consensus of their descendents are very different. Unlike their forefathers, they long for the benefits of modern infrastructure and economy. Likewise, when we say “no” to a proposal, how will such response improve the conditions of roads, hospitals, schools, ports, ships, etc, for your future descendents to inherit? Moreover, can we afford to just say “no,” when our current infrastructures and economy are crumbling into ruins without sufficient maintenance, improvements or economic stimulus? What are our alternate solutions? Whatever decision the Yapese people should make on ETG, it should be to benefit future generation Yapese. Time is of essence, because Mor Watit, Noob, Bozz, A (and probably Uncle Sam, too) may not be here for long. We must not procrastinate any longer.Mor Watit Sep 15 2011A,Nobody is saying NO, lets get that part straight. But what we are against is ETG. ETG doesn’t have a very good record as shown in Tibet, and the Marshalls. You seem to be confusing the issues here. Its not a matter of not wanting any investor, just not these ETG investors.Mor Watit Sep 15 2011Dr. Fixlet us get this straight, you keep saying we elect stupid people into offices, yet it seems to watit Yap state is doing a whole better than your state. Your state is BROKE ARSED! Your state cant seem to have a stable government. Your state lead the FSM in terms of illiteracy. Your state lead the FSM in terms of crime rate. shall watit go on? Don’t you just want to go put that noose around your neck now? But then again, you are probably past the point of shame and have develop very thick skin that things like these don’t embarrass you any more. “Micronesian Pride” must be a very foreign concept to you by now. Watit doesn’t understand why you choose the company of humans when the company of earth worms would be more appropriate to your level of existence.Mor Watit Sep 15 2011Let us see and examine how “stupid” the Yapese are in terms of worshiping a piece of rock. These rock that the Yapese mined in Palau and brought back to Yap is a testament to the Yapese bravery, fortitude, and ingenuity so much so that a piece of this rock now sits in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington DC, viewed by millions of people from all over the world. It has even gone on the Guinness Book of World Record as the “biggest coin” in the world. Just how stupid are the Yapese stone money. Let us count the ways; Stone money is theft-proof, Stone money can only be earned through hardship, Stone money gains value the more it is used, Stone money is not subject to world inflation phenomena, and Stone money can never be used anywhere but Yap and therefore, a very stable currency.Noob Sep 15 2011A,Well before answering your question on why hotels, beaches and golf courses are not sustainable, I want to thank you for your well placed input and questions. It is my opinion that this current issue is not sustainable because we can not guarantee customers year after year. Tourism is based on world economy and gas prices which by the way is looking kind of grim at the moment. If fuel prices go up and economy continues to go down then who will fill the rooms and golf courses. It will be an added expense to maintain these infrastructures on our limited budget. I will not go into the environmental implications that golf courses bring nor will I speak of our historical, cultural and traditional value of land and our names. That is another long page of reasons in itself. Here’s an example:Before 2000 there was a world wide trade tariff that prevents China from trading with the U.S. China in turn, wanted to start businesses in islands that are affiliated with the U.S. so they sell to the U.S. In Yap they started KingTex and other islands had similar industries. One island invested heavily and started developments with the Chinese in garment factories. About 40 000 foreign workers migrated to this particular island. In the late 90’s, the tariff was lifted enabling China to trade directly with the U.S. This island then started losing its development because China can do the same job with less pay. All those foreign workers were now trapped in the island unable to pay their way back to China. They started looking for any jobs including massage parlours and prostitution. The island is now bankrupt among other problems like STI, HIV, increasing criminals and drugs. If you ever go to Saipan you will see how one small mistake was a giant leap in losing one’s own identity, culture and island. Now of course garment factories are not the same as hotels, beaches and golf courses. The point was do we need developments that have a slim chance of collapsing in the future. Lets look at sustainable ventures like our ocean? Why not develop our own fishing industry and sell our own tunas and sardines. Fish doesn’t care how much fuel cost per gallon nor do they follow the stock exchange. A, those are my thoughts on the subject of sustainability. I can be wrong. KamagarMicSem: General ETG Discussion (Posts 51 to 100)kawie Sep 15 2011I agree with Noob that “hotels, beaches and golf coures” are not sustainable. Are the hotels that already there overflowing with guests? Do they have waiting list of reservations going on for months? If not, then I don’t see what more hotels will do. Will all the workers in the hotels be locals or will China bring in workers themselves? If they are, how will that help us?I hear a lot from the tourists that visits the Big Island and between Oahu and the Big Island, 9 out of 10 prefer the Big Island. The reason being is because Oahu is similar to the mainland. WHen they leave to go to an island, they expect to see an island. That’s the same thought I have for Yap. The tourists that comes there expects to see Yap and it’s bright and beautiful culture, not America or China surrounded by water.Why not take the good that we have and expand on it? Why not improve schools?Anyways, Noob and A, thank you both. Am learning so much :) thru you two.kawie Sep 15 2011oh. <after thought>I am wondering at which point is the public gonna speak up. If ever.Do they even realize?daniellle Sep 15 2011^ I don’t think soBozz Sep 15 2011Ocean, Land, Sky, and the People. The three most viable options for sustainable economic, social, political, and religious development in Yap State.From the ocean, of course the fish, the proceeds from fish sales, fishing registration fees, trespassing fees, seabed mining, fertilizer from sea weeds and sea cucumber, trochus, sea cucumber, potential for fresh bottled water, tourist attraction, and the list goes on. Develop the local capacity to be able to exploit it in a sustainable manner.The land is enough for agriculture projects to feed the locals. There is not enough land for plantations for bigger scale export. However, tourism is an export market. The beauty about it is that you don’t export anything tangible. The buyers visit, experience, pay and then leave. It is the locals responsibility to ensure the sustainability of what the tourists are looking for: tropical beauty, a unique culture, a friendly people, and an ocean that is 92% richer with marine lives than the entire Caribbean ocean, 60% richer than the Hawaiian ocean, and 48% richer than the Guam ocean. Tourism is the key to both economic, social, and political development and conservation and preservation of who and what the islands and islanders are. Tourism needs to be developed responsibly. ETG can be very helpful- if package deal is negotiated well.As for the sky, who ever flies across the island’s airspace ought to be penalized. Airlines and their respective countries can negotiate for reasonable fee. Or Yap can bid out its air space for the lower orbit satellite owners and the airlines crossing the islands’ air space almost every hour of the day. The price could be either in cash or cheaper service—free service would be great.Unfortunately, the fourth resource, the people, are not doing very well negotiating for themselves.IS Sep 16 2011Samoa Observer, by Staff ReporterThe Chinese Exhibition &Travel Group (ETG) has its sights set on the untouched beauty that is Samoa.It comes at a time when the Chinese people are being encouraged to invest overseas.Last week, the owner and multimillionaire Dèng Hóng made a special low-key inspection visit to Samoa.They were here to follow up on a review report that had been provided for Mr. Hong by a group he had sent to Samoa in April on a fact-finding mission for ETG in light of its interests.Mr. Hong’s visit to Samoa was also a follow on from the Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi’s visit to China earlier this year.At that time, discussions of ETG’s potential developments in Samoa were put in place.According to Mr. Hong, “the aim is to help Samoa become a famous Tourist destination.”To do so, ETG hopes to not only build developments such as hotels and event centres on the island but it also has indicated its plans to promote Samoa’s handicrafts and culture to the rest of the world.This will be done by taking Samoa to the nations through putting them on show overseas rather than just waiting for the nations to come to this side of the Pacific to witness what Samoa has on offer.Acting Prime Minister, Fonotoe Nuafesili Lauofo says Mr. Hong was very happy with what he saw last week.> “He said our weather’s nice. He enjoyed the cultural show at the STA fale and was very impressed with our culture and the scenery,” says the deputy Prime Minister. “He was very positive.”It is understood Mr. Hong flew to Samoa from Micronesia in his private jet.Says Fonotoe, “When they got to Samoa, their private jet circled over Upolu so his party could get a good view.“I was told he was very happy with what he saw.”Mr. Hong was accompanied by the Governor of the Export-Import Bank of China (China Eximbank).Mr. Hong is a Chengdu-based property tycoon who succeeded in his plan to turn Lhasa into a world resort destination.He is famous for showing off his status symbols, his acquisition of the most glamorous and expensive cars on earth at the resort hotels he builds.Mr. Hong made his $660 million in personal wealth (Hurun richest 500 in China list, 2010) turning a remote corner of Tibet into a global destination attracting millions of tourists a year.He took the nine stockade Tibetan villages of the Dzitsa degu valley, at the easternmost edge of Amdo, directly north of Chengdu, and made it a tourist paradise.Mr. Hong and his global partners, the London-based InterContinental hotel chain, made the crystalline waters, forested slopes, disappearing pandas, UNESCO World Heritage protected landscapes and quaint Tibetan villagers into an irresistible package for tourists, both Chinese and international, seeking a fairyland paradise on earth.Mr. Hong has built tourist resorts not only in Jiuzhaigou and Chengdu, but also shopping malls and convention centres in Chengdu, and he has steadily risen in personal net wealth, in the Hurun top 500 richest Chinese annual rankings, leaping from $220 million in personal wealth in 2008 to $660 million in 2010. Forbes magazine ranks his wealth similarly.Mor Watit Sep 18 2011Watit heard through the coconut wireless that there are some leaders from Yap going to China… as to the purpose, he can’t be sure but guess it has something to do with this ETG proposal. People need to be aware…peace2u Sep 18 2011Who are these leaders? It is about time that we know who are really behind his ETG thing, other than the governor. I heard that most members of the legislature are afraid of this venture as most do not know what the Chinese actually intend to do once they are given the green light to come in. It will be interesting to see who at the legislature will be the two members of the governor’s task force.A Sep 18 2011If you, a Yapese, decided to conduct business on Yap with a foreign friend, who should be concerned in such an affair, in the planning phase? It should be specific people and not the whole Yapese population. Here are some of the people I think should be involved:1. You2. Foreign investor3. All other land owners involved: tafen, mafen and suwon4. The concerned village chief(s)5. State Commerce and Industry official6. EPA officialIn the past, there were disagreements with number 3 and 4.Please add your constructive comments, like who else should be involved, for example, advisor, partner, legal counselor, etc...patrick tellei Sep 18 2011I might say that I have enjoyed this topic and all the posts associated with it. It always healthy to have these types of discussion so that people can learn from each other. While the focus of attention on this topic is Yap and a potential mega-investment from PRC conglomerates, it is nevertheless important for veryone to share thoughts about it. This way we learn from each other, not so much so that we can agree, but also note that there are people out there who hold different views about the same topic. I have to commend you all, because I have learned so much by just reading and following this topic. The beauty of elected leadership is that when people are dissatisfied, they have a chance every four years to who their disappointment and really doing something about it.BleGul Sep 18 2011The leadership has initiated the deal and hopeful for a good one, development in infrastructure roads, air and sea ports, schools and hospital, tourist hotels, convention centers, shopping centers, golf courses etc are definite needs for Yap among other needs. We have had fishing operations by Ting Hong, fabric factory by Kingtex, but not much hard impacts done on great Yap. It is just the way we are, moving slow but in a sure way. I think we should not try and say who said or OK for such when we had our chances to do that during state elections and the ones today were who we voted in to lead us. It is rather late to brag about what they are doing because they are doing the best the can. We all know these people and they are not danger as other leaders in this world who may be dictators and tyrant ones doing things only for their own interests. If you watch closely how ours are going at each other, it is interesting that in the end they are still the the Yapese we know. This is Yap and nobody should ever under estimate what Yapese can do, we maybe small but very terrible.Mor Watit Sep 18 2011Watit is glad we have a chance every 4 years to change who our elected officials are. This is our chance to discuss our leaders and help us make wish decisions when election time comes around.With all due respect Mr. A, watit will disagree with you. Yap is a very small island that one cannot do things on his own land and not have an effect on his neighbors. With a company like the ETG, and the kind of “development” they are proposing, it will definitely have an impact on the whole of Yap island. Everyone needs to have a say on the matter. Lets take the KingTex for example, not a very big company, compared to ETG. But they were going all over Yap, stealing, being a nuisance to local people. A lot of them were almost beaten up during Yap Day celebration for crossing in front of Dances. A lot of them were almost beaten up for taking pictures of local people without obtaining permission to do so. Extrapolate those instances tenfold and that’s what we will be faced with if ETG were to be allowed in.At this point, watit does not want to reveal any one’s names for those going to China until he is sure of all the details. Like what watit said, he heard it through the gabach vines, not the most reliable source of info.A Sep 19 2011Thank you for continuing to keep us informed on this issue. I agree with you that transparency is a crucial policy for an intelligent, open minded and democratic public. The Yapese public should, at the very least, be provided the courtesy of an article from the state government; an article that is more informative than their previous coverage on the State leadership ETG conference at the Small Business Complex. Mor, thank you for helping out your fellow Yapese citizens. Here are some of my thoughts on the various points you’ve raised.On the trip to China: If all six thousand concerned Yapese should go on that trip to China, then my opinion is that it is better that our leadership should apologize to the foreign investor, for wasting their time and money, and then, we petition our various leaders, i.e. clan leaders, village leaders and government leaders, to retire from their duties, since we no longer trust or need their leadership. However, that is not the case. We still have a leadership. Therefore, I support that not every Yapese should go on that trip to China, but only the affordable few, starting with the most important. With that said, a municipal chief of the concerned development site may, or may not, be the most important representative, when it comes to the representation of land owners. Not all villages in a municipality, or on an island, is traditionally aligned to its municipal leadership. This is because the concept and practice of municipalities were introduced by European colonists, to help them govern, and make sense of, these islands’ complex political-social structure. So, a group of landowners should best be represented by their most traditionally ideal and capable representative(s).On the adverse effects of foreigners: I understand that the foreigners are often times compared to unwanted pests, however, we must also weigh in the benefits they brought, and continue to bring, in. Without revenue from their tourism, for instance, Yap may experience constant blackout and lack of running water. So, we should weigh the pros versus the cons. Like our leaders, we include into our contemplations the employment rates and economic status of Yap State, when those companies, like Yap Kingtex Garment Export, Micronesian Knitting Industry and Ting Hong were in operation, and then, compare it to today’s gross revenue and unemployment rate. Also, bear in mind, Yap may be showing signs of a struggling economy, bad roads, high utility rates, unbalanced pay rate/price inflation, etc. In addition, also consider that Yap State cannot, and should not, remain like an infant baby that always whine to another foreigner, USA, for “breast feeding,” year in and year out. I believe that is not the intent of the US-FSM Compact, from our original Yapese perspectives. The universal rule, most especially for us, conservative Yapese, is: “No pain, no gain.” Despite the customary foreign handouts, this rule still applies to individuals, households, clans, villages, municipalities, island communities, state and nation. Let’s use the village level, as an example.Most Yapese village communities, today, whose kids are better dressed and equipped to school, are from those villages who have utilized foreign innovations, like roads, schools, dispensaries and tourism to their advantage. On the other hand, poverty is most evident with other kids who come from more “conservative and undeveloped” villages, on Yap. From my limited observation, the more impoverished villages can no longer remain “conservative and traditional” amid poverty, because less work and progress in those villages result in alcoholism, drug use and more kids stealing betelnuts for their bus fares to school. If we do not consider these younger generations more carefully and thoroughly, I fear that one day those younger generations may improvise those beloved “conservative” villages into their den of impoverished and uneducated thieves, as we hear happening elsewhere in Micronesia. Always bear in mind that the reason why Yap is better off today is because of decisions that were made by our predecessors, for our benefit. In turn, this generation puts in the same selfless effort, not for our own benefits, but for those to come.Lastly, I take this opportunity to thank Dr. Patrick Tellei and his Great Republic of Belau for their countless assistance to the Yapese people—from the education they provide our Yapese students to agency training they provide our state leaders. I strongly believe that Palau has much wisdom to share, from their experience, on this topic. Meral ma sulang!Mor Watit Sep 19 2011AHow would you define poverty? watit has never seen poverty in Micronesia, but he has seen poverty in places like USA, the Philippines and other places. Watit has never heard of any Micronesian going without food, but he has seen people died of starvation in the USA. Let’s not buy into this idea of poverty as defined by foreigners. We have food, we have roof over our heads. seems to watit we have it better than a lot of people in the world, and that includes people in China, USA and other big countries.alii2 Sep 19 2011Mor-de-watitee,Poverty is not what you see. It’s what resides in your head. Therein lies poverty.A Sep 19 2011Mor, you are right. These tropical islands have fertile soils and inhabitants, including birds and bats, who sowed various edible roots, shoots and fruits, on them. The ocean is bountiful with fish, and we are blessed with inhabitants who help conserve those resources as well. But, let’s not deny the definition of poverty in Micronesia, by learning from our most struggling villages. From my point of view, the current definition of poverty in Micronesia is defined by the following, in relation with the population:1) Diseases (diabetes, alcoholism, drug addictions, malnutrition, cancer)2) mortality rates3) education (both conventional and traditional)4) skills or trade (conventional and traditional)5) jobs (conventional and traditional)6) community service/improvement/development (volunteer, traditional, or conventional)7) access to fresh drinking water8) access to medical care.9) pay rate and price inflation difference.10) shelter condition11) sanitation12) access to running water13) access to electricity14) brain drain15) other infrastructuresI’m sure there are many others things that we could look at, however, Yap, though most proudly traditional and conservative, has always been dynamic, like every where else, for this reason: Perspectives and situations change. Let’s use health, for example.In just the past decade, Yapese had to face and fight against various new types of health threats, which they do not have a cure for. New diseases, like HIV and Dengue that threat the very existence of the Yapese. They say that some of these diseases, like Zika virus and Bird flu, can be airborne or may be flown in by the birds. So, if Yapese, today, were to shut down all their borders, and return back to traditional life styles (because no fuel, vaccines and other important imports would be available from incoming ships and planes), they would still be threatened by these new diseases. Anyway, that was just an example of how Yapese perspectives change with their situations, and thus, their definition of poverty changes.Noob Sep 19 2011A,Nobody is saying that we should revert back to traditional lifestyle and say ‘No’ to all foreign investors. I think there is a misunderstanding on the issue. What I am saying is that this present development so far from the very little information available is what I am against. Not development in general. Indeed we need to adapt some ideas but only ideas that does not infringe upon our culture, history and tradition. That is all I am saying. Hospitals, education and roads of course does not compromises our culture in any way and is good for any society. Those are the developments we need, developments that merge harmoniously with our identity. I feel that we should not sacrifice our morals and values because of money.That being said, I will welcome any foreign investors that will help develop our fishing industries or any industry that will help us be more self sustainable in the future and not the opposite of becoming more reliant on others. We need to choose our foreign investors wisely by weighing if the development can shift us even an inch away from aids. Tourism for example should be a secondary priority after projects aimed at self sustainability. We need to learn how to fish instead of relying on people giving us fish. So if foreign investors can help us make hooks, lines, nets, spears, or fishing poles then by all means let them in! If they want to start golf courses, hotels, beaches, or restaurants then I say, please wait while I see if the land can not be used for something more beneficial to our islands.Most of the description of Micronesian poverty you laid out is supposedly addressed by the Public Health Department. As Yapese we have a blessing and a curse in our stubbornness to adhere to our beliefs. Its a blessing because we among all Micronesian islands still maintain our tradition, in the past our ancestors chose traditional wear over suits and hats unlike other islands who were quick to change into a jacket. Its a curse in the sense that our mentality is difficult to change especially in Public health issues like healthy eating and lifestyle. This needs education, education, and education to keep on hammering the message until we accept it as truth and not some foreign idea. I believe we are all on the same side but just coming from different angles. Our island’s best interest is in our hearts but our ideas differs on how to reach that goal. Only in Yap ! Our Beloved island. Siro ma kamagar.Mor Watit Sep 19 2011A,Thank you for spelling that out, watit cannot help but feel that we have become the victims of our own doing. Most of the diseases you listed in your #1, are but a result of our diet and our lifestyle. Should we worry overmuch about hiv and bird flu? Watit does not think so, realistically, what are the odds? Let us be concerned more about the immediate threats to our health. Watit believe the problem will be easily dealt with once we relearn to eat local.Education is important, but then we used to have an education system, which relied on nothing but the human head to keep all the knowledge. We now need books and computers to keep the knowledge, what happens when the technology fails (as it had happened in Yap on quite a few occasions) we cannot do anything manually because we have forgotten how. When there is power outage, people cannot cook because they don’t know how to cook over open fires. What happens when the ships do not come to Yap and rice and turkey tails runs out in the stores, young people will not eat because they don’t like taro and fish.Watit is not trying to argue here, just trying to make sense out of a world gone crazy, or maybe its watit who is going crazy. Sorry.A Sep 20 2011Mor,Mau Pialug expressed your same sentiments, when he was considering passing on his knowledge to the next generation, most of whom were leaving Satawal for higher education and more adventurous modern lifestyles. The predecessors of Yap’s forbidden island tried to protect their younger generations from change. It was also said that the mystical Sippin used supernatural powers to escape these changes.However, no one can stop the winds of change. Yap State, including its remote corner of Satawal has experienced change. Should we fear and resist it? Or, should we utilize it to enhance our culture like, for example, our intelligent and creative Dr. Patrick Tellei did, using modern institutional methods to educate younger generations on traditional navigation?Here’s my line of thought on the “world gone crazy...”Firstly, we must acknowledge our current situations/dilemma. Secondly, we must realize that there is no other way to our so-called “promise land,” but to boldly face the storm, head on. Thirdly, we must prepare mind, body, soul, household, community, etc. Lastly, we must make the best of it. Like the saying goes, “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.”On whether or not we should worry about pandemics and epidemics, well, they nearly wiped out the Yapese population, just decades ago. Within this century alone, Yapese population fell to 2 582. It was said that during one of the epidemics, you could not attend a neighbor’s funeral, because you had several in your own household. We should always remember previous lessons learned and protect our health, because without it, we will be too weak or few to accomplish a better Yap, for our future generations.I thank both you and Noob for sharing your wisdom and promoting public awareness. Though we may not always agree, we should maintain the boldness and optimism required for the public to confront these imminent predicaments.Noob Sep 20 2011Mor Watit,When the gabach vines reveal theirs secrets be sure to expand its wireless coverage by enlightening us on the progress of the ETG Taskforce. Kamagar.A,Epidemics in itself in a whole other discussion deserving a thread on its own. Machane kamagar ko post rom. Rib mangil e pii nir ni gabe yog.Mor Watit Sep 20 2011Ehhhh watit hates to pass on unverified information gotten through the gabach vines, but watit overheard that Maap has already agreed (nothing on paper yet) with ETG for a gulf course. And Nimgil for hotels. Again be aware, these are just rumors. Watit is sharing them in the hopes that someone with true information might correct the misinfo and share with us the true info.A Sep 20 2011The descendents of Maap and Nimgil may have jobs and no longer need to kilo or taxi to colonia, on a daily basis. For those islands and municipalities that do not get these projects, they can begin planning on producing enough vegetables, fruits, crops, live stock and poultry to supplement these hotels. The YFA and neighboring islands can start considering on supplying the fish. Our brothers in Palau have much experience in this topic. We should learn what they already know. The economy may grow and the people prosper, if considered thoroughly and negotiated right.Mor Watit Sep 20 2011Watit still has misgivings about this whole affair. In watit’s opinion, this is very short-sighted and bound to produce more negative outcome than the little gain we will receive. First of all, we all know what’s happening in the Marshalls, the descendents of Maap and Nimgil may have jobs in the future, but will they be speaking Yapese or Chinese? That is watit’s fear. Why is watit so concerned about language, watit will explain with an example; the young people of Yap nowadays knows how to say the word “siroo,” but do not bow down when they are walking in front of people. The young people, when asking for betelnuts from an older person would say, “mu pii rebe langad ngog,” rather than “mu na’ag rebe langad ngog.” Those are the essence of our culture being washed away with the lose of our language.A Sep 21 2011Mor,Have the ETG conduct a Yapese courtesy training for all their Yapese new hires, and maybe their guests, too. Other than that, I don’t see how ETG is responsible for Yapese language loss. ETG could possibly promote Yapese culture, including Yapese language, traditional courtesy or etiquette, and then showcase it for the world. Our young people will learn to be courteous, while they make money… As it is now, most of those young people will continue to steal our betelnuts, and when we are too old to defend ourselves, possibly spit in our faces for not providing them job opportunities and a prosperous state. But, this is just another point of view, among many.Mor Watit Sep 21 2011A,Watit thinks you are misunderstanding his post. Its happening in the Marshalls that the Chinese (ETG) are not bothering to learn english, much less the local Marshallese language. They are requiring that the Marshallese learn Chinese to be able to work for the company. That is where the loss of language comes into play. If they do the same thing in Yap, how long would it be before some of us completely lose whatever remnant of the Yapese language we have left. Its one thing to speak the language, its quite another to “think the language.” Loss of culture starts with loss of language. Maybe watit is over-reacting but when it comes to things like this, watit is ever-so suspicious and watchful. For the Yapese language, everything is included in the language itself, courtesy, etiquette, respect, etc...for example, watit can communicate lots to you now by using only one word, “siroo.”Noob Sep 21 2011I see it the other way around. Young people will spit on our faces for not being wiser and saving those lands for their children to plant and build homes. The last thing China does is promote other island’s culture. Look at Marshall, Tonga, Samoa, Fiji to name a few. What makes us think they will treat Yap any different then all the other Pacific islands? China always looks out for number one… itself. This is the other view on the matter based on observations of China dealing with Pacific islands.A Sep 21 2011We are conversing in English, which is another foreign language. Why is it so bad for other Yapese to converse in Chinese? I know various Yapese who speak various languages, including Japanese and Chinese. If anything, they are more courteous, more intelligent and more employed than the average jo who kilo and poach forbidden nuts and fish, for a living.Anyway, ETG is not an invasion because Yap makes the rules and the laws. Therefore, your concerns should be addressed to meet your satisfaction. However, our satisfactions are secondary to those of future generations’ and to those Yapese land owners’ who have decided to take that step to change their economic trend. Not all business ventures on Yap should be a public concern, because not all of Yap may have any real stake in it, like lands. If we don’t like change, our village or municipality can always say “no.” We also have many undeveloped islands that we can migrate to, in case we don’t like change. As it is, too many Yapese are migrating to Fiji, Samoa, Guam, Hawaii, etc. Some Yapese migrated to the Marshalls, too… probably working for hotels there, like the many others who have left for Guam, Hawaii, Fiji, etc.Noob Sep 21 2011No one is saying learning Chinese is bad. What is being said is that we are losing our language. Ten years down the line, we might all speak Chinese and nobody remembers Yapese, that is the concern. It is a valid concern that needs to be addressed. It is true some Yapese migrate but the majority can not and does not have the luxury, they need their lands for sustainable living otherwise eventually they will succumb to poverty… not the Micronesian poverty.China does not respect rules and laws according to the many reports you can find online. They are experts in finding loopholes in any rule or law. Most of the time they only get caught because their illegal methods have endangered lives like the baby milk scandal just three years ago.We should be wise in our dealings just because of what many islands have gone through.Gavilan’s post in the socialism thread (page 2) basically nails my perspective on this issue.A Sep 21 2011Decades ago, huge plantations lined most hillsides and terrains on Yap. Today, most of it is undeveloped grass lands and overgrown jungles. Often times, these unused lands are under dispute by lazy claimants too lethargic to develop or farm the lands. So, “saving those lands” may be a worthless feat, but, farming and developing those lands may augment the value of those lands.Like Mor has alluded to, our younger generation prefer rice and turkey tail, and may not wish to farm those lands. However, in the long duration we try to change their appetites, they can make use of the time and the lands to generate revenue by planting and developing those empty lands. A good number of young Yapese are planting taro (“Mal”) for a company on the big island of Hawaii, for good wages. If they can do it there, our jobless populace can do it too, here.Mor Watit Sep 21 2011WOW! watit can’t believe what he is hearing. so let’s run through this again. Is ETG the only option whereby we can improve our economy? why does it have to be them? Watit is not against foreign investment, just against ETG because of their track record. ETG is a very dangerous and risky route to take. Watit believes there may be better opportunities out there that may not be detrimental to our society in the long run. Why limit our choice to the first offer? Yap has survived a long time by being patient and making slow and wise decisions after having weight all options. Why the rush? Lets not get short-sighted. we keep rushing ahead, we are bound to trip and fall on our face. Our island is very fragile, once we destroy it, there wont be any going back. Any land in Yap that is excavated will have run-offs into our lagoons, and once the wash-off is in our lagoons the contamination will definitely spread off to other parts of the island. so this mumbo jumbo story about “just those who wish to take it will be effected and those who do not will not be effected” is not going to fly with watit. “saving those lands” may seem like a worthless endeavor, but that is why we have not lost some of our wild-lives, and why we are breathing clean fresh air. Take those away and what will happen to some of our wild lives? what will happen to the air we breath? One cannot remove a stone from a “dayif” without impacting the whole.Noob Sep 21 2011Lets not limit our vision to the present situation. Let us look ahead and preserve those lands. If we are too lazy to farm it today maybe our children will be more active or their children. When the compact ends in the next decade, this is what will happen. People will start gardening again and those lands that seems worthless now will show its true value. People from Maap and Nimgil will be affected the most if the ETG plans progress further. Needless to say, how important will names be for those in Nimgil and Maap when their names do not have any legal or cultural significance to the land they sold. Would they abandon the land’s name in exchange for smith, brown, wong or mei?ETA is not the way to go. Surely we can find other investors that will help us reach our goal of self reliability.A Sep 21 2011If in a few years the Yapese people lose 80% of jobs, would you still procrastinate? Yap will be experiencing worsening economic emergency because Uncle Sam, who, believe it or not, provides at least 80% of the gross domestic product, may no longer be able to support our economy. Why shouldn’t we foresee and prepare for this? Is our nurturer’s debt or deficit too unbelievable or unthinkable? Are we waiting for the complete deterioration of our public roads, schools, hospitals, etc to the point beyond repair, or for government to shut down, constant blackouts, and complete social chaos, before we wake up and begin taking the necessary bold steps forward? Regardless of how comfy we are today, Yap may no longer afford to procrastinate, and do business as usual, if it wants to maintain its people’s current demands and standards of living. Just a thought.Mor Watit Sep 21 2011A,No one is disagreeing with you on the points you raised in your above post. we hear you loud and clear. But surely, not ETG. In watit’s humble opinion, definitely not ETG. There are other options to be explored out there. ETG will not solve our problems but create a huge problem for us later on down the line. The aftermath of Typhoon Sudal proved something to us Yapese that when our back are against the walls, we come together and overcome whatever obstacle stands in front of us, Watit has a lot of trust in Yap, but not an ounce of trust in the Chinese. BTW, our Chinese Junk, the hapilmuguth just got back today, watit wonders how long it will be in services before it starts breaking down again. That is Chinese made for you, unreliable and constantly breaking down. Do we want more of it?alii2 Sep 21 2011Mor-de-watitee,What huge problem will ETG create for Yap down the line? I want you not only to list it but, I want you to elaborate on it.A Sep 21 2011Mor,Instead of boycotting this foreign investor for those who want to move on with what they have been offered, why not find the right investor for your village or municipality? A scandanivian investor maybe. I hear they make quality products. The reality is, there is no such offers. So, we can dream on, or, we can move on.Mor Watit Sep 21 2011A,You still missing the point, if it was just a matter of “moving on,” watit would not dream of standing in anyone’s way. This is a matter of greater ramifications than just one or two individuals. It will effect everyone whether or not they take part in the deal. One stone cannot move without effecting the whole! that is the whole point. Can a plane come to Yap without causing loud noise for the whole island? Can the influx of Chinese workers come to Yap without crowding the roadways? These are some issues that need to be dealt with. No one is dreaming, we are trying to rationalize with a reality that may materialize should things be allowed to fall in place on this deal. Whats the hurry, are people in Yap dying of starvation? Is this the ONLY DEAL we can get?Noob Sep 22 2011 “Don’t fall into the debt trap being set by those willing to ‘help you’ with loans; unless those capital loans come from domestic sources. The foreign money lenders will enslave you if you let them.”(As posted by Gavilan, socialist thread-pg 2)A,Obviously Yap does not have the capital for these ambitious plans. So who will be paying for it? Ask yourself this question.I do not think ETG is a simple investor, they will get our lands, money and eventually our island when we fail to pay back their loans. This is happening to all the islands in the Pacific. But don’t take my word for it. Do some research and connect the dots before you commit yourself to economic suicide.I guess I have to say this again to you... this is not about boycotting foreign investors, this is about wisely choosing foreign investors.Patience has always served our people well. Though sometimes we lag behind in some areas, patience has always safeguarded us from falling into traps. Have a chew in your basket and maul it over. Siro ma kamagaralii2 Sep 22 2011MOR-DE-WATITEE >>> Can a plane come to Yap without causing loud noise for the whole island?AlII2 >>> What kind of question is that. Have you been smoking them Pakalolo? How are you going to fly out of Yap if there is no planes?MOR-DE-WATITEE >>> Can the influx of Chinese workers come to Yap without crowding the roadways?AlII2 >>> Again, how are you going to build hotels and golf courses in Yap if there are no Chinese workers? Are you going to use your stone money to build these things? Listen, there’s a give and take in all decisions. The most CRUCIAL question in this entire thread is this: WILL ETG BUILD AN INFRASTRUCTURE THAT WILL GENERATE CASHFLOW FOR THE YAPESE IN THE YEARS TO COME?Everything that you folks have discussed flows out of this question. Why? because when all Yapese find an answer by consensus to this basic question, decisions are made easily thereafter. Environement and conservation is always a sacrifice for Micronesia’s decision for the future. In the end, the Yapese people whom I love very much “except you know who” need to make a decision and that decision is yours and yours alone.Mor Watit Sep 22 2011First of all, who invited this idiot (alii2) to take part in the discussion. Secondly, does anyone care to hear what he has to say?alii2 Sep 22 2011Mor-de-watitee,It’s very simple. Information I share is much more important than me.Noob Sep 22 2011Mor,Dakmur non ngak ra aliliy nir.LOL@ ghlieh dke lkoe owej eoiehe ole. hehehehMor Watit Sep 22 2011Dumme folk skal holde sig ude af samtalen, der var ikke vedr?rer dem. De b?r holde sig til at spise lort. hahahahahahaMor Watit Sep 22 2011Noob,rib makar malalang e re fak e gamanman nir... lol mang thin e yir ani gabe yog? igag e gube thin nu kramned (mu be’eg nga tomur).A Sep 22 2011Thank you again, Mor and Noob,Here are some feedback to your previous comments from a different POV.Chinese small loans from the Chinese government is a different issue involving other Pacific nations and maybe the FSM national government, but not Yap State, though. Yap State has not asked for or signed for Chinese small loans, because Yapese dislike debt and deficit.Now, back to the ETG, Yapese make the rules here, on this business venture. The investor can pay for everything required to establish the business, plus more. That is why ETG is known as the “investor,” and not Yap.Those roads, which we seem to not want to share with anyone, aren’t generating enough revenue to sustain themselves. For example, petroleum taxes and car sales taxes, car registration fees, drivers license fees, etc are insufficient for road maintenance. Either there are too few taxpayers using them or the Yapese people are not paying enough taxes to maintain them. Having said that, what do you want: pay higher taxes or accept more tourists/users on those public roads?The USA is pulling its tit from our infant lips. You can no longer enjoy the status quo, with out making a higher level of effort and sacrifice. Yes, “the world has gone crazy” because we have become accustomed to these “little things,” like roads, cars, ports, airplanes, hospitals, schools, utilities, jobs, pay checks, computers and even the Internet… yet, we are unwilling to earn them.Mor Watit Sep 22 2011A,Yes we have become accustomed to a life style beyond our means. So what do we do? Seek to increase our means and destroying our environment in the process, or learn to change our ways and live within our means? And if USA is cutting us off right now, what assurance is there that ETG, or anyone for that matter will not do the same in some future time and we will still be where we are at, because in reality, we just don’t have the means. It doesn’t really matter whose teats we decide to suck, it is bound to go dry sooner or later and we will still be the same crying infants who never learn to grow up and fend for themselves. You are exactly right that “we are unwilling to earn them.” By jumping from support from the USA to ETG, seems to watit like we are just trading one teat for another. True earning is when we don’t depend on anyone but ourselves to afford those things. To truly earn anything, we must learn to curb our appetite and live within our means.Noob Sep 22 2011A,Kamagar for your perspective without different views we would not learn from each other. Here is my view.Your post:“Yap State has not asked for or signed for Chinese small loans, because Yapese dislike debt and deficit... Yapese make the rules here, on this business venture... etc”The fact of the matter is we still do no know the conditions or rules or which papers was signed. Whether it is a small loan or not. We do not know anything about this deal. What we know is what the developments are and where they plan to build it. To assume anything else is dangerous. But on a logical aspect, if I wanted to invest and pay for everything, don’t you think I would have a say in whether I like your rules or not. If I do not like your rules then fine, I’ll go find someone else. So to say Yapese makes the rules and China can’t do anything but invest anyway is absurd. There is something we are missing that we do not know.I understand your perspective. But correct me if I am wrong: We need money to maintain our infrastructures. USA is leaving us. We are used to our current lifestyle so we need to find ways to ensure it is not affected. We need to act fast and act now.Before you grab your weapon and run off to battle all I am saying is this. Who are you fighting? Why are you fighting? Is there any other way to prevent loss of life? Can a treaty be found?All islands have and will always have financial problems. The need for money is never ending. No developing island is ever content when it comes to money.Let us live our lives on our island within our means. If this means no turkey tail then so be it. We have gotten used to things that we can not afford. If we have learned those behaviors then we can unlearn it. What we need to do is prioritize what is most important to the Yapese people. Surely all the hundred of thousands of dollars spent on alcohol annually can be directly at taxes to pay for the roads for example.Its like we are addicted to drugs. The drugs are the lifestyle we live now in Yap. Eventually our tolerance for the drug increases. This means we are trying to find ways to pay for something that we are dependent on. Let us throw away this drug habit and adopt habits that are healthier to our lives. By doing this it addresses the Micronesian poverty you laid out and ensures the land remains in the control of Yapese.Money will always be a need. We need sustainable developments as I have been saying. Economy is down, fuel prices is up. Our hotels in our islands are never full. How can we ensure that the new hotels and golf courses will have customers? We can’t! So now our government will have to maintain these infrastructures costing us more money in the long run. Short term it looks inviting and tasty like a chocolate cake but how long before you get hungry again? Develop diabetes? We need healthy foods in this case developments that are sustainable in the future.SiroA Sep 22 2011The Council of Tamol just requested for more development on their remote islands. So who do we believe: Those who live in undeveloped islands that plead for development, or two Internet surfers who promote the environment and traditional lifestyles?Gavilan Sep 22 2011This is really none of my business; but I have not seen any mention of the effect this developement will have on your ocean resources.The runoff from the chemicals used to maintain the golf courses will kill your mangroves and coral reefs.Will there be so many golf enthusists coming to Yap to make up for the loss of your mangroves and coral reefs?Go look at the condition of the waters and lands that have had this kind of development in place for 10 years. Are your ready to trade your mangroves and coral reefs for A GOLF COURSE???How many healthy coral reef environments are there left on planet earth? How many good golf courses are there on planet earth?Would people travel to Yap to play golf ???Ecotourism doesnt include golf. Nice grassy fairways and groomed greens are simply incompatable with healthy mangroves, living coral reefs, and the fish populations that depend on them.I wonder what your people would choose if they really had a say in this matter.GavilanMor Watit Sep 22 2011Gavilan,Exactly. you took the words right out of watit’s mouth. It’s very funny that A seems to be informed about what the Council of Tamol wants in regards to ETG. Watit was speaking with one of them just recently, and the Chief stated that the council of Tamol really don’t have anything to say as far as ETG is concerned, because all of ETG’s developmental plans revolves around Yap main island. Watit doesn’t see how the council of Tamol is involved in this discussion.A,you keep saying that we need to improve our island, Watit totally agree with that notion. But where you and watit differs in opinion is on the how, who, and when. You seems to be for the idea of development at all cost regardless of what sacrifice have to be made, watit is for development with special attention to the environmental impact so that we do not destroy our ONLY island in the process.A Sep 23 2011The reason we are struggling with this issue, is because it is indeed about a crisis. A crisis is defined as a stage in a sequence of events at which the trend of all future events, especially for better or for worse, is determined; turning point.If you’ve followed this thread back, I initially suggested that the EPA, who have qualified environmental specialists, be involved in the ETG development. We have already covered large portions of our island with asphalt roads and other chemicals. I don’t see how we can’t cover a smaller portion of it with grass. Golf courses are built in American cities to replenish their water tables underground. This is where they get their tap water. Their tap water is cleaner than Yap’s, where you must boil out the chlorine and or E. coli. Regardless, all chemicals such as fertilizers, pesticides imported to Yap are regulated by the EPA. Not some environmental activists, who are misinformed.I also discouraged compulsive nay-Sayers. It’s always easy to just say no, but it’s hard to make a difference for the future. The predecessors of forbidden island didn’t know, or care, that their descendents would one day want to move on to the 21st century. You are reacting no differently.We currently have so many requests for development projects, including those from forbidden island, pending at the legislature and congress, but the opportunities have already passed. For instance, we have multiple requests from COT, petitions from the forbidden islanders and other villages, for roads, bridges, utility, sea walls buildings, etc, all involving chemicals that are more toxic than your worst fertilizer. Unfortunately, they’ve missed the boat, because certain people did not embrace the opportunity, when it was available. They did not embrace the opportunity, because they did not foresee (or care) about the demands of their descendents. Compact financial assistance are dwindling down with much in disrepair, there is too little left to meet their new demands. Can you generate the tax revenue needed to meet their demands? No, but ETG can.Despite what you want to believe, opportunity does not knock every day or every decade, for that matter. Unless, of course, you can prove otherwise by finding that right investor for Yap, before this ETG negotiation is sealed.dr.fix Sep 23 2011Right on my priend, Mr. A. I wish my priend Watitiii, who I beleive is your neighbor, has a visionary like yours. He, he, lol.MicSem: General ETG Discussion (Posts 101 to 150)Noob Sep 23 2011A,You serious about the golf course? Just by searching golf courses online, you can plainly see that it does cause a negative environmental impact proven by science... no doubts about that fact. Fertilizers & pesticides used to maintain golf courses impacts the environment. (wiki/golf course)It is not about the regulation of fertilizers or pesticides that matter. Its about whether it will affect our environment. It does.I can make the same argument and say it is much easier to say ‘yes’. Do you want ice cream? Do you want money? Do you want a car? Which is easier to say... yes or no? Saying ‘no’ takes inner contentment, strength and wisdom. What do most kids say when you offer them something? They say ?es’, only a well disciplined child would say ‘no thank you’.It is not about how many request one makes. That doesn’t prove that we need developments. What that proves is that there are some work that the government needs to do to address their concerns. For example, I can keep on requesting for money from you. Would you give me money or help me find a long term solution like finding a job. Your logic is to give me money now because I am requesting it but my logic is to say wait let us see why you need that much money and help you find a job.I do understand where you are coming from. The question in my mind is can you understand where I am coming from or are you set in your mind and nothing can change that. All your points, I have rebutted and addressed. You have yet to address any of the concerns I have. If you can address my concerns that is satisfactory to me and I will change my mind and agree with you.That is why we are struggling in this issue. I’m listening to your points and answering them accordingly with my concerns. My concerns are still there unless you can convince me otherwise with real facts. Golf courses good for the environment is not a fact and is the kind of answers that keeps us struggling.A Sep 23 2011Why don’t you let the experts at the EPA provide the people with the correct answers. They’re paid to know what is bad and what is good for the environment.Improving Yap and eating ice cream are two very different things. One involves sacrifice and hard work (as seen in developed Palau) and the other involves childish cravings (as in underdeveloped Chuuk).Again, unless you have a better offer for Yap, stop advocating for constant blackout and shut down of the economy. Because without them, you won’t have the computer, the paycheck, or the electricity to come on the Internet and promote your endless wisdom. Please don’t be offended, I am only trying to convince you with a reality check.Mor Watit Sep 23 2011Where was EPA when Ting Hong ships were dumping their waste into the lagoons? Where was Quarantine when these giant rats were introduced into the islands by Ting Hong ships? And after all that, where is Ting Hong today? What good have they done for the island? How many jobs were created by the KingTex company? What good did they do for the island? Now we want another Chinese company to do the same thing? You are too focused on what we can gain, but you are NOT thinking about what we may lose. For watit, the gain is not worth the loss. You mentioned crisis, what crisis? Will people die? Is this a matter of life and death? And you keep ignoring the question: why ETG? Is that the only option we can think of? Just because watit is saying NO to ETG, doesn’t mean watit will say NO to a better offer from someone who has a better track record. The name of the game is PROFIT, make no mistake about that. Not our profit, but ETG’s. When they are no longer making a profit, they will up and leave us. Where will we be then? Watit doesn’t think you are thinking this through... have a chew or two and gain some wisdom from the basket…Noob Sep 23 2011A,I see that you have already made up your mind before joining the discussion.Who do not want their economy to be booming? That is not a reality check, it is common knowledge. You are not convincing me of anything.What you fail to understand is my perspective. I have lived in Palau for many years, have you? If not, then let me enlighten you: Palau while it looks good from outside, go live there and see for yourself the frustrations Palauans have in trying to control the influx of Filipinos, Chinese, and Bangledesh workers. They moved their capital to Melekeok cause Koror is looking like a China town. When ever I go there and drive in town I think I’m in Manila or India. Go to the clubs and you would think you are in Manila. They put conditions now to help prevent more of the foreign workers from coming in. This past year alone, I have seen about ten or more Bangladesh stores opening up, on top of the Filipino & Chinese stores. More jobs for Palauans you would think. No again, the cheapest labour are of course non-Palauans. This is just a taste of the so called ideal pathway you want to take for our economy.Now I have lived in other places as well like Hawaii, Guam, and Fiji. What I have seen from this islands, I am trying to prevent happening to Yap. Hawaii and Guam are now trying to evict us foreigners from coming to their place. Fiji is in a political battle with Indians.My wisdom is not much as you say. It is only in this area based on my experience living in different Pacific Islands.Having ETG coming in and working on their plans is not hard work for Yapese. That is the easy way out. We just sit on our butts continue to buy turkey tail with the money they gave us for our lands and watch them work. Hard work is building our own economy based on what we have. Why is this hard for you to grasp?That is the reality check you need. Your reality check to me was we need to build our economy. Of course we do. We all know that. That is not the issue here. The issue here is what is the best way to build our economy. You have been missing the point. Siro biyay.PS: No worries about me getting offended. I get offended when you fail to consider the points I raised and jump to another reason why we need money. Of course we need money. Of course we need to build our economy. Everybody including the USA needs that.Belas Sep 23 2011It is a give-and-take situation whether we like to admit it or not. Yes, I too am all about preserving our culture and way of life, but at the same time, as I grew older and wiser, I’ve come to realize that the sacrifices and risks we take does have its ups and downs but that is how it is. We cannot do it all by ourselves purely by our own people without the foreign labor, some will come and go and so on and so forth. As far as who does business in Palau, how big or small, hey, if you get approved a permit, then why not? You get to pay taxes that will inject money back to our economy.Reality check is that the ultimate goal we aim to reach is to have an independent (or close to independent) economy that will sustain us especially in this era in our history which our main benefactor are also facing hardships and slashing and budgeting to improve their own economy as we type and converse at this very moment. We must start acting now to help realize our visions for tomorrow because when that day comes (hopefully in the not so near future), you can best bet that come our next COFA renegotiations, money offered will be much less to none coming our way!The electronic and machinery age is where we are at in this present moment in time. So our society is bound to be run and interwoven into this new lifestyle changes. But to have these things will require money and that is where we have to step up and try to earn our own money through the assistance that have been given to us by the US and many of our friends for this specific reason, to improve and give us a chance to make it on our own. We have started to realize this tasking and so we are doing just that believe it or not. And in doing so, we have to profit from what is available for us. The private sector is going to help save the day and not the current reliance on government—as all Micronesian islands are doing right now—need to come to an end.I am in full agreement as for Yap to find and decide which is the best investor or donor to help in its nation building. If not this one then seek another one as you please. You decide for it is your island and your future. Choose wisely as always!But be fair to say that next time you drive around Koror or Babeldaob, appreciate too the many infrastructures like schools, hospitals, police stations, etc. and the many public and private businesses and developments that are helping keep us afloat who by the way, without the help by our foreign guests who many stay in the island and seek work, would not have been possible. We owe them gratitude and thanks for their help.Make no mistake about it, we have always been known throughout Micronesia and the Pacific as a resilient and proud people, always seem to shine and seize the moment in times of hardships or crisis. Although we never claim to be perfect, we have managed to pull it off despite the odds and will continue to do so always. We have our national priorities in play right now although there are always hiccups along the way, nothing like a stir in the public to call attention to our leaders to make better decisions on our behalf for the sake of the Republic.Great discussion!Viva Kamaghar!Belas Sep 23 2011Apologize for Yap o—honest mistake. I meant Yap !A Sep 23 2011Great post, Belas. I believe most Yapese would agree with you. Thanks to you, Dr. Patrick Tellei, Dr. Yano and the people of Belau for assisting many of our Yapese patients and students who come to your republic seeking education, health care and sometimes, jobs. Ke kmal mesaul!Belas Sep 23 2011But one greatest advantage that you-our closest neighbor who we share many cultural encounters and similarities—have is indeed your island is still very much unspoiled and therefore you have a lot of potential as you can watch and learn from Palau’s mistakes and hiccups and at the same time also absorb the w ays we have been successful and apply that to your island.We are still a very young nation and there is still a lot of room for improvement so I hope this upcoming election year, my people will put in place the right people to continue our legacy and make life better for our very own Palauans which their NEEDS AND CONCERNS should be the forefront in every decision-making process that will impact our lives. Our leaders owe us that much to PRIORITIZE US ABOVE THE REST.Afterall, the true people of the islands deserve better for these are our islands and will be damned if anyone takes them or us for granted.Viva Peace!!!!!!!!daniellle Sep 23 2011lol, daz funny!!Noob Sep 24 2011Kamagar Belas for your input. Well said, it is of course a give and take. With this deal, I do not think it is worth the take and the give. Imagine five hotels, five beaches and a golf course in one go. That move is very un-Yapese. Yapese tend to move slow analyzing every step. Take one step and check if the step is forward or backward, if forward then take another but if backward then it is only a step away from correcting the mistake. This current deal is like using an elevator to the top floor. It could be very successful but it could also be very detrimental. It is not worth the give and take.With all due respect, Yap should learn from Palau’s mistake and not repeat it by just earning money from taxing the foreigners. We can improve on that strategy and get more out of foreigners than just taxes when they start a business.We of course can not do it without foreigners, we need money and we need expert advise. But my vision for Yap ends there just expert advise and not come build a store. We need some guidance and some wise suggestions from foreigners in how to go about building an economy that will sustain itself.You have basically supported my view in that “we aim to reach is to have an INDEPENDENT (or close to independent) Economy that will sustain us...”Hotels, beaches and golf courses are far from sustainable. We need to incorporate our resources into sustainability... our oceans, our local products, and our culture. This is all sustainable in the future. Hotels, beaches and golf courses need tourists. That is what is driving Palau’s economy, Palau’s aim is to get at least a hundred thousand tourists this year. Palau can do it because it has better attractions like the rock islands, better oceans for snorkeling and diving to name a few. What Yap has is ocean, manta rays and more importantly the Yapese culture which is still intact compared to all Micronesian island.I have a dream, a dream that Yap will develop and market its own local resource. I have a dream that Yap will showcase it’s culture to the world. I have a dream that Yap will built it’s own economy on what is readily available in Yap island. A dream that Yap will not compromise it’s culture for money or allow any foreign investors that has the potential to compromise our way of living but help us to develop our island in developments that is sustainable in the future. Developments that does not depend on airlines, oil prices or the world economy. Developments that takes advantage of our large ocean, our local products, skills and culture.Yap has already in place schools in every municipality, health care centers in every village and cultural laws that govern each village, all this without the help of any foreign investments. We do not need any foreigners to build any more schools, hospitals or police stations because of our strong tradition and wise leaders in the pasts.All Yapese and the world agree that sustainable development is the way to go. Thank you for pointing that out so others like A can realize that how we choose to build our economy is a decision that needs a lot of wisdom and patience. We should not jump at every opportunity or investors that come our way but think if it will help us towards our aim of sustainability or not. I truly believe that this current deal is not sustainable and does not help us make a step closer towards our aim. It only takes us from the right breast to the left, still feeding on breast milk and not maturing to baby food or solid food.Kamagar.A Sep 24 2011Very ideal dreams indeed, Noob. In the mean time, in the real world, please don’t complain when your roads are falling apart or if your salary has been frozen for years. Don’t complain when your utility and telephone bills sky rocket with global inflation. Don’t complain when health services charge more for health care, like the recent ambulance fees, which you and Watit whine so much about. Don’t complain when Uncle Sam says no more funding for you, like he just did to COM and FMI. Because you are a wise Yapese. While you preserved your uncultivated weedy lands, don’t wander off to the market with others’ betelnuts or their sea food, because other Yapese are not as wise as you. Some of us are unwise and would go as far as chop off the limbs of the byproducts of such wisdom.Kully Sep 24 2011Noob,Those dreams of yours are just dreams. Those schools and health centers you are being paid by someone, not you Yapese, the small amount of taxes you paid in is not enough to sustain those services you dreamed of. The ocean you mentioned in your dream will remain empty, even if it is full of resources, you have no means to harvest the resource and utilize them for your own good. Your people have already over taxed. You need not continue to dream and fantasize of utopia because it will never come. Right now Yap is totally dependent on outside sources which is not going to last. You need to get off your butts and do what something, but do not sit, dream and hope things will fall from the sky. MahaloBelas Sep 24 2011All the agencies, government and NCOs that exists in Palau are meant to preserve and conserve our way of life and our island. In saying so, I am in agreement with Noob as far as the need to protect and hold firm to our traditions and culture and the preservation and conservation of our island and all its resources. On the other hand, I agree fully with A and Kully due to the fact that this days are full of hardships and uncertainty as we are all struggling to find solutions to improve our soceities and all its shortcomings- maintenance of infrasturcture, improvements in health care and services, increasing our minimum wages, etc.As modern and up-to-date as Palau may seem (which is in no way in comparison with Yap ), the clauses in our Constitution that embraces our Traditional Chiefs as still influential figures in our island, and above all, the recognition and acknowledgement that our culture and our land, water, and air will always be maintained for the good of all Palauans and future generations to come, has instilled in us to set up a number of environmental agencies, given the authority to local chiefs to enforce traditional laws in some aspects of society, preserved our customs and its practices, and the formulation of governmental agencies like the Ministry of Cultural Affairs to name a few, that to put it in perspective, keep us grounded. In my humble opinion, this is one of the main reasons, and I’m so glad that it is, that we as a nation haven’t recklessly over-developed our Palau at an alarming rate. Just think about it, all these factors that I have mentioned have in one way or the other, directly or indirectly, kept us in-check to always reconsider the destruction of our environment and our traditional lifestyle when embarking on the topic of DEVELOPMENT, but welcome projects that will produce the most minimal effects to us if any. It just seems that the oddsare always against us because the world is just as unpredictable as the currents in our waters, especially nowadays. They say the best of both worlds, well truth be told if you apply it to say the worst of both worlds.I guess what I’m trying to say is that we can put in place mechanisms and policies to maintain our culture and environment, at the same time strike a balance for our need to progress into functional societies able to keep up with the modern times. Able to make sure that we evolve in order to adapt to the dynamic world.So I believe I understand where Noob is coming from, at the same time, same can be said to A and Kully. I too share the frustration, as many more like me do also, who worked for years day in and day out, only to be disappointed as how my bi-weekly salary at the present moment is not enough to support my family and I as the price of goods and services keep climbing higher and higher(and this before the present global crisis even was mentioned in the headline), and so I am forced to make huge sacrifices. And the edless cycle continues on to the next and so the frustrations keep building and building, and misery keep owning us.Much respect to your views, and I hope I made sense.Belas Sep 24 2011NCOs should be NGOs.Noob Sep 25 2011Kully, AIt is very easy to step on my dreams with criticism and negativity. That is what history has shown us. You too have just responded the same way. When Martin Luther King had a dream about a black man been judged not by the color of his skin but by his character… that dream was seen as some fantasy and that it will never come true. Now the USA has Obama as president.All the dispensaries all around Yap wasn’t funded by investors. It was funded because wise people in Yap applied for funding from W.H.O and other NGO’s. Fundings that had no strings attached. These are the fundings we should seek.A,I am not complaining but it seems like you are. About the roads, people stealing your betelnuts and so forth. I am not one to complain. I try to understand why things are why they are and seek and discuss solutions. So don’t worry you will not hear my voice complaining but you will hear it offer solutions or question things.Kamagar.Mor Watit Sep 25 2011A.You are turning this discussion into something it should not be. ETG, that is what this argument is all about. Is ETG the answer? Please answer that for watit so we can move on. Otherwise its a waste of time for us to continue talking about other things. Is it all dependent on ETG? that is the heart of this issue, you keep evading the question. Answer that so we can put it to rest.Kully Sep 25 2011Noob,The question is how long NGOs and WHO going to continue to fund your schools and dispensaries. I am not saying you should rely on foreign investors to fund your projects and programs, but rather plan right and take advantage of their presence. It is a quid pro quo arrangement, not to let them dictate to you or have string attached. Even US have string attached to the grants and that string is what may be cut in 2023 and they’re going to try to, even if you argue on the defense right, with the technologies today, US will not care, after all they have Guam as your neighbor. You need to flow with the change and use it to your advantage, your culture is changing and not going to last long, my dear friend. Do not perpetuate dependency.Mor Watit Sep 25 2011Kully,The same goes for you as well. Lets get to the meat and potato of this stew of a discussion. Can ETG deliver to us all that we are dreaming of? If, so, what will be the cost to us? as watit understand it, ETG is promising to do a lot for Yap, in return, what must Yap do? Explain that to watit and watit will be persuaded to your side of the argument.Mor Watit Sep 26 2011Anyone?Is ETG the magic bullet to solve all of Yap’s economic woes? And should we say NO to ETG, will that be the end of all Foreign investors?dr.fix Sep 26 2011Mor Watit,I think you need to visit a shrink. I do not think Mor Watit understands the issue of the day and into the future of his own state. lolMor Watit Sep 26 2011Dr fix,watit thinks you should go see that “women who is tired” to teach you some manners. while she is doing that she should know its not a matter of just feeding like chickens, words must accompany the feeding as well, otherwise its like having a pet.Mor Watit Sep 26 2011Some people just don’t know how to leave their anin at home, they must be consistently reminded.A Sep 26 2011Contrary to what some people believe, there is no perfect answer that is served on a platter and sprinkled with genuine consensus. To the environmentalist’s dismay, a beautiful tree is cut down to build a needed canoe. Likewise, there are much work involved in transforming any opportunity into a solution, or to determine it not an answer at all. With the right wisdom, skills and experience, ETG can be one of many solutions. To do this, fear and small-(island)-mindedness must be overcome. Unlike the many ideas and dreams, ETG is the only opportunity available (on the platter). We can either analyze and try transform it into a solution, like the master canoe builders do, or we can go back to living proudly on foreign charity and stolen goods. The latter degrade the very core of what a true Yapese means. Hence, we need attractive paying jobs in the private sector to improve people’s livelihood and to sustain a tax-consuming government.Noob Sep 26 2011The question is: is ETG worth it or not. A canoe needs certain trees, you can try and make a canoe out of brittle weak trees now or wait while you search for a stronger more durable tree. That is the issue. You say ETG is the only tree available so might as well the best canoe out of it. I say, lets wait we might find a better tree for a canoe. You say we need a canoe now for fishing to feed ourselves we are hungry now. I say, it will be a waste of energy and time because that canoe wont last long and we will again go hungry. Lets look long term and build a canoe that will last. A canoe that will serve us for fishing in decades to come if not longer. It may seem small minded to some because we are hungry and need to make the best canoe out of whatever log we find while others see it differently, to make a good long lasting canoe we need certain trees. In the end it will end our hungry today and in the future with no chance of that canoe leaking or breaking down versus a questionable canoe that may feed us today but not tomorrow. That is the issue we are discussing.A Sep 26 2011Noob,Do you even know the length of time it takes for a seed to grow into a good size tree? Decades. Waiting too long would also result in the tree core layers becoming weak, brittle and spongy. I suggest that you let the master-canoe builders do the thinking on this one. Contrary to your “waiting for a better tree,” this tree was planted by the very same master-canoe builders, years before President Falcom first visited China. Your experience, skills and small-mindedness have a ways to go, before you should advise the master-builders and the impoverished public to “wait on a good tree,” unless of course, you can show us where you planted this good tree of yours. I hope it’s not that same tree on cloud 9.Mor Watit Sep 26 2011A,So what are you saying? watit asked you a simple question. If watit understands you correctly, you are saying we should give the green light to ETG’s plans to develop Yap. what does ETG want in return? And what will be the cost to our environment? Can you tell us this? We are NOT talking about trees for canoes here, its much more than just trees for canoes.Mor Watit Sep 26 2011Tibetan Uprising in 2008Mass protest throughout the Tibetan plateau took place in the spring of 2008 against Chinese occupation. The protests were sparked by China’s increasing stranglehold over all forms of Tibetan life, especially religion and Tibetans feeling that they are second class citizens in their own country. The protests were brutally suppressed by the Chinese authorities and scores of unarmed Tibetan protesters were shot dead by Chinese armed police. More than six thousand Tibetans were detained, with many tortured and hundreds sentenced.. Two Tibetans were executed in October 2009 for their alleged role in the protests.Since the 2008 protests the situation in Tibet has changed dramatically:Restrictions on travel to many parts of Tibet for both journalists and tourists remain in place.Freedom of movement is restricted and communications are severely curtailed.There are detentions, arrests and a general culture of fear.There is a heavy military presence on the streets of many Tibetan towns. There are also roadblocks, security cameras and soldiers with guns on the roof tops in Lhasa.Hundreds of plainclothes police and informers watch the crowdsShould I go to Tibet?Arguments for travelling to Tibet:The Dalai Lama encourages foreigners to witness the oppression in Tibet and to inform others of their experiences on their return.Tourism provides a window to the outside world for Tibetans.Tibetans find the presence of tourists in Tibet encouraging.Consider going to Tibetan populated areas outside the TAR in Sichuan, Gansu and Qinghai provinces, where you can travel without a special permit and the need to hire an official guide.Arguments against travelling to Tibet:Tourism provides legitimacy to China’s occupation.Most of the money you spend will go into the pockets of Chinese enterprises. The tourist infrastructure in Tibet is largely controlled by Chinese businesses with headquarters outside Tibet.It is hard to travel in Tibet without tacitly complying with the Chinese regime.Tourists are only allowed to travel to the TAR in an officially organised group, on an officially approved itinerary and guided by an officially approved guide.There is no simple answer regarding the ethics of travelling to Tibet. Ultimately, it is up to the individual traveller. We have always felt that the arguments for going outweighed the arguments against. But if you would rather not travel there, do consider visiting the Tibetan-populated areas of India, such as Dharamsala or Ladakh.Know before you go:Be aware that any restrictions in place may change dramatically and without prior warning, as was the case after the March and April 2008 protests in Tibet and the Beijing Olympics. China has banned tourists from entering Tibet in June and July 2011 as it marks the 60 year anniversary of its occupation.It is also important to plan your itinerary, particularly if you are going to the TAR. Up-to-date information on visa and permit restrictions may be found on travel forums such as Thorntree,If you do decide to go to Tibet it is most important that you should be as informed as much as possible, so that you can see through the Chinese propaganda that you will inevitably encounter.To learn more about the situation in Tibet in detail please read our publications.What endangers Tibetans?Do not take pictures of the Dalai Lama into Tibet. Possession of such photographs is banned in Tibet and Tibetans can be detained for possessing one.Do not engage in any discussion on sensitive topics with Tibetans. These would include mention of the Dalai Lama, protests or the legitimacy of the Chinese occupation. While the absolute worst that will happen to a tourist if found to have engaged in any political activity is likely to be a couple of days of interrogation followed by deportation, any Tibetan found receiving or distributing political material could face a lengthy jail sentence and torture.Do not hitch-hike as heavy fines may be given to drivers found giving lifts to tourists.Do not depart from your official itinerary as this can cause huge problems for any Tibetans you may have met.Should I travel on the Gormo-Lhasa railway?The Gormo-Lhasa railway opened in June 2006 and connects China to Tibet. It is a political project, constructed by the Chinese government to consolidate China’s presence in Tibet. It has already accelerated Han Chinese migration. It has also enabled increased militarisation of the country and easier exploitation of Tibet’s natural resources, which are found along the line of the railway. In 2008 it was used to transport political prisoners.However the railway is now a fait accompli and we no longer advise people not to use it.Intercontinental Hotel in LhasaInterContinental Hotels Group plans to open a 2 000 room InterContinental Resort in Lhasa in 2012, in partnership with a Chinese entrepeneur with close government ties.The presence of IHG legitimises China’s occupation of Tibet and sends an incorrect message to the world that the situation inside Tibet is normal. Moreover it will be Chinese migrants and not Tibetans who will benefit from employment opportunities. Free Tibet advises you not to stay at the hotel. Read more about this campaignHow can I maximise the benefit of my trip for Tibetans?Help to keep Tibetan culture alive. It is very important to use, wherever possible, Tibetan resources such as hotels, restaurants, guides and souvenir stalls. Much of the tourist infrastructure in Tibet is controlled by Chinese companies headquartered outside Tibet. By using Chinese tourist companies, hotels and guides it is unlikely that your money will benefit Tibetans, or even stay within the Tibetan economy.A Sep 27 2011We’ve all read worse things about the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, although the geographies and ancient histories of the middle east is not connected to Continent America, unlike Tibet’s long history with neighbor China. But, that’s beyond the point, isn’t it?After all, the American economy (i.e. rail road, businesses, china towns) was built by the labor of the yellow man. Until this day, the Americans still depend on the Chinese, to supply their consumerism, and to bail them out of debt. If the Chinese have done all that for the American economy; why shouldn’t they, for Micronesia? Ah, small-(island)-minded fear. It’s natural for island land-lovers, who don’t cultivate, to fear the unknown; but it’s the true explorers of the vast Pacific who pursue the unlikely, beyond the unknown. The result was the stone money, a renown symbol for wealth and prosperity in this region and beyond.Please, you must overcome your fear. China has become the number one tourist destination for European and American tourists. You, of all people, won’t be eaten alive. In fact, you would probably get a pay raise.Mor Watit Sep 27 2011A.This is becoming a pain in the arse! Why do you keep avoiding watit’s direct question? FYI, the immediate above post wasn’t directed at you personally but everyone so we get a clearer picture of what may happens once we start “breaking bread” with these folks.So what are you saying? Watit asked you a simple question. If watit understands you correctly, you are saying we should give the green light to ETG’s plans to develop Yap. What does ETG want in return? And what will be the cost to our environment? Can you tell us this? We are not talking about trees for canoes here, its much more than just trees for canoes.What does ETG want from Yap in return for doing all these good things for Yap?A Sep 27 2011Mor,Take a breather and chew a betelnut. It takes time to analyze and plan these things. You just don’t jump on a vertical tree and start sailing, do you? It will take some time to see what we have here, and to see how we can prepare and shape it to meet our own needs and preferences. Good things come to those who wait, but not to those who wait too late. Let’s be calm and patient and see where our leaders will take us. Yapese should always watch and learn. That’s how wisdom is imparted and refined.Mor Watit Sep 27 2011A,Talk about evading the question big time, basically you have no clue. You know its OK to admit you don’t know something, no one will fault you for it. Neither does watit, so where does that leave us? We have ETG here who want to give us so much in return for something, what that something is, we don’t know yet. Do we say yes now because what they are offering is so good? Or do we say, tell us what you want in return before we can say yes or no? But let us leave that for now.What do we know about ETG? We know they are the same group in the Marshalls, we also know they are the same group in Tibet. That doesn’t exactly fill watit up with lots of confidence. Can you, with some degree of certainty, assure us all that ETG will not seek to screw us through and through?Having said all that, what would a wise person do in this case? A wise person would say no to ETG. A wise man would let ETG sweat it out before making a counter-offer on our own term, thereby putting us in the driver’s seat. But watit doesn’t count himself among the wise so he should let wiser people make those decisions. Watit will continue to observe and protest as an out-of-date, ancient mentality, primitive Yapese that he is, when he feels his precious Wa’ab is in a precarious situation.Noob Sep 27 2011It’s hopeless because A is a yes man. Saying yes according to him is harder than saying no. He can not address the concerns we have instead he just pushes ahead focusing on the money not even looking at what he is stepping on be it rocks or manure.I’ll say again. There are concerns that you have time and time again failed to address. You only point that I got was ETG is good for our economy. Thank you for thinking that one for us. But only when the concerns are answered will I change my mind.FYI I don’t plant trees. Trees in this case are investors. Should we use ETG’s trees for a canoe or wait on a more better reliable tree (investor) to make a canoe that will last and be sustainable in the future?If ETG then answer all the question concerning ETG’s track record, potential environmental implications and what does the ETG gain from it all?If you can’t answer then that’s okay. Just say you don’t know and I will respect you for it. We know we need money, we know we need to build an economy. We know those things so stop side tracking the real issue. If ETG then why?alii2 Sep 27 2011NOOB,your Yapese economy today is driven by FOREIGN MONEY. Therefore, the questions you are asking is hacking at the leaves of your tree and not the root. You need METRICS to go by when you ask questions pertaining to this critical issue. After what have been discussed in this thread, what do you have?Sepia Madroni Sep 27 2011 ETG? What is ETG? An ordinary citizen like me needs to know at least the basic knowledge about this program to engage in the ongoing discussions.1. Who is the founder of ETG?2. How did our officials find out about it?3. What are some basic histories (success and failure) of this ETG? Where was it first established?Mor Watit Sep 27 2011Alii2,There you go again jumping into a discussion without knowing what the discussion is all about. Don’t tell us things we already know. And besides, what you are saying has very little relevance to the discussion. Stop trying to derail this discussion, stay out if your head cannot comprehend the crux of the argument. This is not about foreign investments, but about one particular foreign investor, ETG. Is ETG the right one and good for Yap state? That is what this discussion is all about.Sepia Madroni,Do your own research, isn’t that why you are currently in school? Just know this for now, you don’t need to worry overmuch, since ETG has not look to include the neighboring islands in their plans, currently they are looking to do their development on Yap main. The council of tamol has decided that they will not be included on any decisions regarding the matter as it only concerns Yap main.alii2 Sep 27 2011Mor-de-watitee >>> Is ETG the right one and good for Yap state? That is what this discussion is all about.Alii2 >>> A better question is:Will ETG build you a Business Model that will generate the Yapese people POSITIVE CASHFLOW for years to come? So look for metrics that will give you an answer to this question.So far I have not seen any in this thread.Mor Watit Sep 27 2011Alii2,You dumb sh*t! How many times do you need to be told to get your small head out of your arse before you open your mouth? This is not about cash flow! You don’t tell us what we need to discuss or not discuss! Just who the hell do you think you are? And another thing: stop trying to tell people how to think! The question is: what will it cost Yap to have ETG develop Yap? What environmental impact? How much revenue will be generated for the state? In the long run, is this a sustainable means of revenue generation? What are the guarantees that ETG will stick around through thick and thin? When the tourism business suffers, will ETG continue to stick around or will they run like kingtex? What about the cultural impact of having so many tourist on Yap?alii2 Sep 27 2011Mor-de-watitee >>> what will it cost Yap to have ETG develop Yap? What environmental impact? how much revenue will be generated for the state? In the long run, is this a sustainable means of revenue generation? What are the guarantees that ETG will stick around through thick and thin? when the tourism business suffers, will ETG continue to stick around or will they run like KINGTEX? What about the cultural impact of having so many tourist on Yap?Alii2 >>> So what have you learned so far in this thread. I would like you to share that with me. Give me a brief synopsis.Mor Watit Sep 27 2011alii2,Not a damn single thing because some people keep evading the questions while you keep trying to derail the discussion. So be a good boy and bugger off!alii2 Sep 27 2011Mor-de-watitee,That’s right, not a single thing. So you mean you have spend hours posting on this thread and you have not learned anything?Mor Watit Sep 27 2011alii2,What’s it to you? Dayum! You are one nosy prick! Watit has learned some things but it doesn’t concern you so if you have not gotten the message by now, watit will say it again; you can bugger off!alii2 Sep 27 2011Mor-de-watitee,Tell you what, take all the questions you have posted above, read thru the entire thread and try to answer them yourself and post them here not for me but for your Yapese people to read. After that, post the rest of the questions that has not been touched and answered fully. This should give you a road map as to which issues you should focus on a little further.Mor Watit Sep 28 2011alii2,Wow! Such profound wisdom! You must really think you are smarter than everyone else. That no one has the capacity to think for themselves. Thank you for telling everyone what they already know and confirming what a moron you are.alii2 Sep 28 2011Mor-de-watitee,Get to work and do what I told you to do. Your people is waiting.Mor Watit Sep 28 2011Don’t hold your breath... watit will not do anything of the sort.Mor Watit Sep 30 2011Marshall IslandsRimajolJoined: 01 Jul 2005Posts: 2344PostPosted: Tue Mar 01, 2011 1:42 pm Post subject: Marshalls says legal aid ban for Chinese illegalThe chief justice of the Marshall Islands ruled Tuesday that a ban by government officials on legal aid for Chinese citizens was discriminatory and illegal.The existence of the ban emerged during a hearing for Wang Xincheng, who has been charged with obstructing an immigration official on his arrival in the Marshalls in December.At a hearing on Monday, assistant public defender Karotu Tiba told Chief Justice Carl Ingram he could not represent Wang because he had been instructed his office no longer took Chinese clients.Ingram has now outlawed the directive in the western Pacific atoll nation.“The court concludes that this ‘no Chinese’ directive is unlawful and of no force and effect,” he ruled.He said the country’s constitution stated there could be no discrimination and the law did not allow for the public defender’s office to reject Chinese clients.Chief Public Defender Russell Kun issued the legal aid ban after he was forced to withdraw from representing a Chinese woman charged with prostitution in January because he had previously given legal advice to two Chinese women who were testiFYIng for the prosecution.dr.fix Sep 30 2011The Chinese women will be wrestling with Yapperse men and they will beat the hell of the Yapperse men. The former governor and the governor of Yap er were beaten during their recent visit to China, that wrestling match made them want to go back for the same match. The rematch is being negotiated. Mor Watit, you should be the bags carrier of the two governors. lolMor Watit Sep 30 2011dr fix,Why don’t you ask your momma, she might tag along as the toilet cleaner. or maybe as the mali’if. better still, she can be the tylenol (mana’ag alngong) WAAAAAIIIIIIIOOOOOOOOOOOO!dr.fix Sep 30 2011Mor Watit,Calm down or someone will swipe your face with crap!Mor Watit Sep 30 2011Some might but not you! You can wipe watit’s arse after he uses the rest room.MicSem: General ETG Discussion (Posts 151 to 200)Shiiche Sep 30 2011Bunch of deep throat shallow pocket prostitutes. Go ahead and sell yourselves to the highest bidder. Who cares? You certainly don’t. Your children wont even know enough to cuz u r all stupid, n stupid breeds stupid. Do the world a favor and die already so u all stop taking up space n oxygen. Xie-xie.Mor Watit Oct 1 2011And who might you be, shiiche?daniellle Oct 1 2011xie xie lmaoNiki Oct 1 2011Interesting discusions...errr Oct 1 2011So, is Yap going ahead with the project?Dwarf Oct 1 2011I think Yap is in the exploratory phase in-state, meaning that there had been consensus on moving up to taking inventory of available land parcels. Since government own small percentage of land in Yap, the COP is now involving communities and landowners in the process. Communities and landowners are encouraged to designate available parcels for potential development. I heard there is a consultant representing the ETG working with private individuals in finding available land parcels for development aside from Government to ETG discussions. I think ETG is dangling the carrots in front of landowners and Government alike which is a powerful magnet for any sane and insane player. Yap should prepare a master plan for development that meets it development goals and present to ETG at the appropriate time and await counter proposal from ETG. The premature development proposal by ETG was just that—Yap through bewilderment kept insisting on a proposed development plan from ETG. ETG hurriedly drew up a development proposal that shocked those involved because it reeked displacements and world-class modernization, to say the least. The problem here was the lack of input from Yap—I think leadership is unprepared and reacting instead of being proactive and leading the development process. ETG need to hear Yap’s development requirements so it can incorporate into its master plan, also it can make decision whether to invest or not.Mor Watit Oct 1 2011Lets one thing straight. ETG is only interested in making money. How they do it, what kind of damage they do in the process, how the people will live afterwards, and such considerations is of no importance to ETG. Yap already has developmental plans, and if ETG is not willing to work within the confines of those plans, they should be shown the door. If we have to make concessions to every investors who comes along, our own plan will eventually be a “plan that never was.” Watit agrees with Dwarf that Yap should develop a Master Plan. Yes, there are many plans, but the problem at this point is that no one has bothered to put together the different little plans to make a Master Plan. For example, if we take the environmental conservation plan and incorporate it into the economic developmental plan, we may find some points of conflicts between the two. That is where a Master Overall Plan is needed.Shiiche Oct 1 2011Your poor chieftain governor needs the help of a task force to answer the six million dollar question/4.5 M renminbi : to line my pockets or to not line my pockets with Chinese renminbi???? How sad for him, SUCH a dilemma... Sell-outs. Bunch of chicken-shit prostitutes is what you are from your leaders on down.Mor Watit Oct 1 2011And your point? What does that have to do with anything?Shiiche Oct 2 2011Grandma also has tinnitus as he too considers his own attractive land holdings. Kaching kaching-ing is overpowering the hollow sounds of chest pounding, never mind sputtering whisper of canoe sails.Mor Watit Oct 2 2011Shiiche,watit land is not your concern, if watit decide to sell his lands to Chinese, its no skin off your back. BTW, you need not lose any sleep over it, because watit has no intention of selling his land. the question is what’s it to you? If other Yapese decide to sell their lands, why should you be concerned about it? and if they are (in your own words) “sell-outs, Bunch of chicken-shit prostitutes is what you are from your leaders on down,” what’s it to you. You really don’t have a stake in the matter, yet here you are, so verbal about your likes and dislikes about other people’s business. Watit doesn’t understand that type of mentality, always thinking everything have to conform to their personal view of the world.Shiiche Oct 2 2011I never discussed my worldview. Yours (Yap’s) is what you have discussed throughout this forum. And too many things dont add up, so please clarify:Do you concede that Yap empire is nothing but a myth and all you people are just a bunch of deep throated con artists then?That pride of Yap runs only as deep as a 12 ounce can of beer?That all your talk of tradition and holding on to old ways is just a marketing spiel to get foreign tourists to your shores?Is it true you only learn traditional dances so you can perform for tourists and not because you really care about preserving your arts?That the dances at Yap Day are substandard, hastily prepared affairs?Is it true Yapese youngsters don’t speak Yapese very well, and that it is hard to even find an elder who can speak pure Yapese without any English sprinkled in?It’s okay if these things are true. Truth hurts, but it can set you free. Dont be a wise ass in denial and admit that you all are no better than the rest of Micronesia. You are just like everyone else, after one thing- money. Whatever the cost. Just so you can fill your guts with beer and other imported goods. What a shame. Even more a shame that an outsider like me would be upset about your loss while you people are not.dr.fix Oct 2 2011Shiiche,Well said.Shiiche Oct 2 2011You can fook off as they say in Ireland, dr. mixed. I wasn’t talking to you.dr.fix Oct 2 2011Then go fook off in Ireland!Shiiche Oct 2 2011I think you meant “you can go ruuk yourself.” Irie!Mor Watit Oct 2 2011Do you concede that Yap empire is nothing but a myth and all you people are just a bunch of deep throated con artists then?Believe what you may, but then why do the neighboring islands keep coming to Yap with tributes? Think about it.That pride of Yap runs only as deep as a 12 ounce can of beer?hahahaha, you sure are clueless, why would anyone choose to cross the ocean from Yap to Guam without modern navigational equipments if not out of pride?That all your talk of tradition and holding on to old ways is just a marketing spiel to get foreign tourists to your shores?We are only using what we have as a resource. as anyone in their right mind would.Is it true you only learn traditional dances so you can perform for tourists and not because you really care about preserving your arts?Would you like to try to learn a Yapese dance, so you can judge for yourself, if its just something you can learn for performance or something that goes beyond that? the dances tells a story, and your “medium” are your body, gestures, and facial expression. Too bad those who are unfamiliar with it doesn’t appreciate the full beauty of it.That the dances at Yap Day are substandard, hastily prepared affairs?That very issue has not escape criticism from the chiefs and now measures are being taken to ensure what you get on Yap Day will be the “real McCoy.”Is it true Yapese youngsters don’t speak Yapese very well, and that it is hard to even find an elder who can speak pure Yapese without any English sprinkled in?Yes, its true, but again measures are already in place to combat that, but really, who’s fault would you say that was? Wasn’t it the foreigner’s who insists that our children go to school and learn english, instead of learning Yapese? Its only now, that we Yapese are learning what the ill-effects of American so called “education” are to our culture.It’s okay if these things are true. Truth hurts, but it can set you free. Dont be a wiseass in denial and admit that you all are no better than the rest of Micronesia. You are just like everyone else, after one thing—money. Whatever the cost. Just so you can fill your guts with beer and other imported goods. What a shame. Even more a shame that an outsider like me would be upset about your loss while you people are not.An outsider like you should stay out of our businesses, haven’t you done enough already? Those things which are so displeasing to you are the results of outsiders who think they know what is best for Yapese when they don’t understand anything about us, and what the result would be if they interfere with our traditions. Our loss is lamentable, but that is ours to deal with, and not for you to talk about as if you know what is best for us to do. Keep your opinion to yourself, we have had enough of outsider “know it all” meddling in our affairs.Shiiche Oct 2 2011I was wondering when you’d finally respond, Granny. Ease up before u give urself a heart attack n then blame me for it, Ms. Victim. Blame blame blame blah blah blah. Why dont you take responsibility for your thoughts, words, actions, habits, character, and destiny instead of just blaming someone else? Without looking to someone else or someone else’s systems for answers? What next: the devil made you do it? Isn’t it your own desires and appetites that have enslaved you?Shiiche Oct 2 2011Go ahead-chug a few, puff a few, chew a few... while you fume over what to say next, you addict! That’s how your great Red Master was brought to his knees for a while back in the 1800s. Go ahead and get wasted while she pillages you for all you got, Idiot!Mor Watit Oct 2 2011Shiiche,You still don’t get it, do you? We are not blaming anyone. Whats done is done, no use crying over it. What we would appreciate now is for you all, “know it all” to fook off and leave us be. Does that hurt? That your opinion is not welcomed? Yes, your opinion is of no concern to us, we know who we are, we know what we want. We don’t need your help, not if your help entails annoying lectures which are baseless, and uninformed, and without merits. It took watit long to respond to you because you have stated quite a bit and watit took the time to refuted everyone of your points accordingly. Basically, you had nothing to go on. All you can do at this point is to heed watit’s words and take your interests elsewhere.Mor Watit Oct 2 2011shiiche,“Great red master?” Who might that be, another one of your made up bs like you really have an idea what you are talking about. FYI, watit doesn’t chug, not even one. He does not puff. He chews a lot, that he does. But what business is it of yours anyways? You really have a knack for sticking your nose into other people’s business.Shiiche Oct 2 2011Your Red Dragon Master, pinhead. The one you are so in heat to prostitute yourself with. Check up on worthy history lessons to learn from, granny dear. If ur head is too foggy to remember ur own or u never bothered to learn from your granny, u can learn from other cultures via these things called books. Or u can google too, lol.Congrats on not puffing or chugging... are you sure u are Yapese then? 99% of Yapese partake in alcohol and tobacco products, even in their chews. U must have been dropped on ur head as a baby, or got your share as a fetus! Budweiser-second-hand-smoking baby. Ask yo momma n poppa how drunk they got when you were a developing zygote.Mor Watit Oct 2 2011shiiche,99%? You sure about that? No watit was not dropped on his head, watit made a conscious choice. A healthy choice. You running out of smart things to say now you resorting to personal attacks? If by red dragon master you mean china, man, you have got a lot to learn. You are jumping way ahead and assuming things too much. Yapese acknowledge NO MASTER other than themselves.Isn’t it enough that watit has embarrassed you with your erroneous second-hand knowledge about Yap? Now you become abusive, hoping to drag watit down to your level. Speaking of momma and papa, isn’t it obvious now who’s parents were negligent in their responsibilities? You lack manners and class. You are crude and display characteristics becoming a baboon, which you are so fond of calling others. Look in the mirror, don’t wait for others to tell you. Your speech does call into question the manner of your conception. Watit will leave it at that.Shiiche Oct 2 2011Oooooo, I am feeling sooo admonished and embarrassed. NOT even close. No master, eh? You all serve Anheuser Busch, excuse me- Yuengling, the almighty dollar, Calrose, Ox & Palm, and whatever else your people can use to shove stuff down your insatiable throats, eyes, and other orifices. You are master of no one unless you can control your appetites for foreign aid and foreign goods. Good luck dreaming on. Owned!Mor Watit Oct 2 2011shiiche,Please update your info. Watit can see you been reading a bit on Yap, that was Yap of yesteryears. And yes we were enslaved, not by our appetite, but by our ignorance. But we are learning. Is that what’s so annoying to you personally? That we have finally see things for what they really are? Its always the mode of operation, feed the native with alcohol, fatty food, and take advantage of their ignorance. Soon they will develop an addiction to these things and be willing to do anything to get more. Not for Yap! We are waking up! We know how to play the game now. We will not become another hawaii and certainly, we will go by way of native americans. So instead of saying “owned!” You ought to say, “busted!”Mor Watit Oct 2 2011And ohhhh that was not an admonishment, that was a reminder… Whatever you do as an adult is a reflection of how you were taught as a child. If you were fed garbage as a child then you wouldn’t know any better as an adult. The admonishment part is either within yourself or not. And if it’s the latter, then watit pity your poor soul. How do you like watit’s bettlenuts so far?Shiiche Oct 2 2011Really. Look around your ‘Yapese’ kitchens, inside your fridge, look outside at your gas-guzzling vehicles, your crumbling roads that you commute on to your little monkey office jobs, your thinning wallets, and your can-littered roadways, and tell me you aren’t enslaved. Look around you, child. WhateveRRRRRRR.Then take THESE betelnuts: reflect on what you think you and your people are, where you say you’re going, what your tendencies are, where your desires lay, try to match these up and see how incongruous they really are, then decide if you are Yapese... or, say, some enslaved idiot prostitutes.Dont bury your stupid heads in the sand while your ass is still stinking in plain sight for all the world to see, okay?Shiiche Oct 2 2011BTW, while most of Hawaii is owned by Japan, most of Yap will be owned by China. Owned! Xie-xie-ni.Why? Because most Yapese need to have their beer and tobacco, not to mention buy expensive betelnuts because their trees are regularly ransacked by their thieving youngsters (who were taught well by their elders no doubt) so that they can eat corned beef and spam (or Ma Ling) and rice instead of fish and taro, and drink alcohol to emulate their wise elders. They’ll also need to contribute some of their loot to send their increasingly younger and younger elders abroad for medical attention. Meanwhile your leaders point at each other and blame one another for crumbling infrastructure and public services, while lining their pockets with reminbi.Owned! Idiots.tes Oct 2 2011It’s hypocrisy to oppose change, on the Internet. The Internet represents the phenomenon of globalization, the single greatest change in history of mankind. As we can see, the Internet can be an ugly place to be, or it can be a wonderful tool or entertainment. The outcome depends on the individuals and the decisions they make. If you are a carnal person, you may end up in the food, drink, smoke or porn websites, but, if you are a good person, you will surf wonderful websites.Why are we here, at MicSem forum? We’re here because we love, care and are drawn to Micronesia. Let’s not pretend that we hate it, because that is hypocrisy as well.What is this investor phobia about? Are Yapese or Yap State “owned” by its various hotel owners? Why are we so frustrated about change, on the Internet?Rainbow Oct 2 2011Shiiche,why don’t you mind your own business and quit littering MicSem with your ridiculous antics and racial remarks? What part of, “none of your business,” don’t you understand? Your name is pronounced something that may have overfilled your brain...Rainbow Oct 2 2011Then again, there is that scientific theory that rings truth to someone of your personality, limp dick. lolShiiche Oct 2 2011LMAO @ happy limpdick Pohnpeian! Mother of all Micronesian prostitutes to the rescue!Rainbow Oct 2 2011Aren’t I popular, you kept pace with my notoriety? Mor Watit does not need rescuing. As a matter of fact, he was doing fine. I just like to stick my nose into affairs where my expertise is in demand, which includes reminding grownup men on MicSem to behave accordingly to their ages. More like a policeman whose power is to delete idiots who get out of hand. You’ve been warned...Shiiche Oct 2 2011I stand warned, Rainbow. Before you go deleting, though, regard the substance of my posts rather than the colorful adjectives (like limpdick) strewn here and there. Sometimes people just need to hear the harsh truths behind different issues to hopefully knock some sense into them. (I have seen that you yourself have used this strategy on more than one occasion, no?).....I am merely speaking metaphorically.... A prostitute sells access to her own body for money. Though not a scientific reference, monkey does as monkey sees/ apes others instead of thinking up own reactions and actions. And so on and so forth. If you want, I can use the more obvious simile and speak more politely, too, eg. “Pardon me but it seems as though you may be acting like a wanton lady of the night who has devalued her own body and equated her most intimate actions to varying sums of coppers and lead; Please refrain from that’...’.Excuse me, sir, but do you know the correct spelling for AA?’... ‘Sir, do you think perhaps you have been taken in by unprincipled marketing strategies?’.... Please let me know if this is more along the lines of what is acceptable in this forum.Rainbow Oct 2 2011Yes, I agree that not all policemen have good manners, it’s just a fact of life.Your use of metaphor hinges on a flawed perception of reality. Prostitute as you mistakenly put it thru simile, is actually a metonymy set out in the law of contiguity, (a particular philosopher’s law of association), which states that things which occur in proximity to each other in time or space are readily associated. I have no time for lectures so burden yourself learning the difference on your own.Prostitution is a universal language spoken in ever corner of the globe, ironically, truth be told, tangible proof is more prominent in the good ole USA. You have white whores, black whores, brown whores, and just about any color of your liking.Please carry on with your rants, but let’s be mindful of our own shortcomings. Truth hurts, I agree... The good ole USA has more whores than Micronesians dead, alive, and yet to be born, generations to come, combined. A more appropriate comparison will go something like this. The prostitutes in the US are like rain falling from the sky. Now, this is a simile. Cheers!Shiiche Oct 2 2011Thanks for the attempt at teaching me English, Detective Rainbow, but you could use some brushing up on the difference between metaphors and metonymy yourself. Perhaps you can share your findings in another thread. Cheerio to you too. lol.Dwarf Oct 2 2011Shiiche what’s with the ranting? Rambling on like a child who needs attention, if your not micro why are you in the conversation? Sure everyone can hear your loathe and disgust but what’s in this for you? Just exercising your freedom of speech? It’s more like you don’t like your momma and your very own self. Jeez,Shiiche Oct 2 2011Dwarf, I am sorry if my chosen style of communication was not to your liking. This thread isnt about me or the English language, so can you go on and elaborate on the details you provided earlier about ETG negotiating with private citizens and COP members? Is this reliable info or rumor? How is the state government dealing with this situation? Will the task force have any say, or just a formality? How plausible does the golf course plan look? Didn’t Yap once have its own plans for developing its own golf course in the past? What happened to that plan?Mor Watit Oct 2 2011Shiiche (or should it be Steve?),Watit cannot change your opinion as baseless as it is, and have no intention of changing it. You have every right to your opinion even misinformed ones. What watit cannot understand is why and so what? What’s it to you personally. Do you need to put down others to make you feel good about yourself? Yes, watit will not deny that there is a problem on his island, but we are aware of it and taking steps to correct it. What we don’t need is a lecture from white fookers who are responsible for creating the mess in the first place. Speaking of prostitutes, watit has seen his share of white trash who would do anything for money, include murdering their own parents. You keep pointing out our failures, what about yours as a white man? Shall we count the ways in which your race have f*cked up this world? What you see as our failures are nothing more than what your race created in the first place. But we don’t fault your for it, we will make those corrections ourselves. However, we would appreciate you f*cking off and leaving us alone. We dont need your lectures, we don’t need you “know it all attitudes,” and certainly we dont need your “superiority complex.” We could easily tell you to come fix the problem which you created, but we have more pride than that (something that is beyond your mental grasps), we will solve the problems ourselves.Interestingly enough, there’s a school of thought that explain hostile behavior is nothing more than a cry for attention which was lacking in early childhood. Watit is not a psychologist, but wonders if there are some connections in your case.Dwarf Oct 3 2011During reception to welcome in the owner of ETG, as introduced with his entourage, the gentleman basically told Gov and all present that he’s got the money to develop Yap to be a tourist destination from/via his province in China. He wanted direct flight from the province (4hr) to the FSM, Yap and possibly Pohnpei then on to American Samoa and return to province from that there.During another leadership meeting, the ETG presented the hurriedly prepared development proposal that encompass both Gilman and Kanifay which looked alarming to those present because the whole southern tip seemed over-developed, no room for villagers.During a public meeting called by Executive Branch, consensus was reached for COP to take inventory of available land for development in the communities.The Fanif municipality had already designated site for development as revealed by Chief Yatman.There was unconfirmed information that Amin village in Map already designated a site for development.Gagil municipality was rumored to have designated development site.Unconfirmed info revealed that Kanifay municipality was an interest to the ETG. Dalipebinaw residents are holding municipal meetings to designate potential development sites. Development entails enlarging airport, primary roads and build another hospital to be staffed by Chinese doctors until adequate FSM citizens are trained to staff it. Convention center and a golf course was mentioned by ETG but the tidal wave of developments was becoming overwhelming to those in the know. ETG interests in Yap as stated by ETG, besides showcasing their Chinese economic muscle, was the beautiful living culture of Yap so the initial proposed development plan didn’t do justice to the stated interest. I believe now the development scenario is in Govnr’s hands—during the public meeting he requested that a task force be appointed from the branches of government to look seriously into development offer by ETG. I believe that details of development by the State is forthcoming then ETG can prepare counter proposal. All development mentioned above are not definite but ETG emphasized it had the money to develop Yap. How much development is desirable for Yap and whether ETG can see profit in its investment within 99 years are the questions to be entertained for the parties.Mor Watit Oct 3 2011Dwarf,are you certain that Chief Yatman from Fanif has already designated available lands? watit was not aware of that, as his village representative to the Fanif Council was supposed to deliver the village’s collective wish we don’t want to have anything to do with ETG. ah, it might from another village in Fanif, what a shame.Dwarf Oct 3 2011Mor, he mentioned site that includes the present day school site and adjacent hill, I admit that a gesture of the hand to designate boundary site is always arbitrary and non-committal. I believe the consultant with local assistance is spear heading this kind of conversation, not government to ETG consultation; however, as we all know the end result is that ETG two-pronged approach will converge down wind with end results most likely to be pro ETG investment. I believe the consultant is having informal meetings with locals basically to seek available lands—this is COP territory, could be why no one’s hearing much at this time.erol Oct 3 2011How about if ETG develope the outer islands of Yap? The ngek will go back to their islands and live happily. Yap main is fine without ETG developement!Dwarf Oct 3 2011It would be nice to have development in OI so us ngek could join the party! But I understand that Main Island is where the action is and as such we all need to be vigilant in our development aspirations. I don’t believe Yap Main is fine especially with high unemployment, minimal private sector development and skyrocketing prices of goods. We need investment in our infrastructure and private sector so that our long term prospect remains viable, ETG is dangling that potential. I believe to turn a blind eye is not in our favor, due diligence is the right thing to do at moment then leadership put forth their vision of development and scope of that development.A Oct 3 2011This is a wonderful opportunity for the well-experienced chief of Fanif to restore abandoned ghost villages such as Bunuknuk and many other ancient lost villages in the jungles.Please, I urge you not miss attendance of your village meetings, while protesting on MicSem. A small word of caution, it was in that municipality that such a protestor of such major development was evicted from village, with family, house and all (except soil, of course). We are thankful that Yapese are socialists by nature, or progress would have never taken place.Having reminded that, a monument in the form of a Chinese massage parlor and a waste treatment facility should be erected on the village estate of those who oppose consensus, as a reminder of what happens to lone cowboys, who place individual interests above the common good and goals of the public.Shiiche Oct 3 2011How long would an average person be content working as a hotel or restaurant employee catering to the needs of rich guests amid world-class resort amenities?Would a Yapese youngster of today be enthused by the prospect of handing out towels, cleaning hotel rooms, cashiering in a gift shop, doing hotel laundry, waiting on tables, etc, for a reasonable albeit trifling wage for the rest of his life? Would he be so enthused that he’d want all his family employed at varying shifts doing similar jobs? How long before the worker himself would want to have some kind of lifestyle similar to that enjoyed by his rich clientele where he too could laze under a coconut tree all afternoon and then return to a comfortable home filled with modern amenities and toys like a nice home entertainment unit playing the latest movies and music, a nice car, etc? Would toiling all day or all night at a resort afford him this dreamy lifestyle? Or would he save up whatever he can to move somewhere else for a slightly better paying job, other opportunities and experiences?If he decides to stay put, he’d definitely want to have some fun when he is off. So maybe a neighbor or other foreign investor will start up a bar for the locals so his resort working friends and relatives can hang out on their down time. Another may start up a movie theater. There’ll be less time available to do laundry and other chores, so a dry cleaner’s will open up, a car-wash, day-care service will be needed too, etc etc. More and more services will open up, some belonging to locals, some foreigners. Before long the area outside the resort has been totally transformed, too.His family members work different shifts. Kids are carted off to 24 hour day-care. Maybe the worker will want to have a second job to afford a bigger entertainment system, the latest cellphone craze or other gadgets he’s seen at the movies or with his rich clients. He will want to give his kids some nice toys too. Maybe afford them a good college education so that maybe one of them will be able to be on the management staff someday for slightly better pay. But his resort job wont afford him this, and his work hours are getting so long that it’s harder and harder to grow his own food to supplement his income. The answer to his need is to lease a piece of land to another foreigner for 99 years, so he does that. His kids go off to college, finish, but they dont want to return. They’d rather live in their new homeland. It’s not much different from Yap anyway.Mor Watit Oct 3 2011A,You dare show your face again, after being cornered into silence? You are sneaking back in hopes that you can ride on somebody els’es point because you cannot come up with any substance to back up your argument. Never-mind, you know where you stand, non-significant.Dwarf,Ahhh makes sense, Yatman is offering his own lands. As a chief should, is it for the good of his people? that remains to be seen. And if things turn sour with ETG? Our Chief only, will suffer the consequence. How chiefly of him! watit agrees with you, we cannot afford to make wrong a wrong decision here, we need to know the whole package that ETG is offering. we know it contains very goods things for us, without any doubt, BUT what about what we may lose? Let us also look at the long term, with ETG doing business in Yap, doesn’t anyone see an outflow of revenue? maybe we get to keep $0.01 of every dollar made off our backs, using our culture as the commodity. Is everyone cool with this? There are more unanswered questions that need to be raised for public awareness that perhaps some people might like to do away with. Watit is fully aware of all the good things that may come out of this deal if it goes through, but watit is uncertain of the negative side of this deal. If anyone can convince us all that the advantage will far out-weight the disadvantages, watit will not hesitate to change position, but till then, watit will remain negative on this issue.Mor Watit Oct 3 2011Shiiche,Wow! Where did that came from? Now that is what watit would call a contribution to the discussion. Why did you have to be so negative at first?Mor Watit Oct 3 2011A,watit is going to call you out, you either put up or shut up. are you willing to give up your lands for ETG development? If, so, have you done so?alii2 Oct 3 2011Mor-de-watitee,“A” I don’t think was cornered into silence. Infact, he shared more information in this thread for the Yapese people to absorb than you did. While you and yes you! have been rolling your stone money around and round in this thread because you can’t seem to find a place to park it. Hehehe.Now let me hear your rantings and crying some more :)MicSem: General ETG Discussion (Posts 201 to 256)Mor Watit Oct 3 2011Alii2,And you, sh*t for brains can fook off! No one asked you for you worthless opinion. Isn’t it enough that watit has rub your head in the dirt? You looking for more?alii2 Oct 3 2011hahaha! Same old watitee, nothing have changed.Mor Watit Oct 3 2011Hahahaha be malalak’. Nope, nothing will change. Idiots will always be idiots.alii2 Oct 3 2011That’s right, yes, indeed. be malatok!Mor Watit Oct 3 2011that’s right, O dALIIf HEAD! hehehealii2 Oct 3 2011Alright, let’s get back to the topic. Continue on...Shiiche Oct 4 2011Why did I start off negative? I didn’t. I just cut straight to the meat of the matter. And it was heard. Irritated you maybe, but you heard me, and so did others. My more recent ‘nicer’ post—not heard. That’s what’s wrong with you Micronesians: You insist everybody should be nice to each other, beating around the bush and bending over backwards to ensure you all save face, but you don’t really listen to each other. All the effort you put into how you communicate is wasted. Plug in the slightest insult, and your ears pluck up. Unfortunately, your fists follow quicker than your brains do. That’s a dangerous thing for you. Your people can be easily manipulated that way.A Oct 4 2011Yes, very good observation and psycho-evaluation, Schiiche.Mor Watit Oct 4 2011Shiiche,Watit heard your “nicer” post loud and clear and was more open to it. as to the “negative” entries, even if there are some truth to it, watit will reject it, and seek to argue against it.A,Have you put your land where your mouth is? are you all talk and no action?Shiiche Oct 4 2011I think A is from an outer island, MW. His land is safe for now. He’d rather you put up your land so he can get some jobs for his nephews, just enough to save up to get them off to college somewhere. If your main island gets messed up, A can retreat to his unspoiled island and live off of remittances from nephews. Maybe he’s waiting for you to buy some land from him, to move to when your island gets over-developed and overcrowded with Chinese workers and tourists.Mor Watit Oct 4 2011Shiiche,That may very well be true, a is becoming sneakier with his entries, just when he has been called upon to show his hands. He likes to be gambling with other people’s land, and when he is asked to put up his own land, he doesn’t seem to want to. Shiiche, it makes no sense for some yapese to buy land from neighboring islands, since they own it in the first place.A Oct 4 2011I am not from Yap O.I, but I don’t mind continuing the traditional Yapese hospitality/sacrifices to improve the lives of our O.I people. If they chose to live in our prestine atolls, that is fine. If they choose to live on Yap, we have already provided and prepared numerous places for them. They can come and help out with the tourists, if they want to. However, Yap is the motherland. It will always take the bigger responsibility and leadership in generating tax-revenue for the whole state. It has always been that way.Dwarf Oct 4 2011Shiiche, you’ve described the modern rat race perfectly. Sounds like your one enlightened individual but your describing a progressive environment that values greed and living beyond means. I don’t believe Yap is such a place, the problem is lack of private enterprise developments and low government wages. I believe Yap is conservative to avoid the very rat race your describing; however, progress means more convenience so we’re on course to be where you’ve described. We need to prioritize our hunger for development or progress, investing in taro patch restorations, health related infrastructure development, water reservoir protection, land and ocean resource protection and just the mere act of saving a little. Let others laugh at us toiling away in our thus, lava lava, grass skirt and kafar, as long as when we’re somewhere else we understand the nuances of living life in such convenience-laden environment.Mor Watit Oct 4 2011A.“I don’t mind continuing the traditional Yapese hospitality/sacrifices to improve the lives of our O.I people.”Bwuahahahahahahaha! What planet are you living on? Only Gagil people have relationship to the neighboring islands, and its only they who need to be hospitable/sacrifice to improve the lives of the neighboring islanders.“If they choose to live on Yap, we have already provided and prepared numerous places for them.”Yep, places like Gargey and Daboch, the most infertile parcels of lands. oh yeah, some hospitable big motherland we are turning out to be. and what sacrifice! oh stop! watit’s heart is overflowing with brotherly love!spiritallyinsane Oct 4 2011Shout out to brother Tom from Tomil province. Hope you have a good beetle nut harvest this year.Shiiche Oct 4 2011I hope you are right in your belief about Yap, Dwarf. But what are you basing your belief on? Observation of facts or sentiment?Greed is human nature. You Yapese are humans, aren’t you? Living beyond means—Aren’t you already doing that? You are dependent on foreign aid to do anything, using foreign aid to buy foreign goods, and foreign aid to treat sickness brought on by over-consumption of foreign goods. Will these tendencies end all of a sudden because you have some jobs at a resort? Or will they increase?If you Yapese know how to live well in this modern world sustainibly or ‘conservatively’ without over-exploiting your resources, why don’t you? You can profit from sharing your system with the world because that is what all the world wants to know how to do.Mor Watit Oct 4 2011Shiiche,You are right, greed is human nature. And so is learning from mistakes. We made lots of mistakes in the past, and we are trying to deal with them right now. The first step is to take a backward glance, to see how we used to do it. By that, watit doesn’t mean we have to go back to those old practices, not at all. But to learn the reasons behind the practices. Why were thing done a certain way? Why does one need to share his catch with people in the village? That whole system of practices were based on certain wisdoms and values, what are those? That’s what we need to go back to.We do not need to do things the way we used to do it a hundred years ago, but we can do things in a modern fashion but keeping those wisdom and values as guiding principles. When watit goes to the taro patch, he harvests one taro and plant 3-5 taro. When watit goes fishing, he spears 2-3 fish but not more. If watit is using nets, he will definitely catch more fish than he can consume in a day, he will share some with his neighbors. If watit’s neighbor is building his house, watit will look around his house for building materials that may be laying around unused. He takes these with him and help his neighbor build his house, when watit is going to repair his house, his neighbor will definitely come around to help. If the usa supports Yap financially, yapese young men and women will put their lives on the line for the protection of USA. Watit thinks the song “salthaw” expresses it the best. Watit apologizes in advance if he does not do justice to the translation.Ray ni daken rebe kadbul mabe taw e thin ngog, dabgu pag ya lungun e nam.“one of these days, when words reach me to go, I will not refuse the call of my island.”A Oct 4 2011Mor,Please, don’t be jealous of the O.I people, since you are too selfish to help them. Initially, any unused land on Yap have lost its nutrients. But, after some development, and some time living on and cultivating it, the lands are now revived to produce bigger crops and trees. Today, those settlements can produce bigger crops than your mosquito infested swamp, which you call a village. Theirs have a great view of Colonia and yet higher and safer too, in case you may need to move in with them someday, when sea level rise.You are just jealous of the O.I people with their pristine atolls and wonderful settlements on Yap. You just want everyone else in Yap State to live like you, in a mosquito infested swamp, among the weed and ruins. Tell us what is so good about your village, other than its mediocre history.Some corrections on “sickness brought on by over-consumption of foreign goods.” Various mutations of influenza, leprosy, tuberculosis, diabetes, alcoholism, meths-addiction and obesity are innovated diseases. Some are behavioral, most are communicable, but all are introduced, to Yap. Eating copra and fish won’t prevent most these diseases. Yapese were almost extinct due to previous epidemics. Modern health care are not cheap, but essential to address and alleviate these health problems. Tax revenues, rather than dreams, are needed to run hospitals. Or, your municipality can build a great wall or moat to keep tourists and development from entering in, i.e Forbidden Island. As we have learned, that too is unfeasible, which really leaves us with the option of tax-revenues.On greed, any act of individualism against the majority’s consensus in the village, to include theft, would result in exile from the village. The village enforces this custom. However, lately, Yapese have to rethink this custom, because there are: #1. Too many sympathizers of monetary consumers of school bus fees, notebooks and pencils, light (electric or fuel) for homework, school lunch, shirt, pants, back pack,cell phone, etc. #2. Too many brain-drained or too few people left in the village. #3. Too many lazy but loud people like watit bycotting every agenda to make everyone suffer in stagnation, like him. What to do? Eat copra and dream on, like some suggests? Or, listen to Yap traditional and conventional leaderships? Every Yapese know what to do, except those who are headless.Noob Oct 4 2011A,You always seem to be missing the point. Let me remind you for the third time. This is not about development... this is about ETG’s development. You are being redundant again in saying we need money, we need development, we need a better economy... blah blah blah.DUH!. We don’t need you to tell us that. This is about why we want or don’t want specifically ETG’s projects. Can you understand?Again recycling your points about epidemics? Open another thread so we can address that issue. By the way, diet does prevent most if not all noncommunicable diseases. So yes, eating fish and copra and island foods can prevent diabetes, obesity, hypertension, stoke, cardiac diseases… etc.“sickness brought on by over-consumption of foreign goods...Various mutations of influenza, leprosy, tuberculosis, diabetes, alcoholism, meths-addiction”What are you talking about? How can corned beef and tuna bring a mutated strain of influenza or TB? Meth addiction? Here’s some education, mutation usually occurs because of over prescribing antibiotics or non compliance of medications.Get your facts straight and stop misinforming the public.Stick to the point and back up your beloved ETG.A Oct 4 2011Noob,What are you trying to say? That there were never pandemics and epidemics that affected Yap? And eating copra and fish will cure all diseases brought in, like various influenza mutations? Get real. We need ETG to generate tax-revenues to sustain the hospitals and modern health care.You, simpletons, should know where such amatuer opinions belong, in the waste fill below the meeting platforms, where mice squibble amid discarded coconut husks and banana peels. Why I even spend time explaining these things to your little thick skulls, I don’t know. Good bye, little mice. I have a village meeting to attend.Noob Oct 4 2011A,Here is what I am saying:Repost again:“By the way, diet does prevent most if not all noncommunicable diseases. So yes, eating fish and copra and island foods can prevent diabetes, obesity, hypertension, stoke, cardiac diseases... etc.”I never said anything about curing all diseases. I am talking about noncommunicable diseases as you can see I have posted twice and spent time explaining to you.More people are dying from noncommunicable diseases compared to influenza, Tb... etc. Noncommunicable diseases can be prevented by diet and exercise. So yes again, copra, fish and island food along with exercise can prevent noncommunicable disease.What do you call a person that needs a simpleton to explain things so they can understand?Noob Oct 4 2011Lets get back to topic.alii2 Oct 4 2011NOOB >>> By the way, diet does prevent most if not all noncommunicable diseases. So yes, eating fish and copra and island foods can prevent diabetes, obesity, hypertension, stoke, cardiac diseases....etc.AlII2 >>> It’s not diet but eating the right foods, exercise, and thinking positively leads to great health.Shiiche Oct 4 2011I was about to post something in response to A, but I noticed there’s a chattering monkey in the room. I will post later for A and other Yapese here. Or I can email it. It’s a little history lesson that may have slipped your mind and may cause your hand to want to travel faster than your neurotransmitters. but good to consider. relevant.alii2 Oct 4 2011Shiiche,Post it here so that I can read it and make sure you are telling the Yapese people the truth.Shiiche Oct 4 2011Hooh-hooh-hooh-hoo!!!! eeeeh-eeeh EEEEEhkkk!!!!Dwarf Oct 4 2011I had the experience of having a sick relative in the hospital who eventually passed away but the struggle to send him off-island was sobering and traumatic. The hospital stepped in to assist the best it could, but even when it promised to pay the lion share of the referral, all my relatives, the unemployed, the harvesters of land and sea barely came up with the required $500 just to start the communication to off-island hospital. I’ve since known many other families, clans that had experienced that hardship. We mostly believe that our government have the money, but I feel the government is barely making it and working hard to remain on that course indefinitly just to provide the basic welfare to the Yapese. Sure there are mismanagement here and there but basically the government can’t shoulder the need of all people—this where private sector in most countries step up to supplement or even carry most of load. We are a welfare nation dependent on the US needs to secure itself—with the rising of the Chinese in both military and economic terms, I believe we need to sober up and prioritize our development and degree of development.spiritallyinsane Oct 4 2011Dwarf,I am so sorry about your experience. I too experienced the same thing in Chuuk when a close friend of mine passed away at the hospital because the hospital refused to even consider referring him off-island for medical treatment for political reasons.A Oct 4 2011Why the $$$. According to Noob, your relative will be just fine, if he or she eats copra and fish. Problem solved.Mor Watit Oct 4 2011A.Man! You really have some nerve! First you threatened watit with eviction. Who are you? Do you know who you are? That you can so casually throw in such a threat into a discussion? What is your custom? Is that what you were taught? Watit knows his “Yalen” and he can be evicted from his land, but you would not be the one to do it, not even close.Now you are talking about the neighboring islanders as if you have a clue about them. Watit has fulfill his obligation as a “sawey.” Watit doesn’t need to get into the details of the matter as it’s really none of your business. Watit doesn’t need to tell you jack sh*t about his village, simply for the fact that it’s none of your business. Watit’s chief knows what services watit’s village has provided. If you have any idea what you are talking about, why don’t you ask them yourself?You keep hiding behind “ we need Tax Revenues.” Who the f*ck doesn’t know that! Duhhh, tell us something we don’t already know, mar Dali’if! Since you are all for it, why don’t you tell us how we can raise tax revenue without destroying ourselves in the process? You want us to make a deal with ETG, yet you are unwilling to offer up your land, what kind of a sneaky sick puppy are you? You want somebody else to offer up their lands so ETG can generate Tax revenue for the government. So your poor sick relative can get the treatment they need? You are one illogical dumb piece of garbage! Just talking to you makes watit’s skin crawl. Who are the hell are you to question watit’s origin? Do you know yours? Mang e un machib nag ngom u tafen med??Noob Oct 4 2011A,I said prevention, not cure. How long will you keep missing the point? I am adding you to the idiot list along with alii2. I am tired of explaining basic step by step logic.Kam kol e machib fa dawor.A Oct 4 2011Now, you claim to be “sawey” and yet still swearing like a swamp thing? The uncivilized mentality is beginning to surface above the stale mud.Mor, you don’t have to resort to cussing when you run out of ideas. Please say or do something right, otherwise, you are only reaffirming your legacy. Yes, we know which part of Yap you are from. Good day, Mor.A Oct 4 2011Noob,Listen to dwarf. Try understand what he says from your waste fill. You mice are hopeless.Mor Watit Oct 5 2011A,Didn’t your parent’s ever teach you that when you ask for it, you will receive? Was watit cussing, or was he teaching you a yapese lesson you desperately needed? Obviously, you lack an understanding of “yalen.” When you ventured into the insults of watit’s origin, did you expect watit to say thank you? Watit asked you back, “do you know yours?” Are you confident enough about your origins that you can hurl insults about somebody elses? Mang e un machib nag ngom u tafen med??Who’s running out of ideas? Watit has tons of ideas that will blow your mind, but he will not share them with you because you are a nobody. You are just a loud mouth with no brains. Watit has already said, “put the ETG proposition before the people of yap, and let the people decide.” And what is your idea? “let each individual decide for themselves, but at the same time, land in yap is not owned by one particular individual him/herself?” That’s your idea, and a very illogical one at that. Who do you think you’re are fooling? “don’t reject ETG, because we need the tax revenue so our sick can get treatment they need, school children can get educated, but somebody else will have to sacrifice his/her land just not a.” What kind of bull crap is that? Those are your ideas...product of a mind under developmental arrest. Watit is tired of dialoging with stupid people who cannot reason in a coherent manner.Mor Watit Oct 5 2011A Feb 12th 2010 With so much supplementary requests tapping into Yap State’s savings, Anefal will highlight his inferior southern O.I origins, if he does not improve the GDP. Humiliating but inevitable.Speaker Figir Outer Islands’ Visit Address Immigration And TraffickingThey visited the islands out there because those natives are most susceptible to be like chuukese. Their bread fruit culture allow them to shamelessly eat others’ rations, even without permission. To them, being on welfare is the norm. They expect society to feed them. Tell me if I’m wrong.Category MicSem General DiscussionWritten by AAdded Aug 4 2011Should Yap State separate from the FSM?ma taglasuw, re ngochol nibe’er ni be yog adow I sos e fidngan e pilung ko fre ulung I malang ni binaw u romuponpei. ba lung nu waab, ni gafugow nag piyu rom ni bod rogon fakdad ni gamanman. arafan e pumthaw ney ni gathi riyad baadag dakan ded. galufaney e yed langlang nga lang...ere sirow ngom...Category MicSem General DiscussionWritten by AAdded Nov 18th 2010AFeb 12th 2010Leath, just keep your governor away from the treasury. O.I folks, though generally better than original Yapese in many aspects, don’t know the difference between public and family resources. Everyday they eat out of their neighbors’ pot. It’s their custom. See how they use FSM public funds to purchase private lands, cars, boats, musical instruments and private homes..? They lack discipline to head the Yapese empire. Though silly, it is generally true.Mor Watit Oct 5 2011Chameleon, changing colors. and daman gichig!A Oct 5 2011What are you trying to prove by posting past threads? Various issues do not warrant the same opinions. Verbal responses must vary to suit the special occassions and circumstances. In this ETG thread, for example, this governor has finally placed A MEANS for a better economic future and Yap State’s independence on the table, and so Watit finally wants to replace him...???? A governor should be replaced for generating deficit or his inaction in office, not the other way around.In this thread alone, you have changed your stance various times, but only to save face and self-esteem. On the other hand, I’ve said what’s needed to be said, to maintain critical thought toward building up a prosperous and independent Yap State. Don’t take it too personal, but no person or people are perfect, including you. We can only say and do what we can to improve ourselves, our circumstances and our future. Kamagar.A Oct 5 2011Chinese Investors Plan Major Hotel in Yap Project would become largest hotel in FSMBy Jon A. AndersonHAG?T?A, Guam (Marianas Variety, Oct. 5, 2011)—A development proposal which would dwarf anything so far seen in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) has been proposed by Chinese investors for Yap, the closest FSM state to Guam.As reported in the Oct. 3 edition of Kaselehlie Press, a biweekly newspaper published in the Pohnpei, a private investor group called the Exhibit and Travel Group (ETG), from Chengdu in Sichuan Province, in the People’s Republic of China, has met with Yap officials to discuss the proposal. The development could involve as many as eight to 10 hotel complexes with up to 4,000 guest rooms which, if approved, could be ready for occupancy in 2015. The plans actually envision an ultimate total of 20,000 rooms — more than twice the number currently available on Guam.The ETG proposal involves what they call a “world-class island international tourism resort” with convention centers, casinos and entertainment centers, and from eight to 15 golf courses. The implementation of such a large-scale project would require a vastly improved infrastructure in Yap. Anticipating that, ETG says they will improve the transportation system in order to “satisfy the need of large passenger jets,” and the expansion of ports “to satisfy the need of international tourism and shipment.”An ETG entourage headed by Chairman Dèng Hóng flew into Yap in August on a chartered plane to meet with the Yap leadership. The state government has not agreed to any development plans but, according to the article by Yap correspondent Arlynne Chugen in the Kaselehlie Press, Gov. Sebastian Anefal has called for the formation of a task force of the Yap State Legislature and chief’s council members to “identify and describe each land parcel that is suitable for development, its relative size, and who owns it; recommend the types of development (hotel, teach expansion, golf course, etc.) most compatible for each identified parcel of land; and identify such land areas that are so ecologically, historically and culturally important to the people of Yap that they should be exempted from development plans.”In addition to consensus decisions within the “work group,” the government would need to work out some major current roadblocks to such a large-scale project. For example, ETG’s proposal to build casinos would require changes in Yap law, which currently prohibits gambling.In a presentation, ETG said its proposed development will highlight the long history of the indigenous Yapese culture, adding a unique ethnic element to sightseeing. The completion of the project will make tourism the key industry in the FSM, but the investors say they will also promote the development of agriculture, fisheries, crop farming and other industries.No dollar amounts are mentioned in the article, but such a development can expect to run into the billions of dollars. It would also enable mainland Chinese tourists to fly directly into Yap, bypassing Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). The next scheduled session of the Yap State Legislature is not until January, but the working group formed by the governor is considering the huge development proposal.Marianas Variety: Mor Watit Oct 5 2011A.Watit is showing what a chameleon you are, changing colors and speaking like a galuf with fork tongue. It goes to show a characteristic flaw. And pray tell us, what circumstances/situation would warrant insulting somebody’s origins? You accuse watit of changing stance, show it. Show us where watit change his stance. Or is this more of your slippery eel-like trait?You on the other hand speak so derogatorily about the outer-islands on another thread, not once, but several times. And to top it off, you spoke so insultingly about the governor, even insulting his origins. That is what happens when you speak without thinking. You didn’t think it was going to come back and hunt you?On this thread you have spoken like a sardine (without head). Nobody is denying the good things that may come out of this ETG developmental proposition, you keep using that as a means to convince people, but when asked about what bad impact this proposition may have, you don’t answer. Watit will attempt to paint a picture for you based on the article above. 20 000 rooms, twice that currently available in Guam. That translate into a possible 20 000 additional people + maybe another 2 000 (Chinese workers) + 10 000 Yapese = 32 000. Will the island be able to handle that many people all at once? 8-15 golf courses? Where? Who’s land? What about the environmental impact? Watit has done a lot of research on gulf courses. The environmental effects can be devastating. How are you going to answer that? It doesn’t matter because we will have good schools and hospitals? Is it worth losing our reefs and our mangroves? We, as a people, have waited for hundreds of years, why rush now? Surely, we can wait a bit longer for a more environmental friendly proposition. Either the ETG will be willing to see it from our side, or not, and if its the latter then we say, “bugger off!’ to them. And if they agree, then we can proceed from that understanding that there are some things more important to us Yapese than money.Watit would not like to see Yap change her laws to accommodate casino’s, what next? Legalized prostitution? Think, man! It’s very easy to say yes to everything, but its not very smart. Our people didn’t survive all these years by rushing ahead into every thing. They bid their time, studying, observing, and fully understanding before they took one step.Mor Watit Oct 6 2011geointeractive.co.ukENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF TOURISMThe quality of the environment, both natural and man-made, is essential to tourism.However, tourism’s relationship with the environment is complex- many activities can have adverse environmental effects.Many of these impacts are linked with the construction of general infrastructure such as roads and airports, and of tourism facilities, including resorts, hotels, restaurants, shops, golf courses and marinas.The negative impacts of tourism development can gradually destroy the environmental resources on which it depends.On the other hand, tourism has the potential to create beneficial effects on the environment by contributing to environmental protection and conservation.It is a way to raise awareness of environmental values and it can serve as a tool to finance protection of natural areas and increase their economic importanceNegative impacts from tourism occur when the level of visitor use is greater than the environment’s ability to cope with this use within the acceptable limits of change.Uncontrolled conventional tourism poses potential threats to many natural areas around the world.It can put enormous pressure on an area and lead to impacts such as: soil erosion, increased pollution, discharges into the sea, natural habitat loss, increased pressure on endangered species and heightened vulnerability to forest fires.It often puts a strain on water resources, and it can force local populations to compete for the use of critical resources.Water ResourcesThe tourism industry generally overuses water resources for hotels, swimming pools, golf courses and personal use of water by tourists.This can result in water shortages and degradation of water supplies, as well as generating a greater volume of waste water.In drier regions like the Mediterranean, the issue of water scarcity is of particular concern. Because of the hot climate and the tendency of tourists to consume more water when on holiday than they do at home, the amount used can run up to 440 litres a day. This is almost double what the inhabitants of an average Spanish city use.Golf course maintenance can also deplete fresh water resources.In recent years golf tourism has increased in popularity and the number of golf courses has grown rapidly.Golf courses require an enormous amount of water every day and this can result in water scarcity.If the water comes from wells, over-pumping can cause saline intrusion into groundwater.Golf resorts are more and more often situated in or near protected areas or areas where resources are limited, exacerbating their impacts.An average golf course in a tropical country such as Thailand needs 1500kg of chemical fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides per year and uses as much water as 60,000 rural villagers.Local resourcesTourism can create great pressure on local resources like energy, food, and other raw materials that may already be in short supply.Greater extraction and transport of these resources exacerbates the physical impacts associated with their exploitation.Because of the seasonal character of the industry, many destinations have ten times more inhabitants in the high season as in the low season.A high demand is placed upon these resources to meet the high expectations tourists often have (proper heating, hot water, etc.).POLLUTIONTourism can cause the same forms of pollution as any other industry:Air emissionsNoiseSolid waste and litteringReleases of sewageOil and chemicalsEven architectural/visual pollutionAir pollution and noiseTransport by air, road, and rail is continuously increasing in response to the rising number of tourists and their greater mobility.Tourism now accounts for more than 60% of air travel.One study estimated that a single transatlantic return flight emits almost half the CO2 emissions produced by all other sources (lighting, heating, car use, etc.) consumed by an average person yearly.Air pollution from tourist transportation has impacts on the global level, especially from CO2 emissions related to transportation energy use.And it can contribute to severe local air pollution.Noise pollution from airplanes, cars, buses, (+ snowmobiles and jet skis)In addition to causing annoyance, stress, and even hearing loss for humans, it causes distress to wildlife and can cause animals to alter their natural activity patterns.In winter 2000, 76,271 people entered Yellowstone National Park on snowmobiles, outnumbering the 40,727 visitors who came in cars, 10,779 in snowcoaches and 512 on skis.A survey of snowmobile impacts on natural sounds at Yellowstone found that snowmobile noise could be heard 70% of the time at 11 of 13 sample sites, and 90% of the time at 8 sites.At the Old Faithful geyser, snowmobiles could be heard 100% of the time during the daytime period studied. Snowmobile noise drowned out even the sound of the geyser erupting.Solid waste and litteringIn areas with high concentrations of tourist activities and appealing natural attractions, waste disposal is a serious problem and improper disposal can be a major despoiler of the natural environment- rivers, scenic areas, and roadsides.For example, cruise ships in the Caribbean are estimated to produce more than 70 000 tons of waste each year.Solid waste and littering can degrade the physical appearance of the water and shoreline and cause the death of marine animals.In mountain areas, trekking tourists generate a great deal of waste. Tourists on expedition leave behind their garbage, oxygen cylinders and even camping equipment.Such practices degrade the environment with all the detritus typical of the developed world, in remote areas that have few garbage collection or disposal facilities.SewageConstruction of hotels, recreation and other facilities often leads to increased sewage pollution.Wastewater has polluted seas and lakes surrounding tourist attractions, damaging the flora and fauna.Sewage runoff causes serious damage to coral reefs because it stimulates the growth of algae, which cover the filter-feeding corals, hindering their ability to survive.Sewage pollution threatens the health of humans and animals.Aesthetic PollutionOften tourism fails to integrate its structures with the natural features and indigenous architectural of the destination.Large, dominating resorts of disparate design can look out of place in any natural environment and may clash with the indigenous structural design.A lack of land-use planning and building regulations in many destinations has facilitated sprawling developments along coastlines, valleys and scenic routes.The sprawl includes tourism facilities themselves and supporting infrastructure such as roads, employee housing, parking, service areas, and waste disposal.Physical impacts of tourism developmentConstruction activities and infrastructure development The development of tourism facilities can involve sand mining, beach and sand dune erosion and loss of wildlife habitats.Deforestation and intensified or unsustainable use of land Construction of ski resort accommodation and facilities frequently requires clearing forested land. Coastal wetlands are often drained due to lack of more suitable sites.Marina developmentDevelopment of marinas and breakwaters can cause changes in currents and coastlines.Coral reefsEspecially fragile marine ecosystems- suffering worldwide from reef-based tourism developments.Evidence suggests a variety of impacts to coral result from shoreline development, increased sediments in the water, trampling by tourists, ship groundings, pollution from sewage, souvenir extraction.Physical impacts from tourist activitiesTramplingTourists using the same trail over and over again trample the vegetation and soil, eventually causing damage that can lead to loss of biodiversity and other impacts.Such damage can be even more extensive when visitors frequently stray off established trails.Anchoring and other marine activitiesIn marine areas many tourist activities occur in or around fragile ecosystems.Anchoring, scuba diving, yachting and cruising are some of the activities that can cause direct degradation of marine ecosystems such as coral reefs.Alteration of ecosystems by tourist activitiesHabitat can be degraded by tourism leisure activities. For example, wildlife viewing can bring about stress for the animals and alter their natural behaviour when tourists come too close.</br<>Noob Oct 6 2011A,Listen to Mor Watit. Try and understand what he says from your waste fill coconut. Your mice size mind is hopeless.Although maybe you can not comprehend such big words but at least try and learn.Stop recycling your point that developments are good for the economy, is that all your little rat mind can come up with. First graders know that fact but it seems like you have just figured that out now.What do you have to say about ETG’s developmental impact on Yap?This question has been posed to you how many times now? How many times have you evaded this question by recycling your points? I pity you fools!Shiiche Oct 6 2011Dwarf, sorry for your loss, but if it’s tax revenue you want in order to improve your hospital care, what makes you so sure that that is what you will get if foreign resorts and golf courses took up most of your island? You have a foreign owned hotel already, check out how much does Yap get from it in terms of taxes... How much does the national government get? Does your state tax income or is this only a national function? Is it the state that will receive lease payments for land to improve your hospital or is it individual landowners who will get more money with which to buy more foreign goods?You mentioned other places turning to private sector for needs... Make sure you are really thinking about what you are saying. Businesses aren’t about helping the homeless, at least not yet in this world. Consider Hawaii and Hawaiians. They have many foreign owned hotels, resorts, golf courses, and sure hospitals too. But do you see their natives profitting or better off for these things? Maybe once long ago, the original hawaiian land-owners got a few beers and trinkets and some steak with the money they got, but their descendants today got squat. Many are homeless and struggling. Even their culture is being used by rich foreigners to entertain guests in Waikiki, and the hula dancers and entertaners, are they hawaiian natives profitting from their culture? no, its chuukese and pohnpeian boys and girls who do it for minimum wage. Guests dont even know the difference, they are there for a fantasy vacation that they can talk about over the water cooler when they return home.You should really check out the figures before you make any decisions, and consider too not just economic capital but cultural capital, natural capital, etc.Mor Watit Oct 6 2011Watit was listening to the Yap State Legislature session this morning, and some of the questions raised by the senators are exactly the same raised in this thread. From what watit was able to gather, its seems somebody titled the group with the wrong name! This is not an ETG task force! This is a Developmental Task Force! Yap wants to put together a developmental plan which will be presented to ETG AND anyone else who might want to invest. Now that makes a lot of sense!Noob Oct 6 2011That indeed makes a lot of sense.We should confirm which information is correct. Either someone made a very big mistake and titled the group wrong or there was no mistake and the confusion is now.How can we confirm that this is not an ETG task force but a developmental task force?Siro, but I am just weary of being played again.Its also good to know that the senators have raised the same questions in this thread:) Instead of becoming a ?es man like A:(and not ask any questions.Dwarf Oct 6 2011The development task force was requested by Governor to answer the ETG development interests for Yap, at the same time, draw up development goals and scope for the State so there is a cohesive, practical, a Master Plan, in place. ETG may present a counter-proposal—and negotiations can go on from there. The ETG will then decide whether to invest or not.Mor Watit Oct 6 2011Dwarf,Yeah! Somebody goofed when they name it the ETG task force, because it misled people into thinking the decision has already been made to give the green light to ETG. Watit got that article which started off this thread from the yap site, cut and paste it. So the misnaming is not watit’s.Mor Watit Oct 8 2011watit was listening again to the replay of YSL session on the radio and he understood some of the senators were concerned about the magnitude of the proposal by ETG. “We need development, but we need sustainable development and within our capacity,” said one of the senators. Yap is small, you can take all of the people in Yap and house them in an apartment complex in China, but take a small portion of the Chinese population and put them on Yap, the whole island might sink into the Yap Trench.Shiiche Oct 9 2011Different name, but what’s the difference?“Your Governor issued a communication to the State Leadership in an act to establish a taskforce, consisting of five members: one member representing the Executive, two members from the Legislature, one member from the Council of Pilung, and one member from the Council of Tamol... The group is tasked to identify and describe suitable land parcels for development, recommend what type of development (hotel, beach expansion, golf course, etc.) is suitable for each identified land parcel, and make recommendations on what land parcels should not be developed in relation to their ecological, historical, and cultural importance to the people of Yap. The group will then compose a final report of their findings to be presented to the State Leadership on November 30, 2011… As soon as the Legislature and Councils submit their representatives and all five members are confirmed, the Work Group will begin its task.”Are the task force members/ your branch representatives environmental scientists or ecologists? Economists/Accountants? Experts in sustainable architecture and eco-friendly golf course designs? Are they able to measure all the costs involved in varying degrees of development so that they can arrive at a feasible master plan for your island?MW said you have a scientist in Yap, is he involved? What about other experts and the EPA? You cannot count on political leaders alone who are only concerned about revenue and jobs to make the best informed decisions for development projects.Mor Watit Oct 9 2011Shiiche,That was exactly what the legislature asked, what is this task force going to be doing? why is the legislature getting involved? watit is just everyone else in Yap, completely clueless as to the nature and function of this proposed task force.Dwarf Oct 9 2011The task force will have the leeway for bringing expert consultants to the table. Governor did mention to Legislators on hand during public meeting the need for bringing in experts from outside to assist in development of master plan. 251 to 256 of 256Mor Watit Oct 10 2011Would the reason YSL is included in this task force is so that legislation may be formulated to insure protection of those things which may be identified by this task force as culturally vital to preserve? That would make a lot of sense to watit.peace2u Oct 11 2011First, who is to pay for the expert to be brought in?Secondly, bringining the legislature in may facilitate legalizing gambling which is currently outlawed in the whole state.Thank you titaw rom (mor watit) for saying what needs to be said on the subject; you and boon (noob) have articulated some of the concerns that should be discussed before the chinese projects are given the green light to commence.Fou Fang Oct 11 2011The ETG is perhaps the answer to Peter Christian’s resolution, especially for Yap.Mor Watit Oct 11 2011watit is thinking Yap state will pay for the experts coming as this is going to be Yap’s developmental plan. It is usually the practice of the Legislature to call for a public hearing to listen to the public’s view before they enact any legislation or change any public law, watit is confident the public will be given a chance to speak their mind on the developmental plan. As for ETG, watit is also of the opinion that much of what they are proposing will not fly as it is beyond Yap’s capacity at this point in time. If ETG is willing to downscale their developmental aspirations, we may have a deal, if not, then it will be sayonara....Shiiche Oct 11 2011Dwarf, Guam may look beautiful to your island eyes, but believe me when I say that it does not to non-island people like me. Other than sleek super-commercial Tumon Bay, the rest of the area looks like a disorganized ramshackle mishmash trying to mimic a run-down American town with fast food shops, car dealerships, and overgrown lots down the highways. There are two kinds of tourists- those who stick to the cookie-cutter shops, restaurants, entertainment and mega-hotel amenities in Tumon Bay, and those who want to experience island life, see the sites, villages, meet locals, and immerse themselves in a place. For the latter, they’d have to travel down past the naval base to finally start seeing beautiful.Sorry Palauans, but most of Koror isn’t too beautiful either. Again, poor planning and different levels of development gives much of the place a tired, haphazard air. There are wonderful spots in Koror, but mostly you’d have to travel outside Koror to finally see island beauty.Pohnpei is still very beautiful, though business people have to be careful not to build too carelessly. Don’t know about Kosrae, haven’t had the pleasure to visit, and even Chuuk despite some litter is more breathtaking any day than Guam. Or Majuro. Yap too is quaint and neat, a sight for sore eyes, despite your wreck of a road to the northern part of the island.People like me enjoy coming to places like yours to soak in simple island beauty, the easy rhythm of life, beautiful natives, unique and colorful arts. It would be a great loss if you clutter up your beautiful islands with a whole lot of mega-resorts, casinos, golf courses, and hordes of Asian tourists.daniellle Oct 11 2011thought so!! ^ good reading.Chinese in Yap: Friday, 20 January 2012 EditorialAN ANNOUNCEMENT out of the State of Yap in the Federated States of Micronesia prompted a response this week from no less than Madeleine Z. Bordallo, Guam’s delegate to Congress.She was reacting to news from Colonia that the Council of Pilung of Yap State has signed a memorandum of understanding with a group of Chinese investors who propose a development so grand in scale that it will transform Yap forever. Bordallo indicated the development emphasizes the importance of a Chinese visa waiver for Guam. We need the Chinese market, she said.Officially, the Chinese Yap developers are the Chengdu Century City New International Convention and Exhibition Center Company Ltd., which is quite a mouthful, so they’re referred to as ETG, which stands for exhibit and travel group. The Marianas Variety-Guam reported on their plans for Yap back in October, when they were first announced.We called it a development which would dwarf anything so far seen in the FSM, and indeed it would—up to 10 separate hotel complexes with some 4,000 rooms ready in three years and, ultimately, upwards of 20,000 rooms—more than twice as many as Guam has. The Chinese investors will improve the transportation system to accommodate long-range jetliners at the Yap airport and international cruise liners in the harbor. Also planned are golf courses, dive sites, and even casinos.It’s a long way from completion, of course, but the MOU is a significant first step. It puts a stamp of acceptance, if not approval, on the concept. “The council (of Pilung) hereby supports ETG regarding the development of the Project to the largest extent, (and) further agrees to give to ETG their full assistance regarding the acquisition of land leases.” The traditional leaders even offer to screen other developers who may come along, implying they will favor and protect ETG from competition.What this all will mean for Guam remains to be seen. If ETG has the backing it seems to have, and if the money begins to be spent quickly, construction could be only months away, with the first tourists from China arriving in Yap in 2015. The project will ultimately cost billions of dollars.We like the quote from Joann Camacho, the general manager of the Guam Visitors Bureau. When asked by our David Morris whether she thought a development on such a large scale just a few hundred miles from Guam would have any impact on us, she said, “I don’t see it as a threat right now. There are enough Chinese to go around.” Indeed!Showing 3 commentsHoomanaomauThe Chinese investment will make Yap a global market. That’s a lot of revenue building. Go for it because it’s going to come anyway. The sooner you buy into it, the faster the returns. Wow! Fabulous opportunities for Yap. The rest of us in other parts of the Pacific are going to be dumb founded. We missed the boat.trebor2009If Joan Camacho says “It is not a threat” then who are we simple serfs and vassels to question her ?On the other hand....She does not mention anything about the Russian tourist finding it an attraction...? Various sites tell us that the Russians like sun, sand, surf, warmth. We have that.We read that they love to travel and stay for longer than average periods of time than the Japanese. We can handle that.We learn that they prefer certain traditional foods, meats, eggs, herring, cod, borscht, breads. We can cook that.Russians love to gamble. We could have provided that.I do not see any advantages to a mega, ultra modern resort, built by billionaires that Guam does not have. Just walk along San Vitores and Marine Corps Drive and Chalan San Antonio some time and look at the rich history those streets provide. Remember Jerry’s on MCD ? The walls are still standing. Remember the Hong Kong Restaurant, now a homeless motel. HmmmmmMicSem: Chinese ETG Vs. Yap State Leaders (Posts 1 to 50)<Links to MicSem members deleted from this document (HN)>.Passion.The ETG group visited Yap once again to endorse the contract agreement as agreed. The Honorable Chief Bruno Tharngan signed the agreement yesterday, January 12, 2012 at the Yap Explorer resort except for the governor and the speaker. the speaker declined to sign and the governor asked more time to review and will determine at a later time. so one envelope already distributed on this day and the other 2 still remain... hope the governor will get the second one... lol.Rerol.The speaker probably did not get some under the table offer from the ching yong pom...lol.A.Chief Tharngan has always been ahead of the rest when it comes to tourism and economic development. His remote municipality has been enjoying paved roads, schools, other infrastructure and tourism, long before other municipalities that are closer to state capitol have. If any chief has experience and understanding in tourism, it would be he. Of course, the other two leaders are career politicians whose subsistence depend on the popular vote. They too often are frail and wavering like the rest of the modern sea-weed leadership of the FSM. Fortunately, the legitimacy and authority of the Yapese traditional leader picks up where the common politician come short. If Yap’s traditional council have agreed, the rest of the flock will follow. That is just how socialistic Yap remains. Of course, there will always be those lone liberal voices in micsem who will oppose all leadership, except Obama’s.Mor Watit.Folks,That contract agreement is as worthless as a used piece of toilet paper. No chief in Yap has the authority to sign any contract on behalf of the state. In their own municipality, maybe, but for the state, no siree! The governor is the only person in Yap State who can commit the state to any contract..Chief Bruno Tharngan had nothing to do with the paved roads, schools in Maap. These are the collective efforts of Yap State leadership of yester-years, when they were working together as one. Nowadays, we have all sorts acting alone and independently, out of self interest and greed..Yap traditional council don’t have the power the older ones used to have back in the days. The chiefs of yester-years commanded the people’s respect.dr.fix.Wow, wow and kudos to the outspoken brave man speaking against his traditional chief. I can never say those harsh words against my chief, I always respect tradition and culture of my island. I kinda like the chief’s name who signed some papers with the Chinense. May you respect your tradition and custom.lol.Belas.DIFFERENT YEAR, SAME SH**!!.HAPPY NEW YEAR!! ON WITH THE WAR!.Mor Watit.One thing is for certain, not all yapese will welcome ETG. Tourists will get hurt when they step on the wrong land, or take picture of the wrong person. If this matter is to be done without the people’s knowledge, no good will come out of it. Mark watit’s words, people will get hurt. Yapese people are running out of patience with self-centered leaders..man i just hope we are not making a big mistake here. these guys gonna suck our island dry.joe.The people of Yap are the ones who ran and will continue to run Yap, their home land! Yapese who are a proud people, proud of who they are, what they stand for and look at their history for inspiration will stand fast to ensure the future yapese generations are well equipped to remain. My fellow Yapese brothers and sisters, stay focused on what’s important and follow through with your actions. Put in work for what is RIGHTFULLY YOURS, and KEEP IT YOURS!.Gavilan.Is the contract a public document that can be viewed on line?.Linda.It was later revealed that what purportedly a contract signed by chief Tharngan was actually a deed for the whole state of Yap. Now Yap belongs to the chinese.Mor Watit.Gavilan,Watit does not think it’s a contract that was signed but rather an MOU. and its being kept far from public eyes. That is what’s bothering watit about all these, absolutely zero public awareness, none whatsoever.Linda,no one person can give away the deed for the whole state of Yap, where are you from, Pluto?? If you don’t have any idea what’s going on, please refrain from making stupid comments like that. It makes you sound stupid and completely clueless. Don’t post just for the sake of seeing your text appear on this site.lak.Hello everyone,I heard that Chief Bruno Tharngan is the chairmen of the council. I’m sure he’s not the decision maker behind the signing of the MOU. Also, I heard the council was created during the trust territory days and that the power of traditional leaders of Yap reside in the “seven.” Is this true?.Lastly, I was extremely worried about what was said in the press release from the signing. According to “Chairman Deng also mentioned historical and cultural plans in which the company will build new villages where the local people could conduct business with visitors interested in the culture. The villages will serve as centers for local activities such as local dance performance, carvings, weaving, etc. The ETG plans to build several villages which will be given free to the communities so they could be used for daily activities by the local people..”This sounds like a cover for relocation of Yapese villages. Also, who are the Chinese to build a Yapese village? Are they going to have the Yapese women lay the stone for the stonepaths? Are they going to celebrate the completion of a men’s house with a thumthather? Do they even know about these things?If this isn’t a cover for relocation than it must be a sort of stage where Yapese can demonstrate their culture and tell stories of their history. Isn’t that what the Yap Living History Museum is?rzrbck.I believe it is something akin to the Polynesian Cultural Center in Hawaii. Employees go to work and act like they are living like they did in the old days. They wear traditional dress, and do all the thing they did in the old days in the ways they used to. The tourists just walk around and watch and take pictures. Things are available for purchase. (coconut oil, woven hats, etc.) Nobody actually lives in the village and at closing time everyone goes home. They say N. Fanif will be the first place to have things happen. Just what I heard.Dwarf.N. Fanif will be at point on the first leg of journey. Amin, Maap is revving on sideline for now. ETG is eyeing Makiy for its biggest investment. COP has given the green light for development at landowner’s and municipality request. ETG will assist in beautification and enhancement of villages and traditional attractions for villagers and tour purposes. There are no relocation plans unless municipality, village and landowners have common understanding to offer such locality for development.A.Did I forget to mention that the municipality of Maap has the best traditional dancers, traditional canoes builders and traditional house builders, due to tourism and such foresight as Chief Tharngan’s? Yes. It is also the home of Mr. Acker, one of the most experienced tourism tycoon in the FSM. I would listen to them before listening to a small time marijuana-choking hermit crab, epecially the kind whose village just recently has access to paved roads and running water, yet has the least to contribute to the Yapese society (compared to the abundant traditional skills and wisdom contributed by Maap). Obviously, some yapese “conservatism” did not conserved anything but poverty and idiocy.Mor Watit.A,Dawuriy ni nge sakiy nag dad e urich. Kabay e pii cha’ nib mil gafalngin e Wa’ab ngorad. Mu koy nga but, ya ke yan e thin rom nga lang. Ba mich u wun’um ni be endorse nag Bill Acker e re ETG plan nir? Gathi gabe athkuy e malfith ngay ngam pii nga fithik e nifeng? Ra bee ma manang ko ir minii, ma minii bee nge bee, dariy rogon ni ngam weliy ni dar puluw nga fithik dad.A.Dear Americans,Our liberal citizen, Mor Watit, wants to know if an American, such as Bill Acker, has endorsed the ETG plan. She seems to cannot make up her mind about her leadership, without the direct assistance from Americans. If you are an American, please help Mor Watit become mentally self-sufficient, as she obviously needs aid in that department, as well..Thank you humbly.Tokai.Several people have pointed out the benefits to Yap, but what is the quid pro quo? What, for example would Maap village give up if the Chinese build all these tourist attractions? Do the Chinese want exclusive access to land to bring in more Chinese to live? If they want permission to build commercial facilities will they also want to import labor to staff such? What does the MOA say? For facilities on the scale that were originally talked about on this forum, has someone done a study of water availability? Water has always been the bane of development on Yap so how is this matter being addressed? Since Speaker Falan is also from Maap and did not sign the agreement what were his reservations? For such a monumental decision facing the Yap leadership, why has the MOA not been posted by some Yapese forumers?.I keep thinking about the experience of the RMI when they let in the Taiwanese who now contol 75% of all retail activity... even taxicab companies are now Taiwanese...Linda.Has your governor made any public announcement on this project to educate the people (as to where he stand on the issues involved and the benefits of such undertaking?) A and Tokai are right. Dancing and traditional skills are obviously some of the things, if not the things, that attract tourists to our country. Traditional navigation for sure is the best. I’ve heard a lot of Chief Tharngan during the TT time and even to these days, he is still very involved in making things better for Yap.lol@ “small time marijuana-choking hermit crab”!I agree with you A. I know exactly who on here you’re referring to. Let’s not laugh, it may piss somebody off.But you are right! Why is this person sucking up to the american people? Now I see why the “small time marijuana-choking hermit crab” is referenced here. lol.Mor Watit.A,gogngom, rigabwud buchi gafiy nib sirgig dow. dar yog ni ngam fulweg e dawer ni yabe tay ngom mag athkuy boch nga fithik. Gama kay e gafiy? Gabe use nag fithngan Bill Acker, gam nang e tafiney rok Bill Acker ko pii ne’en nir ni be propose nag e ETG? Yu Maap e mang ko re ngam nu Waab? Dabiyog ni gel fan e nguch ko kengin, mu sul ngam fil boch e yalen fin kum non ya gabe athkuy e gabin. Sana kab fel ni nga un cham nag e os, min pag fan gafalngin e nam.With the scale of of the projects proposed by ETG, there is bound to be relocation of villages involved, pray tell us, where would the people of Maap relocate to? Have you given that much thought, or are you just thinking about the green pieces of paper being offered by the Chinese? And how would Maap handle the influx of Chinese into Yap with out effects to the rest of Yap? Would the Chinese goings-ons be confined to Maap only? Think well, before you open your mouth, obviously, you did not receive enough teaching at home.Linda,You are obviously clueless about chief Tharngan. During TT time, Tharngan was not even chief, he was only a high school student who was getting drunk and getting into trouble most of the time. Watit knows about this for certain. like watit already told you to piss off and shut your trap about matters which does not concern you and you have absolutely no clue about.Dwarf.Chief Tharngan is Chairman of COP but not necessarily the one pushing forth for ETG investment; although he is pro- ETG investment there are other influential council members who are pushing forth for ETG investment. I believe the effects of ETG projects will be felt by the State and will change Yap forever. The most opposition toward ETG may surface in Nimgil area (Southern Rull and Kanifay) due to local politics; the scope of development may be open to the people of Yap making it precarious at the get go. I think we all should be soul searching in 2012, we are on the upsurge of a tidal wave.. Yahooooo... Mor Watit.If only people would understand the audacity of the proposition offered by ETG. Total relocation of entire villages, relocation of Colonia, Damming up entire villages (tin ni thaab i mathang liwol rorad yu Waab, nga gun chuweg bee u tafen). It pretty much will take control of the whole island and rearrange things to suite the need for ETG. Yap will turn into a tourist island overnight. if we agree to such a proposition, we might as well change the name of Yap to “fantasy island..”Gavilan.Without the ability to review the MOU I don’t understand how this issue can be debated. Does anyone know what it says? Is there any reference to fishing rights or access to other natural resources? China doesn’t do things out of the goodness of its heart. They pursue national interests just as any other nation does; the big difference is they do so with an insatiable appitite.I think it would be in the interest of Waab to get a copy of the MOU and let all of the elders review it.Tread carefully.erol.copy of the MOU is on Yap state gov’nt website. check it out <also here (HN)>.Gavilan.A huge tourist project?.I smell a rat.Gavilan.Mor Watit:<copy of MOU deleted from conversation. Read it here (this document)>.peace2u.i heard it said that the river (stream?) in Okaw is proposed to be dammed up for water resources, and the families currently living in the project site to be removed to Numnung. anybody care to elaborate on this?.Mor Watit.“He emphasized on the need for the people in the State Government as well as the people of the State to support and fully understand the benefits and other unforeseen impacts that the investment project will bring to the State so we could have control of both..”When is this happening?? what exactly is the plan? where is the copy of the MOU? why is everyone still in the dark about this? There is a lot that’s not be said on this matter and that’s what’s bothering watit! CAN WE GET A SIMPLE ANSWER HERE? WHO DO WE HAVE TO KILL TO GET SOME ANSWERS TO OUR QUESTIONS?.A.I thought Erol clearly said the MOU is in the Yap State Government website..*sniff, sniff*... What is that smell???... OK, who’s smoking weed in here?.joe.Copy of what was signed, that’s what they say anyway. I’d like to see the actual orginal signed copy of the MOU..You can find this on .<copy of MOU deleted from conversation. Read it here (this document)>.Mor Watit.Check out #5 nice one… What manner of madness is this???.Tokai.Well, I don’t think this MOU is anything to get excited about because it asserts prerogatives that do not belong to the Council legally or traditionally… Hence, the Gov and Speaker not signing. This is the polite and quiet way for the Exec and Legis to say “No” by doing nothing but making polite comments to the ETG group. But probably the start of a long volley of proposals on which the executive and YSL will undoubtedly have to get involved if they go anywhere.citizen05.Okay people. I’m sorry if my questions are out of line or it’s already been answer in the above comments. ARE THE CHINESE COMING? IS ANYTHING BEEN FINALIZED YET??? Please share some 411. Thank you!.Linda.Small Time Marijuana-Choking Hermit Crab,#5 is only proper as the council is the ultimate decision maker in your state in so far as land is concerned. The governor and your senators may have to affix their signatures, but the council is the ultimate decision maker directing where those signatures go. You should listen to your council of Pilungs because they do have lots of power. The council works by permission of the only 3 highest chiefs in Yap proper: One from Gagil, one from Tomil and one from Rull. As far as I understand, they are the kings of Yap proper. As a small time marijuana-choking hermit crab, you should be careful before you find yourself unable to crawl in or out of your hermit.Tokai.Linda,You don’t have it quite right. The last reorganzation put the former land commission functions under the AG’s office and land managment under R&D. The council members have no powers to adjudicate land and they are often defendents in disputed cases. Moreover, there are EPA and R&D investment activities in teh exec, and independent visitor’s bureau and water authorities GTWA and SYWA that are not under the control of the pilung but be a major part of MOU issues. Of course it is only right and proper for the COP to advise on social, cultural and traditional matters and help resolve local disputes. Also, #5 does not even mention “land” so I don’t know where you are coming from..I think the COP MOU was well intended… after all, anyone in their right mind would want to have a major say before they are overrun with hordes of Chinese.simonsays.pengyoumen!.Mor Watit.dee-ou la ma low hai!.Mor Watit.<Original post included copy of article this links to (HN)>From Yahoo News: news.escaped-dissident-warns-china-roleYakumo.My only concern is with the “what-ifs” if this comes back to bite Yap on its rear end. Do not forget what happened not too long ago with the airline dealing. Maybe this time you should also consider the possibility that this proposal, if comes to pass, can backfire and ultimately create more problems than anyone is anticipating. Just my $0.002.northernwarrior.relocate whole village? I think we all know about the Native Americans.and what is happening to our neighbor sister, Guam. the natives are disappearing at an alarming rate. and who is taking over? this warrior is very concerned. just my concern….rzrbck.This relocation is supposed to be consensual, the native American relocation was forced.Bozz.Relocation may be not a very good thing traditionally, but it brings money. With the land, you can’t go anywhere and can’t get anything. With the money, you can go places and get anything you want. Hold on to one piece of land and lose access to many pieces of lands elsewhere, or let go of one to acquire more… interesting….Mor Watit.With land, you will always have something you can fall back on, and nobody can take it away. with money, you can lose it in a flash, and then, where would you be? Just think back on the many generations who have lived off the lands. That is true richness, not money.northernwarrior.Our kinds lived on these Islands with no worries about money. Today, every body is talking money. without money we can still be Micronesians, without land, what are you? just a thought.Mor Watit.Watit wants to show up for work in the morning and say, “Fel e kadbul,” rather than, “Gun ni ma de dan.” hehe.Gavilan.Mor Watit said: “With land, you will always have something you can fall back on, and nobody can take it away. with money, you can lose it in a flash, and then, where would you be? Just think back on the many generations who have lived off the lands. That is true richness, not money..”NorthernWarrior said: “Our kinds lived on these Islands with no worries about money. Today, every body is talking money. without money we can still be Micronesians, without land, what are you?.”I believe they are wise men.In the General Discussion of “Concern about massive Chinese investment in Yap” I posted the following. I believe it is relevant here.I am an outsider. I am interested only because the Wa’ab people have an extraordinary opportunity to set a new path to development. I love to see people succeed in their endeavors. I believe that there can be synergy between the old sustainable ways and modern development. I do not know what that looks like; but I know it is not the path of foreign ownership of your businesses and over influence upon your leaders. The world is full of failed states that have pursued that path. What is it that the Wa’ab people wish for in their future? What are their goals?.What resources are available to reach those goals?.How can the Wa’ab people develop those resources?.If these questions have not been fully defined, then what chance is there that the successful path can be found?.Gavilan.Gavilan.Perhaps there is a great difference between wealth and riches; just as there is between knowledge and wisdom.A.there is also a great difference between a modern man and a caveman.....except for our less evolved humanoids, who use modern technology to protest against development, demand pay raise while discourage foreign investment, and oppose a foreign language, in english. they are as the wiseman who travels the world, in jet planes, to protest against carbon emissions and global pollution.MicSem: Chinese ETG Vs. Yap State Leaders (Posts 51 to 100).Mor Watit.Then there is Hun Dan A, in a special class by himself. The man who talks a lot with out substance to back up his claim. He sure talks big, but when question about the specifics, he runs and hides like an eel..There are those who are willing to sell out. maybe even go as far as to sell their female relatives for cash. They worship money, and to hell with everything else. They imagine themselves to be white people who must have money to live, they have forgotten how to live like true Yapese. They probably can’t fish, farm, or do any of things Yapese do naturally. They would rather sit and have someone do things for them because they are too lazy to work for it themselves. The Chinese are counting on these type of people to take advantage of. They will be the first in line to take the hook, line and sinker when the Chinese starts flashing their cash. They are very clever to mask their greed with all kinds of rational, but they lack logic behind their reasoning. And when questioned, they tend to switch the subject quickly. These people do not have any principles, they can only see whats in front of them, and can’t see that behind all the glamor and glitter, there is an ugly picture.Mor Watit.It is a sad day for watit to see a sold out Yapese. Actually, watit is not sure whether to consider this person a Yapese or not. If he was truly a Yapese, he would understand values such as self-reliance and self-sufficiency.Unfortunately the smell of green paper is strong in his nose and the Yapese blood thin in his heart. That’s what happen when one’s first navigator fails to instill Yapese values into one’s upbringing. “Food is thrown, much like chicken feed, and no words of teaching accompanies the food..”Ennui.I would think that time is changing, and so as the expected living standard. Yap people should desire to transition from the old subsistence way of living into one of reliance on economy in which government services are paid for by the people. Just a thought and off course not a demand on the people of Yap. As we could see, a good number of Yapese migrated to other areas seeking economic opportunities: an indication of the desired transition. Don’t you agree?.Linda.small time marijuana-choking hermit crab, sounds like you are wasting your time and no one is listening.Remedy.lol@Linda.Linda.It is time that Yap makes something out of itself. The private sector needs revamping to boost the economy and create job opportunities. Do not depend on government jobs. This is finally the opportunity for Yap government to create jobs for the people. The decision as to whether Yap remain as the island of stone money or the island of green paper money should not be so difficult to make. What is so unique about Yap that people are afraid to change? What are the values of self reliance and self sufficiency that Mor Watit is so adamant to preserve? I thinik it’s about time to do something about indecent exposure and cover ourselves. It’s 2012 and some of us are still flaunting their private parts around in public. Let us leave our cave manners behind and move forward.Ennui.I like that marijuana-choking hermit crab of sorts; sound sexy, but maybe stinky.Linda.Let us wait and see if Mor Watit will respond to that Nick again as his. lol.Mor Watit.The idea that Yap has to rely on outsiders to develop Yap is what watit can’t stand. Yap should develop at her own expense and at her own pace, that is what sustainable development is all about. Relying on outsiders to develop Yap will only work for as long as the outsider has the money or the willingness to give. Once the outsider’s interest is no longer being served, he will leave and where would Yap be, still the same because they are unwilling to work for development by their own sweat. That is where the Yapese cultural value comes into play..Watit is NOT against development. Watit does not want to see development of Yap according to some foreigner’s vision.and especially on an outsider’s expenses. Watit would like to see Yap develop at her own expense and according to her own vision. ETG proposal is not the way to go. It is the easy way but not the best in the long run..What are in your heads?.Ina Chok.Linda… I think I like your way of thinking.Mor Watit.“What is so unique about Yap that people are afraid to change? What are the values of self reliance and self sufficiency that Mor Watit is so adamant to preserve?”Yap is not afraid to change, but not according to somebody else’s vision. The values of self reliance and self sufficiency is the reason why Yap state is the only state out of the whole FSM who has not gone broke.Ina Chok.So whose vision should we as Yapese follow if we want change? The next governor might not have the opportunity that the current governor has, funding wise, from the ETG. 2023 is not far from the shore as it is approaching full speed ahead. With all the budget constraints and ceilings and budget cuts from the selfish ass YSL… Yap ain’t going nowhere if we pass up this once in a lifetime opportunity offered by the ETG. My uneducated theory, blast me with your wisdom so I can learn and probably change my mind on this if you give greater reasons.A.here’s a quotation from a paranoid pothead. lets hope it’s reason enough: “Its sad for watit because he can’t even afford to gas his car every day and must take a bus to work, yet he has to pay for fuel so some people can drive in comfort with air con to keep their vehicle cool. such is the state we find ourselves in these days, the have-nots must pay for the comfort of the haves. Watit has always wondered if Palau would be open to take in Yapese Refugees?”Mor WatitA,So whats your point? Watit was complaining about the imbalance of wealth there, what does that have to do with this discussion? Its about the people who have more wanting to stick to the people who do not have much. are you that stupid?Ina Chok,Are you being sarcastic, or just have no clue at all? watit ask this question in earnest. First of all, the answer to your first question should be obvious. Yap’s vision for development should be a collective effort. Its why elected officials campaign during election to convince people that their vision is best for Yap. If watit recalls correctly, there is a master developmental plan somewhere collecting dust that Yap state contracted a firm in Hawaii to put together. Why is that not being brought up anymore, watit doesn’t know, But Yap spent a lot of money to have this plan put together. At any rate, if that plan is no longer viable, how about putting one together now? At this point in time we should have a good idea of what is our worth, capabilities, and finances. 2023 is fast approaching, but that does not mean we have to make fast reckless decisions. Perhaps ETG is aware of the dire situation we heading toward and trying to take advantage of it.Watit is open to any other investors but China, they have proven themselves in the past to be unreliable. Even as we speak the Hapil Muguth ship is docking in front of Fisheries, probably broken down again... do we want more of that? Chinese people will look to exploit Yap, make no mistake about that. and once they are no longer making a profit, they will leave. Go take a good look at where KingTex used to be, what is it now? That is a very possible Future magnified 1000 times waiting in store for Yap should ETG be given the green light. Watit would not call that development. That is exploitation. What kind of money did KingTex bring in? not a whole lot by Watit’s reckoning. how many jobs were given to the Yapese? Not whole lot, watit surmises. and after all is said and done, what good impact did they leave behind, absolutely non worth mentioning. Ting Hong, same story, where is YFTI today? Where YFA today? what do we have to show for Ting Hong venture? Huge Rats that we can’t control any more... Watit will not try to convince you of anything, You have eyes, you have a brain, use it and put two and two together and come to your own conclusion.A.you may stop wondering, mor watit. palau is accepting yapese refugees. you may check in at the republic of china’s palasia hotel, koror. please hurry as this offer may not last.ina, we can tolerate a rat, but hardly his kind. atleast the other kind rat is associated to improved gdp. his kind produce only noise pollution, e.g. childish whining, irrational complaining, boastful and disrespectful remarks against Yap’s traditional leadership. which wastefill did he come out of?Belas.Please Sechelik Be Nice and not worry the masses because there is no refugee crisis in Yap and they are not coming to Palau as refugees. Palau accepts all the citizens in the world to come and live and work or as tourists who are vacationing and seeking a taste of Paradise at the Rainbow’s End. Nothing more, nothing less. Keep it real!.marc.I hesitate to put my nose, uninvited, into these exchanges of opinion in this Forum among Yapese because I’ve known all my life that Yapese can take care of themselves and theirs. But this huge investment move from China, in my humble opinion, is something that can have a tremendous, and possibly negative, impact not only in Yap but also in the whole FSM, Guam, Palau; and will certainly have some impact on the relationship with the US. Firstly, the FSM-US Compact’s duration is indefinite—forever until termination is mutually agreed to. Palau-US Compact’s duration is 50 years only; so there’s probably about 30 years to go. Guam in the future could host a major military base and operations as the US increases its presence in the Pacific. And now China wants to enter to this part of the region by way of Yap’s economic development. So Yap is emerging in its importance as geopolitical pawn, in positive sense of the word. I have a feeling that in the end, Chinese will be found to have understimated Yapese. Yes, there are accusations about under the table dealings, etc., but in the end, I think Yapese people, will not be run over by Chinese even to the tune of millions of dollars. That’s my opinion based on my respect to the Yapese people—as we know them. Unless things have changed… But reading Mor Watit’s comments and strong arguments against the current investment package, I feel that the Yapese people, as we’ve known them all along, are still alive and kicking and are looking after their land and people and cultures and traditional ways. They want and welcome investments that will mutually benefit the investors and the Yapese people but not the huge, unmanageabel, unsustainable type of development. There is a big difference with these two approaches of investment, needless to say.One just needs to stop in Majuro for a couple of days to see how Chinese businessmen and women can take over a community; and essentially transform it to be Chinese in character. Over 50%, probably over 75%, of Mom and Pop stores are now owned or operated by Chinese. Only a few are run by locals. The big local businesses have been taken over by Chinese. RRE is now operated by Chinese. Most of the businesses—grocery, construction, office supplies, housing, bars including illegal ones with Chinese hostess, etc—are operated by Chinese. This could be the future of Yap. It’s then up to the Yapese people, old and young, traditionals and educated, men and women, to understand these options before they Chinese investment package is approved by Yapese government.I think the Chinese investors want to establish in Yap so many of its future customers don’t have to fly thru Guam for visa—as would be the case if its hotels were built in Chuuk or Pohnpei. Yap,in Chinese opinion, is easy picking. I think they’ll soon find out what Yapese are really made off in the near future. Just some thoughts—as an uninvited contributor. Have a nice day.Dwarf.Improve the standard of living and alleviate hardship for the Yapese will be the basis for any kind of development in Yap, as anywhere else. At one extreme Mor Watit is spewing xenophobic and pessimistic garbles that invites not so inaccurate observation as the following from A: “less evolved humanoids, who use modern technology to protest against development, demand pay raise while discourage foreign investment, and oppose a foreign language, in english. they are as the wiseman who travels the world, in jet planes, to protest against carbon emissions and global pollution.” Other blind folks think that progress is how the people dress, contrary to the Yapese psyche; still others believe again with a grain of truth, that there is an exodus taking place in Yap for the better living standards in Palau, Guam and abroad. Yap has the experience with development as stated by Mor Watit, so the knowledge is there, I believe this is where we are with the ETG proposal. The COP has opened the door, now to what degree do Yap wants to develop—to wear ties and live off of the greenbacks or still till the land and fish the sea—to subsist? I believe we can continue to live within our means—and line our banks with cash while adjusting to the opportunities of tourism while building our children’s capacities to launch their lives from here to Tumbaktu tomorrow, if preferred.peace2u.all i hear in here from the pro- ETG posters are general statements; nothing concrete on the real benefits the project will bring into Yap. for those of you who really want to know what the chinese are intending to do in Yap get your hands on the investment agreement between Yap the ETG that is currently being discussed and considered by the governor and his cabinet. after you read the proposed agreement i don’t think you will be singing a pro- ETG song.it is every yapese right to know what will happen to him or her and to just let a few leaders of the state decide on behalf of all yapese, without any concrete idea by the people of what the project entails and the people’s input, is irresponsible. every yapese is entitled to get a copy of that proposed agreement so demand a copy from the governor; he prides himself on being transparent so let us see how transparent he is in releasing a copy of that agreement.please people read the damn agreement before you talk in generalities. we all want development but i don’t think we want the kind of development that is being proposed in the investment agreement.i am one of the cavemen but i am concerned about what will become of Yap if we go into this thing with blindfolds. there isn’t any WRITTEN plan of what the project will be like; ETG wants the investment agreement signed before a master plan is produced. is there something wrong with this picture?Mor Watit.Dwarf,xenophobic? really? That is character assassination, and you know it. What’s so Xenophobic about wanting to protect your own and preserve it to the best of your abilities? granted, changes will happen. changes for the better, watit can accept. But changes because we want to be like the Jones next door is not watit’s idea of progress, especially if it comes with a price that is just beyond our means, and consequently beyond our ability to maintain. Can you tell watit today with a some degree of confidence that this marriage between Yap and ETG is a “for better or for worse” type of arrangement? The way watit believe it is “for as long as ETG is making profit,” but as soon as business drops, ETG will up and leave. where would Yap be then? yeah we know there should be some laws passed to protect the yapese in that, but so far, no law is in place and no law are being proposed. At the same time ETG is making progress on their end. That is what’s bothering Watit about this whole deal...—tell watit he has no reason to worry because his government is doing everything in their power to protect him? Show watit his government is working toward that goal. because so far watit does not see any evidence of that.Watit will remain in his cave and swing his club at any Chinese tourists who trespasses on his property. And if any of them gets it in their head to take pictures they will find their cameras in a part of their body that the sun don’t shine.Mor Watit.one more question, what standard of living are we talking about here? and what hardship are we talking about? Please define what exactly you mean by those...dr.fix.MONEY. MONEY and do not want to find ways to make money for our government to provide the services the people want. We go to work every morning and greet each other by “saying good morning” and sit down pretending to be working, but actually waiting to spend or earn money someone provides us. We ride on equipments US, Japan, China give us, yet we do not want to work with them to help us help ourselves, but try to spread untrue rumors and say we can be on our own. There is risk in everything, but people can try to minimize that risk through working together and sound planning so the projects can be beneficial rather than destructive.Mor Watit.There are Americans who wished they could eat like us, there are chinese who would kill to get their hands on banana’s, papaya’s, pineapples, etc., there are Americans who are dying of hunger because they have literally nothing to eat. lets compare their situation to Yap. In the long history of Yap, has anyone ever died of hunger because they had no food? So watit is really interested to hear more about this so-called “standard of living” and “hardship” you are talking about.irrelevant.We may have to request the service of BJ to give us some enlightments with some stones turned here, so we can be informed. Would that be too much to ask of BJayness?.Linda.Mor Watit,Yap may be the only state in the FSM that has not gone broke, but surely everyone, even you, will agree that Yap is the only state in FSM that is very poor. Your government may have lots of money, but what good is that when the people are very poor and have nothing! Why don’t you take a look at Chuuk and Pohnpei for a while and see for yourself. Ever wonder why continental makes special flights to Chuuk and Pohnpei while scaling down its flights to Yap? Ever wonder why continental’s flights to Yap are all in the wee hours of the night just to accomodate the Palau’s demand for better services? That’s because continental finds no reason going to Yap when nobody wants to go there. This project can change all that for Yap. The first step is for the yapese to admit they can do better. You cannot go anywhere with your constant refusal to acknowledge the facts of your current situation. Folks, let us be realistic. Going to work every single day for 8 dollars a day says a lot. The sacrifices of leaving kids and families behind in the village for 8 dollars a day should translate into some meaningful undertakings to some of us.simonsays.dawri taw chinese ngoded make madaa’ lamdad ngalang... lol.marammat.I think Linda got it mostly right and Watit got it somewhat right. Sorry folks but I am typing from a phone and could not add too much given my impediment, but keep posting cuz ya’ll are making some valid argument. But please refrain from calling each other stupid cuz you all are brilliant. Just different ideas and visions, and it OK to disagree because that is how great ideas are born.A.cavemen are supposed to be happy, carefree, living in cozy caves, enjoying pristine environment with surplus of food all around. what business do cavemen have whining about leadership, payroll and gas prices on the internet? why aren’t there sufficient laws to protect cavemen from foreign investors?there lies our problem, we have cavemen in the legislature and on the internet.Mor Watit.Linda,whats your idea of poor? watit does not consider himself poor just because he does not have a lot of money. Watit has lots of food, lands he can farm, ocean he can fish in. watit does not need to buy lumbers for his house because he has lots of trees on his lands he can mill to produce lumbers for his house. Tell watit in what sense is he poor. Watit has been to chuuk and has seen how young kids who ought to be in school learning, but instead are out on the street selling flower leis. Is that richness? Pohnpei roads are falling into disrepairs, their power plants are having difficulties maintaining their generators... hhhmmm that does not seem to watit to be an indication of richness. Yap has nothing? where did come from? hahahahahahaha some people! absolutely no clue!.Mor Watit.If by poor it means we are trying to live conservatively, not galloping to to embrace Americanism. then that’s us, guilty as charged.Mor Watit.A,are we running out of smart arguments now, we are resorting to insults and petty diatribes? You have a lot of unanswered questions which you choose to ignore. shows what a sneaky character you possessed, when logic fails, hurl insults. Hahahaha watit has you cornered on every account, the only last resort for you is to hurl insults and play the fool. This one is cooked! stick a fork in him!.Dwarf.10 hotels on the little island of Yap maybe too much, whether they be from ETG or US investor. Our development plans have been disappointing as in the cases of YFTI, the Kosraen Petroleum, Kingtex, Ting Hong, Palau Air and others but we have been swinging to connect on our own terms. Ting Hong up and left because of things unrelated to Yap operations, Kingtex was the same story; however, while they were here, I disagree with the conclusion taken that these investors didn’t alleviate hardships in term of income for the Yapese workers. Far from it, there were incomes, meager as they were mostly, that enabled the people to purchase, save or do whatever they damn please with it. It wasn’t as if these companies showed up and desecrated our land and shit on our culture then took off. Look in the financial audit of the state from the 80’s to now and you will notice that income went up as these companies were operating, now what are we fretting about? The fact that we may be working for Chinese once again for meager pay days, we have learned haven’t we? Is there an operation on island that we would like potential investors to emulate? Waab, PBC, YCA, EMI, the government? The thing these local entities have in common is that they don’t have the money to play big, or are we all willing to brake and wait?.Limit the scope of development, and let ETG invest. If ETG can’t live with that then we wait for next proposal. We are throwing shit in our face before looking at ourselves in the mirror, we may not like what we see later. “A bird in hand is worth 2 in the bush” observed a blind seer.A.dwarf, thank you for being intelligent, creative and open-minded. obviously some of us haven’t evolved to such mental capacities.please tell the cavemen to compose themselves amidst civilization. i was addressing the other paleolithic ape from the legislature who is accusing the governor for concealing yet another phantom agreement. let’s have a look at this agreement, if there is indeed such a hidden secret document. nonethless, aren’t there laws to protect citizens. what state laws have ETG or cop broken? all we see are two delirous chimpanzees jumping about in a frantic frenzy. either their brain haven’t evolved or they are experiencing paranoia, a symptom of excessive marijuana usage.Mor Watit.Dwarf,Aha! maybe they did contribute, but only temporarily. that did not help much in terms of development of Yap. They did help some folks earn wages, but then these folks are now without jobs, and without much skills as they weren’t allowed higher up positions in the company. Kingtex did not desecrate our island because they were of a different breed. Now ETG is the type who may actually o the desecrating if given the chance. Kingtex Chinese did shit on our culture and were almost beaten up a couple of times that watit can recall. They were cutting in front of dances during Yap Day. Ting Hong did desecrate our islands by fishing where they were not suppose to and by introducing big rats into our island.Watit disagree with your terminology “to alleviate.” to watit, “to alleviate” would entail something of a permanent nature as in “teach a man how to fish.” Watit already stated his position on ETG a while back, but for clarification sake, watit will repeat it again. Yap should come up with a development plan and Have ETG work within the frame work of that plan which all control must rest in the hands of Yapese, so that at anytime ETG or whoever else wanted to leave, they can do so, without causing a break down of business operations. The fact that we don’t have something like in place is the reason why we are all arguing. Because we have been caught unprepared, and we are basically arguing whether we should pass up this chance which may blow up in our face , or let it go and search for a better deal. It is a tough course to navigate, and while there are those who are willing to chance it, watit is of the conservative type who would rather give the chance up, and make sure we have all our Shits together before we can entertain any idea of outside investment. Investment opportunities are abundant, take for example the “world park concept.” how is that any different than this ETG Proposal?.Dwarf.Ok, MW you want assurance, you want to spin it 360 degrees, you want due diligence, track records, I couldn’t agree with you more. At the end of the day, you know your ugly so you wonder why he wants you or he says he wants you. You don’t believe in his “I love your culture and your way of life” since already he’s proposing to change the serenity around you. Uncle Sam, the richest man in the world has been at your side since birth, prodding you along, giving you sustenance just enough that you won’t show sign of malnutrition; however, you have grown old in poverty and the years are a coming and going. You know down deep that Uncle Sam has a good heart but nothing personal, it’s his system which contradicts yours mostly—but it had kept you—your loyalty. If anything could have happened, it should have but it didn’t while the most powerful was right by your side.. ETG, China, communists, socialist what the hell—is at the door offering in abundance what Uncle Sam had given you in miniscule amount close to over 70 years in duration. You know Uncle Sam has dug his talons deep into your flesh, you know he meant well, you also know that he had taught you well about the have and have-nots. You know that money isn’t everything, yet experience has shown you that your incapable even with the most powerful at your side to print it—deal with that... Why not keep Uncle Sam at your side as always and lure ETG over, make them both understand that your country (FSM) need some development and so on and so forth, the orchestra is there, conduct business. MW, IT’S NEVER A SURE THING, YOU HAVE TO SWING TO HIT. AGAIN A BIRD IN HAND IS WORTH 2 IN THE BUSH—It may turn out to be that you have a Buzzard in hand and 2 hens in the bush but what the hell—swing, your intelligent enough, LOL. Hehehe.A.mor, if you like the world park concept, then go for it. who is stopping you? the main difference between ETG and world park is that one has a sponsor, with the capital to back it up, and the other has not (like most elusive goals of the us-fsm compact... did you know that in both compact I and II, you were supposed to be provided your dream in alternate energy. it seems that will never happen, just like world park, considering the timeline) generally, the cop has provided your village (suwon, tafen and mafen) a blank canvas, so please cease complaining if you already have control of the situation. the brush is in your hand. be realistic, cunning, ruthless, but most of all, be bold and optimistic... a whiny yapese should be an oxymoron. yo go get em, boy… i mean daror watit. hahahaha!.marammat.Dwarf Uncle Sam did not want us to be independent. He kept us dependent on him on purpose. To keep our stragetic locations forever in their grasp. They made us believe that they’ve been nothing but good to us, when in fact, they are the BLOCKADE to our economic development. Do not be fool into believing that America is all that great. Sure, they are great, better than most other countries, but like any other country that want to be on top and stay on top, they will only do what is in their best interest, and make us believe that they are doing the same for us, when in fact, they DO NOT! They gave us enough to be dependent but not independent. They open up their doors to us to make us believe that we are being treated with kindness, when in fact they are using us. I don’t know, maybe it just me, but that’s how I see it.marammat.Sorry Dwarf, I meant to say that you got it right and instead I just left your name at the top of my posting. LOL That’s what happened when typing from a phone. Dwarf.Either way, they will come to look at your backwardness according to the book of Progress. I agree with A, one has the greenbacks and the other has a plan to gather all the ngabchey to pay for a piece of the concept—in the end the restrictions imposed for the investment will lead you straight into bondage. The guy with the greenbacks just want to make a name for himself and out-compete all the wech wech ngabchey on the economic front because militarily he’s decades off. With Palau showcasing Taiwan’s economic might and Guam becoming Military investment, ETG wants to flex its economic muscle close to the US interests—Yap and FSM should work the line together—never drift away from uncle, be the conduit.peace2u.wow A! the investment agreement is not a phantom one. it is a 60 pages agreement. copies are with the governor, ag, and legislature. the language is both in english and chinese (or at least i think in chinese). please secure a copy of that agreement, read it, and then tell us if the governor should sign it on behalf of the state.Gavilan.Perhaps your greatest resource is not the potential for tourist development; but your fisheries and other resources.I am confident the soft power that China is exerting through the ETG is founded on this fact. I assure you, the value of those fisheries will increase dramatically over the next decade as world fisheries continue to decline; and the Chinese have a huge population to feed. There will come a time when your fish will be more valuable than oil, which you probably also have, if there are any left..Would it be foolish to sell the rights to those fisheries when you can develop them yourself? When you sign the rights away to the Chinese will there have been consideration made of the huge increase in future value of those fisheries? Do you really think that China will act in your best interest once having gained access to your resources?China is very good at long term strategic planning. I do not think the true goal is to develop tourism; but to gain unfettered access to one of the largest Exclusive Economic Zones on the planet.I have often wondered why people would think that being paid as maids and servants to foreigners is so much better than being fisherman and farmers in control of their own destiny..Tread carefully.simonsays.Tourism (is what the chinese are investing in) isnt it? Is the act of travel for the purpose of not only recreation, but also the provision of services for this act. It might occupy local services such as entertainment, accommodation and catering for tourists. It may seem, that tourism brings only benefits, but further consideration shows that it also has disadvantages.Firstly, many countries depend heavily upon travel expenditures by foreigners as a source of taxation and as a source of income for the enterprises. Therefore, the development of tourism is often a strategy to promote a particular region for the purpose of increasing commerce through exporting goods and services. Secondly, it provides direct employment for the people associated with occupations in bars and hotels. Thanks to it, the average standard of living of people increases well and at the same time unemployment is on the decrease. However, tourists cause environmental damage through forest fires, destruction of sand dunes and pollution. Consequently this serves negatively as increased pollution disturbs local residents and it may discourage tourists from further entering the country.After this, tourism undermines culture by commercializing it and this is often connected with increasing litter, graffiti, vandalism and noise—tourists do not always respect traditional cultures, which is sad but true. In general, tourism is an extremely profitable process in loads of countries, especially those in which the process of development continue to depend on this industry because this industry does not require a lot of literacy and also it yields maximum profits with less investment.Advantages: Creates jobs for locals. Brings in money to the local economy and government. Attracts more people to the area. Disadvantages: they might steal things from your country. destroy the environment and many more.Can anyone help me list down the advantages and disadvantages of this investment please?Linda.Mor Watit:funny how all of a sudden you want us to explain what we meant by poor. Weren’t you talking about money when you alluded to Yap being the only state that has not gone broke? you seem to be chasing your tail in circles. let’s do this:1. assuming for arguments sake we were talking about food, perhaps you should not brag about the abundance of local food in your state. You should go to pohnpei and see it for yourself. Pohnpeian feed taros and breadfruit to their pigs. 2. assuming you are talking about money, maybe I should ask you how many millionaires live in your state. as far as everyone else knows, many of the millionaires who live in this country reside in Chuuk and Pohnpei. you tell us how many live in your state. don’t brag about government money because that does not amount to anything when the people, especially the teachers, are in pain crying for a raise. you really do have some very unhappy patriots in your state. i hope you are happy yourself.marc.Is it possible to ask the Chinese group to start with one or two hotels, not 10; and then see if the two hotels would work out—for them the Chinese investors and for the Yapese side? If that were possible, the proposed project might be more palatable on the part of the local people; and would be first built in the villages that are really ready for them. If the two hotels were proven successful; and the development model proves sustainable and provides the level of revenue as needed by the State, then, additional hotels might be considered. It seems that this or similar compromise that might lead to a win-win situation could be developed, if the Chinese were willing to take the needs of the Yapese people into consideration. Just some thoughts on this nice day.Dwarf.Pardon me Linda don’t take the non-response as a thumb-up for what your advocating, I prefer living in Yap than any other State in the FSM. All the negatives you gleefully highlight are mostly from your own perspective as a supposedly well to do leach, nothing more. We have 3 confirmed millionaires in the State of Yap, they don’t matter to the rest who subsist on land and sea. You are a good example of a wanna be westerner/islander all rolled into one, probably one of those who dress up nicely and live in a shack. Yapese are not poor by a long shot, look at the people your putting out as well to do, they are in line waiting for welfare, housing etc. in foreign lands. Mor Watit is his own person, don’t be spewing prejudicial garbage—we’re all looking at perspectives not misinformation.Mor Watit.Dwarf,You are beginning to sound like A, why complicate the issues? what does the USA have to do with any of these? This matter only concerns Yap and ETG. In your honest opinion, will the people of Yap die if we miss this ETG deal? is this the only deal we can get? Again your going back to individual choices, fine, but what if one makes a deal with ETG while his neighbors does not, can you guarantee the neighbor will not be effected?Nothing is for certain in this world but we can study, observe, deduct, and increase the likelihood of success by taking our time and walking into a deal with all contingencies covered. Rushing forth like greedy flies to manure will surely increase the likelihood we will be up to our knees in it before we know it. Before watit takes a swing, he would like to know what kind of ball games we are playing, is it baseball, lawn tennis, badminton, pingpong, or what?.Before watit can accept ETG’s offer watit would like to know exactly what is ETG proposing. Why cant an answer be provided so we all can put this argument to rest. Is it because there are no plans. We are too f*cking lazy to come up with a plan, so rather we just want to take the money and let ETG take care of everything.Mor Watit.Linda,dee-ou lay! just keep dreaming, o clueless one. when your car breaks down due to potholes in your road, when your lights go off at night due to generator failure, tell yourself that you are rich. What does it all matter? you are a millioniar. when you see people eating out of dumpsters, ahhh they must be millioniars.Mor Watit.cultural destruction, (modernization (world mono-culture), freezes culture as performers, loss: language, religion, rituals, material culture.).primary products (sun, sand, surf, safari, suds, ski, sex) (little value added, neo-colonialism).environmental destruction (game drives, resorts: golf, ski, beach, desert, world as play ground, SUV.).marginal employment (low skill, low wage, menial services, prostitution, drug trade, gambling, hustlers.).low benefits (no job security, no health care, no organizing, no work safety rules or enviro standards.).development of illegal and/or destructive economic activities (markets for drugs, endangered species, etc.).outside hiring (skilled middle and senior management recruited out of the area and transferred in.).concentration employment (walled resort enclaves.).seasonal employment.outside decision making (decisions made outside of the area, corporate dollars corrupt government.).unrealistic expectations (divert young people from school and brighter futures.).anti-democratic collusion (industry support of repressive governments).land controlled by the elite (people relocated, agriculture eliminated, prohibited from N.P.).negative lifestyle’s (STD’s, substance abuse, begging, hustling).diverted and concentrated development (airport, roads, water, electricity to tourist destinations, development not accessible to locals),little forex stays in country (airplanes, vehicles, booze, hot air balloons, generally have foreign owners),package programs.cruises (eat and sleep on board so the economic benefits to the ports-of-call is very thin and limited.).unstable market (fickle, affected by local and world events, generally highly elastic).health tourism (traveling to get medical procedure at lower cost) has it own set of unique challenges, which include: Determining the credential, skills and quality of the facility and personnel. Language communication challenges on topics requiring a lot of details, sometimes even when both parties seemingly speak the same language. Different cultural issues and expectations around health care and the body. Post-treatment complications, after the “tourist” has left the facility.Linda.Mor Watit,now you are bragging about your roads. are you going to feed your roads to your kids and family as food? if taht’s the casee, then take them to the airport. there is plenty of concrete and ashphalt to feed on..Yap has only one millionaire, the rest are americans. don’t embarrass yourself. see if you can convince any bank in this world to accept your stone money.Belas.YOUR OUT LINDA!!!! YOU HIT A HOMERUN TO THE CATCHER!!!.If I am not mistaken you are trying to compare a few individuals who are obviously rich as the defining factor of your state being well-off economically to another which may have fewer or none, as being poor because the lack of.Honey, you got to look at the whole playing field rather than just one spot in the bleachers.Put things in perspective why don’t you!.Anyway, enjoying this discussion as everyone seem to be maintaining and not out of control!.Keep it up!.MicSem: Chinese ETG Vs. Yap State Leaders (Posts 101 to 150).LindaI am trying to show how important it is for the government to support the private sector boost the economy. You cannot expect to have money when you are depending on the government as your sole source of income. Yap needs to look at the sister states to see how the private sector is thriving more successfully than the government. That’s how it should be, not the other way around. If you look at Yap, there are only four stores as compared to the hundreds of stores lining up the streets in Pohnpei and Chuuk..Belas:What perspective are you talking about? Why perspective when we do have the facts. Let the facts speak for themselves, suit yourselves and create your own perspective. We can come up thousands of perspective if we are to each make up one, but the fact still remains the same. Why don’t you start off by telling us what playing field are you talking about? Yap remains to be the least on the playing field, so please enlighten us on what playing field are you on.A.Yap is extraordinarily poor in all scenario. linda is right, Yap is poor as a result of low gdp per capita. say fsm tax collection report is right, Yap remains extra-ordinarily poor, for footing more than its share of fsm tax revenue. it’s a lose-lose situation, but ETG can change all that. if negotiated right, ETG could grant economic self-sufficiency, or needed fsm tax revenue, to boost agriculture, fisheries, an possibly other exports.... mor, didn’t you said you wanted secession and independence for yapese? it’s time to pay the piper. stop hesitating and procrastinating. get it done, boy!.Niki.Interesting….Mor Watit.Real GDP Per Capita by State (US$ 1998 Constant Prices): FY87 to FY07proj.StateFY 1987FY 2007Percent growth FY 1987-FY2007Annual average percent growth FY1987-FY2007FSM1,8271,8290.1%0.0%Yap2,4533,03423.7%1.1%Chuuk1,2411,006-19.0%-1.1%Pohnpei*2,4062,68511.6%0.5%Kosrae2,4231,963-19.0%-1.0%Sources: FSM Department of Finance and Administration; FSM Social Security Administration Notes: *Inclusive of National GovernmentWatit got this from the FSM statistics web page. <web site referred: spc.int/prism/country/fm/stats (HN)>A and Linda, heads full of manure. Read em and weep. Like watit had already point out before, Linda is clueless, A speaks without substance. The proof is in the pudding, so they say. Now how about taking those poor “statements” and shoving it where the sun don’t shine!.A.fsm statistics get their data from fsm tax & revenue. it’s still a lose-lose situation... what ever happened to your independence spiel? were you being serious, or you just overflowing with pusen malek?.Mor Watit.A.You still don’t get it, do you? Yap state has been growing economically since day 1. So where are you getting your notion of “helpless” from? It may not be booming but we are getting there little by little. The fact that Yap is contributing the most into the National coffer and getting back the least is enough to make a sane person want to secede from this nation. But then you are not a sane person, so whats the use of explaining these things to you, it’s probably beyond your capacity to comprehend. You are buying into this stupidities that Linda is spewing out, because you envy a life style that is beyond your means. You are forgetting what it means to be a yapese, living within your means and move up only by the sweat off your brows. No, you want to have it at somebody else’s expense. That is what’s wrong with some people. They have no notion of earning things. Easy come, easy go is another way we can look at this ETG business.A.everyone on micsem knows mor watit, the one who constantly whines about escalating prices and frozen pay. the advocate for independence and Yap’s secession. the proud taxpayer, the seeker of refuge to palau... who cares what you think anymore, you are just spewing more of your idiot self. you will go down in the book of progress as the chicken manure that boasted about Yap. we’ve always have known that you were all talk and no action.Mor Watit.A,Are you so full of yourself you can’t see that once again, you simply have no answer to watit’s logic challenges. You talk a lot about things that you have no comprehension of. And when watit confronts you with evidence of your ignorance, you resort back to insults and non-relevance hoping to cover up your lack of understanding of the issues under discussion. That is a big bull crap that you are hiding behind. If you bother to get your head out of your nether region, you will see that there those agreeing with what watit is saying. You just don’t see it because you are blinded by your lust for money, only you are too lazy to earn it and hoping for an easy way. Watit wants money too, but its not his all consuming passion to have money, he is patient, and willing to work his way to it. And if he does not have it, he will not shed any tears over it, because he will always have something to fall back on..whereas for you, you want to gamble away your lands in pursuit of money, and if it doesn’t work... well, lets say you will up SH8 creek with no paddle. Watit has no problem with people like you wanting to gamble with their lands, that’s your personal prerogative, but do it in such a way that it will not disturb watit’s peace and enjoyment. ETG proposal cannot take place on Yap without effecting everyone. That is watit’s biggest problem with the whole deal.Mor Watit. <copy of article deleted from conversation. Read it here (this document) >.Linda.Mor Watit:I am not spewing out lies. You need to wash your mouth with douch and stop calling me clueless. You are the clueless one, you moron.A.you have lost your senses to have compared cook islands and jamaica to Yap. dogs there eat better than you. you eat turkey tail all year round with the charity from foreign countries. but here’s the controversy, you are unwilling to give up your government job to the growing number of young jobless yapese who are, by the way, more qualified than you..and you dare say they don’t need jobs that tourism of ETG will bring. have you no remorse for the many people who are not employed? apparently, you don’t care about the jobless people, since you already have a job. how selfish is that?.like i said before, you only talk the talk, but can’t do the walk. if you could, you would resign from your government job and let other yapese have a chance at life...—just sit there in your cozy office and spend government resources on the internet, while your jobless neighbors go without electricity, running water or bus fare. jobless yapese should flog you with the stub of a palm frond.Mor Watit.watit works hard at his job and thats why he has a job. Lots wants job, but the minute they get paid, they forget about the job and go drinking binge, hence no job. Let’s get some facts straight, sh8 for brains. Internet is a benefit of having a job. Watit can see you are envious. well, you work hard at a job and all these good things will come to you. Why should watit care about a whole bunch of people who rather spend their money on booze, than buy stuff that they need. FYI, watit doesn’t like turkey tails, give watit a freshly caught fish any day. Just go around Colonia on a friday night and see how many people are living it up. Watit laughs at them, because watit knows exactly what’s going to happen to them the next day. They will wake up with a terrible hangover and dig in their pockets for money, and to their horror, find out they spent their meager pay on booze. That is a cycle that will repeat again and again, you would think they would learn but no, They would do it again comes next week end. That is what you want watit to feel sorry for? Blow that!.There are a lot of jobs if only people would look for it, for example our fishing industry is non existent at the moment because no body is fishing. Only one person is fishing. There are no farmers on Yap, those lands that we want to give up to the chinese to build upon, why not build farms on them instead? There are no piggeries/nor chicken farms on the island. why not try those? Oh, watit guess we are too good for that kind of menial work, huh? We rather invite the chinese in to create menial jobs for us, because it will look better. At least we will be working in 5 star hotel, even if its just cleaning toilets, and washing clothes and dishes. Where is the logic in that? If you think for a minute, the chinese would offer managerial position to a Local in any of their establishments, you are dreaming.You just continue to post, its very entertaining for watit to mentally dissect your arguments because it lacks logic and it is repleted with half baked generalizations. all Watit has to do is point out the flaw in your arguments and make a laughing stock out of you. Are you up for more intellectual judo by the hands of watit?.Mor Watit.Linda, dear clueless one, how is that butt feeling now? after the butt kicking you received at the hands of watit. LOL lets just say you got what you deserve, watit warned you to keep your mouth shut, but no, you had to just open it and show us how ignorant you are. go ahead and show watit how thick your skin is, watit has more mental butt kicking in reserve.simonsayslol.. this is getting interesting...LindaMor Watit:you really are a mental case. why do you always have to refer to butt kicking and name callings everytime someone disagrees with you? Isn’t that in and of itself a sign of dried up well. Did you try rinsing your mouth with douch as I suggested?.Oh, you want to talk about fisheries and farming? Nobody wants to fish in Yap because they don’t make money. Your traditional leaders wouldn’t allow the sale of fish to places outside of Yap. Farming is not a business in Yap because there is nobody there to feed but the locals who would rather eat rice. Explain to me why another yapese would have to pay for bananas from his neighbor when there is abundance of bananas as you claimed? Why don’t you get it through your head that in order to make money, you will have to have demand for those produce. It’s called, supply and demand. There obviously is not need to farm when there is no demand. What are you going to do with the papayas you grow when you have a mouthful, stick them up your “you know where”? Ouch, that sounds like pain.Mor WatitOMG, seriously? Linda,Traditional leaders wont allow selling of fish? where did you get such an idea from? whoever told you that is only setting you up. Take it from watit, you have it all wrong. You think we have a fisheries in Yap? just for decoration? now why would we farm to sell to ourselves? There’s going to be a demand (to use your words) pretty soon in Guam with the military build up. figure out the rest if your brain is up to the task. Guam will have the demand, Yap will do the supplying. Hows that sounding to you? watit will repeat it in case you did not catch it the first time, Guam will have the demand, Yap will do the supplying. Duh, duh!!Hahahahaha its funny how incapable of rational thoughts some people are and its nice to stick their ugly faces in the crap they spew out of their mouth. metaphorically speaking , of course. ding, ding, stick a fork in her, she is done!!LindaMor Watit:what military build up in Guam? You mean the one that all the states are sending out their people to train and work for while Yap sent none! What makes you think you’ll be able to get anything out of the military buildup when you haven’t even started now! So much for wishful thinking. Come back to reality and smell the coffee and chew your betelnut. Know that your fisheris in Yap is subsidized by the government, as such, you have nothing to brag about. Do you really want to refer to that as a business? Like I said again, you need to go to Chuuk and Pohnpei and see how the private sector is making money by selling their fish off island. relying on government operated ventures to claim self sufficiency. Do yourself a favor and base your argument on what you have in your wallet and not what the government has in its trust fund. Go out to the fisheries and see for yourself how long those fish have been sitting in the icebox. Your fishermen spends most of their time on land due to overfilled icebox and no buyers. Again, go to Chuuk and Pohnpei and see how the fishermen are making money in the private sector. The overfilled fish market in the morning goes empty even before the end of the day. That is business my friend. YOur problem as I see is your adamant claim to government-operated business as a success. That is not success until you have a thriving private sector. What a shame!Mor WatitLinda,Obviously you head does not work like a normal human brain, so watit will attempt to explain things to you, probably a waste of time, but hey, cant blame watit for trying. Most yapese have a deep attachment to this little piece of land call “Wa’ab.” relocation to Guam is not an option for them so that deal didn’t work out for Yap. However, since there are other ways where Yap can benefit from the military build up in Guam without having to move to Guam, why not try that? Yap can get a piece of the pie without having to go through the hassle of actually relocating to Guam. please pull out a pen and take notes.What does it matter if Fisheries in Yap is depending on the government of Yap, after all it’s the Yap state government. Unlike some states where they depend on the National government to pull them out of doo doo. Yap state tries to do some things for herself. You talk about Yap like you actually know anything about Yap. WTF do you know? Look to your own, Lets take a look at the finances of each State’s government. Chuuk is broke and can never get out of it’s misery. Kosrae was broke, but learned a valuable lesson and is on the way back. Pohnpei state is heading by way of bankruptcy soon, if not already. But thanks to the national government, pohnpei will always be bailed out. Yap state is laughing all the way to the bank. so Go ahead and criticize Yap, like we really give a damn what you think. You see, in Yap, we still think “we,” not “I, me, and myself.” and that’s what makes us stronger. people make personal sacrifices for the good of all, and the government which embodies the collective wealth of all, looks after each individual.GavilanThis is not some small issue that you are debating. It is the future of your children and grandchildren that is at stake here. What are your metrics for successful development? You do understand that the profits from ETG (or any other foreign investment) will become capital outflow—right? That as maids and servants the added value of your labor will become the capital outflow that could have been an investment in education and basic infrastructure. Do you not see the advantage of keeping things owned and controled by local people?If you are going to promote investment then do it in such a manner that the Wa’ab people retain their rights to the lands, ocean, and other resources. Show me one example where the investment model ETG proposes has had long term benefits for a nation. OHhhh—that’s right—nobody knows the details except a handful of insiders. Linda; perhaps you should reconsider the value of your fisheries. It may be a marketing problem—the market is huge and usable stocks are rapidly dwindling. Has Yap contacted a university to help in developing a current baseline and proposed take for sustained harvesting of your fish resources? You will need that baseline to determine the impact of any investment path you follow. Has Yap developed a domestic fishing industry for fish export or are the big commercial operations of the larger nations stealing you blind?Are they plying your waters out of sight and out of mind? Please tell me again; why is being a maid or a servant for foreign tourists better than being a Fisherman? I am sure once you explain it to me I will understand.Perhaps your horizons should be bigger than the carrot held in front of your nose by foreign interests.When the golf courses have killed the mangroves and reefs do you think the tourists will travel 10,000 miles to play the golf courses and gamble?Why would a golfer or gambler go to Yap when there are better and bigger courses and casinos much closer?If you lose your mangroves and reefs you will become just another piece of refuse in the junk pile of failed states that have followed the conventional course to “development.” No one is going to serve your best interests but you. And that is going to take more than just sitting back and letting some foreign investor gain control of your lands a resources. If will require imagination, hard work, and cooperation.I believe I have much historical precedence to support my position. Are you envisioning and working towards a future? Or hoping for a job as a maid or servant?Does your vision encompass the realities of location and available resource?It is very difficult to have a vision of a future that extends beyond one’s own self-interest! It requires effort and a willingness to sacrifice for a greater good. Are you exerting that effort? Are you willing to make that sacrifice? If not then the ultimate outcome will serve neither your own self-interest nor the interest of your people. There is no easy path. GavianTokaiLike Gavilan and Mor Watit I think a healthy scepticism is called for, but do not impugn the Yap leadership who have acted prudently so far. I view the COP’s What I wonder now is how this will play out in the near to medium term. Do you all remember when the purse seining venture was first being promoted by the State leadership with the flybynight outfit from San Diego? At a certain point, it became “you have to act now” or all kinds of bad things would befall Yap State. In the event, we got into business with them and Yap lost about $30 million before it got its small-scale model right with the Diving Seagull. The Palau Air fiasco with Alan Seid was another such scam. So I’m just wondering if we will get an ultimatum from ETG and a handfull of insiders on why we have to “act now.” and what will it entail?They keep talking about the need to expand the airport and this in particular makes me suspicious. Will they request Yap use its own funds to do major airport construction to show good faith with its new partners? I expect some proposal for Yap to front a large of amount of cash for some component of the project.Also I keep reading about the enormous number of ghost cities and buildings throughout China that are uninhabited and reflect the enormous malinvestment in infrastructure that China used to promote its economy… no studies were done on whether there were people or businesses who would purchase or use them… the construction was an end in itself. In several instances it hasn’t been the central PRC gov’t promoting such but rather the regional investment authorities. Now we have the company from Chengdu proposing a huge scheme in Yap… has somebody in Yap done its due diligence and investigated this company and its officers? That, surely would be a minimum requirement of allowing such an investment.rzrbckChildren, children, act your ages!ObbSuch interesting exchanges. Some, obviously, still have ways to go. Some have made good points, provided good perspectives, and likes the fireworks they’ve started because they kept fueling it.Mor WatitLinda,Watit is going to guess that you are from Pohnpei, so why don’t you stick to Pohnpei matters? The way watit sees it, Pohnpei is not so problem free that you can afford to concern yourself with Yapese matters. But if you want to contribute to discussion about Yap, at least get a clue first, its very annoying to have to answer to wrong information, and assumptions. The point is... stop making erroneous assumptions about Yap and build your arguments on such. Your input will only be worthwhile when you have some correct information to contribute, otherwise go kiss “you know where.”DwarfYou know rok Watit chaps my hide at times but I see and feel his points and counterpoints—I may even label him a conservative person. Whereas, Linda and A keep bringing up supposedly the poor state of life in Yap as if they hail from a successful island economy, which I think we can all agree is a dream still for all in the FSM. We all have the same struggles, so to keep dumping on Yap as if you have something else better going on somewhere else, in this case foreign investment, is misguided. Being Yapese, I believe that Yap is taking prudent steps for its own purpose at the same time standing tall in moving the federation forward toward betterment for its people. At this point in time, ETG for whatever purported purpose is enticing Yap to open for business. The discussions, heated, at times belligerent are not excuses for talking like Yap really need ETG investments—I think we can all see the advantages of having money, it’s the hook that such people like Mor Watit is concerned about. Yap will still be there as part of the federation contributing its share without the ETG investment, even more with it—but that is the question we’re all shouting about. There is no such thing as a poor state of life in Yap, maybe the hardships faced by Yap just like Chuuk, Pohnpei, and Kosrae. Let’s be real, Yap is fine as is, it’s head is above water unlike others and in no immediate danger of an economic bail-out.YalofathNotwithstanding all that has been said about the ETG, it is of particular importance to know that a dissident last week who left China has held a News Conference in Washingon saying that China’s objective in its world movements is to export its model to the world. The Soviet may have the same goal but the dfference is that the Soviet was behind the Iron Curtian while China is in the globalized world. This was from the Yahoo NewsMor WatitThank you dwarf,Watit has said it before, watit is not in any popularity contest. At times he gets on people’s nerve, at time he can be an A-hole. Do not judge watit’s personality, but rather try to understand what he is saying. Watit speaks from the heart. He is deeply passionate about what he say, so much so, that he can come across in a negative light. But if you ignore the manner in which he delivers his massage and focus on the content of his message, you may find the message to be worth thinking about. Politeness and diplomacy is not a part of watit’s nature. Watit speaks his mind. Like him or hate him, it matters not, but do pay heed to what he is saying and you may just find his messages worth your while.dr.fixYalofath & Mor Watit,You two are brothers that belong in a case with separate holdings. Putting the two of you in one case, you’ll end up eating each other. What you’ve been smoking is worst than marijuana. I am sure you’ve been communicating and seeing ghosts. LolAdwarf, compared to little children in maap or in the o.i, mor watit knows very little yapese culture. he doesn’t know how to dance, sail or build… he can’t even build a small traditional menstrual house. how is it you claim that he is “conservative?” what does he conserve? if mor watit conserves anything, it would be w-e-e-d. there are weeds in his taro patch, all over and surrounding his house, village, ancient gardens, ruins.etc. there is even weed in his brain. he smokes it all the time. is that what we want to conserve? weed? listen to maap, people. they know what it means to be truly yapese and how to use tourism (and not charity) to preserve culture, improve livelihood and promote self-sufficiency. mor watit is merely an illegitimate yapese. obviously, he is not your granny, either.Mor WatitA.actually that would be incorrect, watit does know how to weave a “chugyol.” This marijuana business is getting old. That is an unfounded false charge against watit, watit is pretty sure there is a law against that kind of claims. Are you that desperate that you would actually fabricate false information against someone you probably don’t even know just so you can save face? So far watit has not been bothered by it, but its getting old and annoying to be labeled as a marijuana user when watit never go near that stuff. Watit may not be the best dancer, sailor, or builder around, but he has done his share of it that he can get by. But what does that have to do with ETG? Are people suppose to pay attention to what watit is saying because he is a good dancer, sailor, or builder? Watit does not think so, people are either going to see the sense in what watit is saying or not, nothing more, nothing less. Watit stands on the power of reasoning in his arguments against ETG alone and let the dice fall as it may.Ayou have just suggested, in the other thread, that Yap should return to dirt road, since it is the only type road the state can afford. i think that is very honest of you. i also think yapese should know that you are not so ambitious about their future, at your current government position. you are likely not ambitious about your job, either (perhaps that’s one reason why the public tends to hire expatriates instead). anyway, when a government official believes the public doesn’t need progress, he is either out of line, retired, or smoking weed. please remind us, why do tax-payers pay you? we don’t want to give you the salary raise that you want, just so that you can tell us we don’t need progress.look, every single public service and public structure has expiration dates. even mor watit’s computer, office building and job have expiration dates. while i argue with a brain-drain promoting official and the rest of the happily employed yapese, who haven’t absorbed the reality of imminent blackout, the clock keeps ticking. the expiration date is approaching quicker than you would want to believe. not too far down the road, you will no longer be able to see mor watit lecturing on-line, as a result of the “expiration” of utility, tele-communication and the rest of public sector. so please, cherish every moment you spend on-line with this person, because you will miss him when he goes off-line, permanently. he will likely die from dengue or other type epidemic, shortly afterwards, when Yap hospital shuts down (that too will expire)… i will miss you too, mor. good bye... ma bangiyal’ ngodad.YalofathWe cannot blame the Chinese for looking after and advancing their interest, more power to them but it is us who must not make the mistake that the Chinese or ETG is here to help Yap, it is more like to help Yap so they can better help themselves and one important thing we do not know is their true agenda and that is important for us to know or come close to knowing because of its impact on our decisions. The other day on Yahoo News was a report that a defected person from China, a writer held a news conference in Washington and cautioned everybody because the goal of China is to do its best to export its MODEL. what is that because it has taken it deep into Africa and the rest of the developing world and he said that the Soviet Union was also doing the same but it was contained behind the iron curtain but China is in the globalize world.dr.fixYalofath,So what is your solution to the dependency your state has? Do you want to keep depending on handouts from US and Chinese? US is hea also to help themselves as you said of the Chinese. Ya, the Yapese needs to make good decision on the size of the project and invest she can handle, rather than an outright reject or procrastinating. You need to get off the substance the US Peace Corps introduced to your island, the stuff makes you go on trips all the times. HYPERLINK "" Mor WatitBeqnuwaab,its true we vote for them, based on what they promised in their campaign, but tell us truthfully, have they kept their promises? If you dont know what the hell is going, then STFU and watch, you may just learn something. Government officials needs watch dogs. that is how government is suppose to work. People need to be vocal with their opinion on any and all issues. Government should want to hear how the people feel about all issues facing the state, how else are they to serve the people if we do not voice our expectations of them? If you dont understand that then please go back to school and learn something. You know sometimes it preferable to remain silent and be suspected a fool, rather than speaking up and removing all doubts. Watit is tired of trying to teach dumb arses who think they know it all just because they can use a computer and speak a little English.A. watit is being honest telling the people what they can afford, to try and tell people they can have what they cannot afford would be a big dis-service and contrary to the ethics of any governmental positions. Watit also went further to tell people how they can work to have those good things (you so conveniently did not mention that, watit wonders why). Watit thinks he has done his job in good faith and to the best of his abilities. its very annoying to have to answer to total lies you keep making about what watit said. Watit had said time and time again. Watit believes in progress, just not short cuts like chinese investments because of the risks involved. Watit would hope that people would not fall for money but remember whats more important to them. their land and control of it. Watit said that there are other options, more safe than the ETG proposal (a big gamble as far as watit is concern). Of course what watit is suggesting may be hard work, but it will be worth it. because it will give us a deeper appreciation when we gain things by the sweat of our brows. Just because watit does not want ETG to develop Yap, does not mean watit is against development for Yap. Watit wants very much for Yap to develop, on her own term, on her own time, and most of all, on her own expense. Kayog gow e folmom nge alkeruu, ni ngaygun par ma yibe tay ku bee ni nge rin e gubin, ma kudabisiy bochi taman u fithik. gog ngomew, karid sebal gad! HYPERLINK "" Ina Chokkeeping fingers crossed, hoping that ETG move in as fast as they can HYPERLINK "" tideINTRODUCTION OF RESOLUTION BY SPEAKER HENRY FALAN; Resolution No. 8-50: A RESOLUTION Respectfully requesting Governor to defer signing an investment agreement proposed by the ETG until such time when the people of the State of Yap have been fully informed about the proposal, and until the State Leadership has unanimously agreed that such proposal will be in the best interest and welfare of the people of the State of Yap. HYPERLINK "" Mor WatitThe best piece of Official information that has come from the government on this whole matter. Thank you tide. rzrbckPass the resolution YSL! Put this nonsense on hold. Put it to a popular vote/referendum after some public hearings and education. HYPERLINK "" Mor WatitThat would most fair and sensible. Let everyone have a say in the matter, after all, everyone will be affected whether they chose to put up their land for ETG development or not. and most of all, educate the public so whatever happens afterward, no body can make an excuse of, “oh, but I did not know that.” rzrbckThey went around village by village before when Micromineral was looking for gold. That was for a small project compared to this. It is the least they can do. Besides, Micromineral only found gold by the taro patch in Rumung! Maybe ETG will find the same riches Micmin found! HYPERLINK "" mkefelI heard on the radio last Thursday that the resolution was adopted by all members present during that session. Now it is time for education of the public on the project. Who is to conduct the public education remains to be the question. Maybe after the education of the public, then a refendum can be held on whether or not the chinese should be allowed to invest in the State. HYPERLINK "" Mor WatitLOL rzrbck,lets not go there, we dont know who is reading, and may take great exception to that statement about Rumung gold. HYPERLINK "" Ina ChokYSL trying to sabotage the whole thing just because they smell improvement to Yap and they have no control over it. The government should not be involved in this. When has government ever been involved in the development of Private Sector? Okay, I don’t think I know the answer to that. Anyways, why can’t they overlook all the political fiasco and just think about how the government will benefit from it? For example improvements to the state’s infrastructure. The airport, the hospital, the roads, etc. If by the end of all this and we see that they’re going back on the promises that the ETG has made, we can always terminate the contracts and keep the infrastructure. This whole thing should be between the ETG and the landowners. Shoot, I better shut up before I swallow my whole leg. HYPERLINK "" Mor WatitIna chok,Do you ever stop and think before you blabber? tell us of one piece of land in Yap owned by one person. all lands in yap are owned by clans, whole clans do need to have a say in what goes with the land. Besides that, ETG is not looking for small pieces of lands, they looking for whole villages, big parcels of lands own by many people. Its the government’s job to protect its people, hence the involvement by government to insure people’s interest are looked after. lets take watit for example, watit is from one part of Yap, but he has lands in other parts of Yap. what if his lands in Okaw, weloy, for example, are given to ETG without his knowledge? Don’t you see that as a potential problem for Yap? ETG proposition has the potential to cause us more problems than we are currently aware of. the YSL is putting a stop to further steps in the matter until such can be understood and dealt with before proceeding any further. what about the people of lower villages who live on the land, but do not own it? Don’t you see the potential problem if the individual who owns the land decide to give ETG the land? Where will those people go? where will they live? We have to think this thing through. And while we are on that subject, don’t you see already some people just do not have that opportunity to gain, but lose from that proposition. Some people in Yap just live on the land but somebody else owns the land. Lets us try to understand the nature of this beast before we open our doors to it. HYPERLINK "" Ina ChokI guess not, but I did hear that before the COP chairperson signed the MOU between COP and ETG, he did held a meeting with villagers and land owners. According to a “person” who did join the meetings, the land owners were in agreement with the proposals by the ETG. By the way the Governor was in on this meeting as well. COP then signed the MOU representing the land owners. Don’t ask me why the Governor didn’t sign his document and no I do not know if they were bribed in any way. Just heard from a very trustworthy “source” so to speak. HYPERLINK "" Ina ChokI guess I’m ignoring those potential problems just to see Yap succeed and leave the FSM the hell alone. We are already sufferring too much just because of being tied to FSM, especially Chuuk... sorry my Chuukese brethren. But for once, I want to see Yap fly… with high roller guests in their 7 star hotels… lots will say “keep dreaming ina,” but I do have that dream for Yap someday. If my dream is bad… let me know and I’ll shut the hell up. HYPERLINK "" fsmerina,just curious: was this meeting between the COP and villagers and land owners widely publicized in advance? did it involve more than a handful of people from only a single municipality (if not a single village)? did those villagers have the right to speak on behalf of all the land owners in the entire state? were additional meetings conducted in every municipality, soliciting opinion of all estate holders?i’ve had my ears open in yap for a while hoping for such meetings to be held, but i hadn’t heard a peep until now. i say it’s time to slow things down, chew a few, and choose our words (and our destiny) carefully. a small cadre of individuals meeting in secrecy should not determine the fate of wa’ab. that is neither democratic nor culturally sound. HYPERLINK "" patrick telleiUp until the filing of the resolution by Gov. Falan, I mean, Speaker Falan, this had been a great discussion. I’ve enjoyed reading the thoughts expressed in this forum about the MOU or MOA signed between the Chief and ETG. Yap is so fortunate to have sons and daughters who at great lengths can discuss issues that are dear to their hearts with minimal sarcasm and name-calling. Any proposal of this magnitude is sure to cause anger amongst the population and can eventually lead to unrest. I wish there are mediums whereby these great exchanges can be read by majority of the people who call Yap their home.Last week on OTV in Palau, “his majesty O’Keefe” was replayed not once but twice, and I saw it again probably for the 5th or the 6th time and can’t help but think about the many eloquent thoughts expressed in this forum as if they were scripted from the movie. I would urge everyone to take a much needed time-out, screen the movie and reread this whole exchange to see if it makes any sense to you at all. Thanks again. HYPERLINK "" mta27Sounds like Yap will go the way of Kashmir, traditional parts of India, Tibet and other areas occupied by China. China has already raped your fishing grounds, now it will rape your lands and perhaps your women as well. HYPERLINK "" LindaIt makes sense not only to educate the public but also to have the public inputs considered. The way I see it unfolding is a reverse process. The leaders went out and spoke with the land owners first. Some land owners are already expecting to be compensated for alleged building of hotels on their lands. This makes the matter even more complicated as it creates some expectation of monetary values in them. Money is a big influence.EnnuiLinda, I’m thinking that it would be democratically correct and proper to undertake such issue in the manner which you mentioned or proposed, thinking that everyone or all Yapese will be affected by such, and should at the least be informed about it. HYPERLINK "" TokaiGood points, Linda and Ennui, lots of public education necessary. The current MOU may have more to do with Maap municipality than the entire Yap… only understandable how investors would eye Maap first for a resort. I’m sure some sort of gratuity or “incentive payment” has already been made… I recall the Vancouver B.C. gold propspectors about 20 years ago and how they pre-empted much discussion by paying the municipalities $25K each for the right to take samples… Bruno was on the receiving end of that also. At least in that instance, the YSL was kept fully informed and even some mineral right legislation passed.I think the YSL resolution was very much in order. The issues are major and public, and far transcend just private sector or landowner interests. Nice to have a forum to talk over things. Big dreamers and schemers have always been a part of our islands; maybe one day something good will result.MicSem: Chinese ETG Vs. Yap State Leaders (Posts 151 to 154).Mor WatitAhh Tokai,That puts things in a clearer light. Watit does not know anything about the “gold hunt,” as he was not on the island at that period of time. Intriguing, to say the least. It does connects some dots in this missing picture. From what watit can make of this picture now, it does not look very pretty.Be that as it may, watit is confident that there are those who will always uphold Yapese values above other things and will eventually reason things out. Yap has no shortness of wise people who will put things in the proper perspective and navigate our course through pitfalls and tribulations. Watit has confidence in these wise people he is willing to stake the future of his children on the decisions they will make.Now, if watit may borrow your words and make a minor change to it? “Big dreamers and schemers have always been a part of our islands; one day something good will result.”nutcrackerI am still doubtful. I value nothing more than my land and my neighbor. Individual self-interests can not be considered prominent than the sum-total interest the whole society can benefits from. This is not something that a single family, village, or municipality can impact upon. Knowing from our experiences and the practices alluded by our custom and tradition dictates some consensus formality to aspire to some unity so that we can keep calling ourselves yapese and our island Wa’ab.The fact that the chinese are coming is something that really scares me and pondering in my mind day and night. And I believe I’m not alone in this frame of mind that I will definitely take counter-measure to root them out no matter how generous their handouts might be. He have had experience spainish, german, japanese, and american and I regret them all for some of the things they did to us but nothing I see coming can be compare to the chinese on our island.Mor WatitWatit is thankful there are still those who remember those lessons they were taught in their younger years. Those who aspires to the fundamental Yapese values. while there are some among us who do not seem to remember those things, watit is glad there are still others who remembers. Watit has used the name “Wa’ab” in here time and time again, hoping that will serve to remind, watit does not know if that was successful. “wa’ab” means “the land,” all else is ocean. the land is the source of everything, the stable ground on which to stand. Give that up to anyone and we are giving away our foundation, we will become like debris in the wind, blown which ever way the wind takes us. No amount of money can replace that. “Wa’ab” is the starting point of all things Yapese.Gavilan“———-choose our words (and our destiny) carefully.”“I’ve enjoyed reading the thoughts expressed in this forum about the MOU or MOA signed between the Chief and ETG. Yap is so fortunate to have sons and daughters who at great lengths can discuss issues that are dear to their hearts with minimal sarcasm and name-calling. Any proposal of this magnitude is sure to cause anger amongst the population and can eventually lead to unrest. I wish there are mediums whereby these great exchanges can be read by majority of the people who call Yap their home”“It makes sense not only to educate the public but also to have the public inputs considered.”“thinking that everyone or all Yapese will be affected by such, and should at the least be informed about it.”“Good points, Linda and Ennui, lots of public education necessary.”“Be that as it may, watit is confident that there are those who will always uphold Yapese values above other things and will eventually reason things out. Yap has no shortness of wise people who will put things in the proper perspective and navigate our course through pitfalls and tribulations. Watit has confidence in these wise people he is willing to stake the future of his children on the decisions they will make.”“I value nothing more than my land and my neighbor. Individual self-interests can not be considered prominent than the sum-total interest the whole society can benefits from. This is not something that a single family, village, or municipality can impact upon. Knowing from our experiences and the practices alluded by our custom and tradition dictates some consensus formality to aspire to some unity so that we can keep calling ourselves yapese and our island Wa’ab.”““wa’ab” means “the land,” all else is ocean. the land is the source of everything, the stable ground on which to stand. Give that up to anyone and we are giving away our foundation, we will become like debris in the wind, blown which ever way the wind takes us. No amount of money can replace that. “Wa’ab” is the starting point of all things Yapese.”My comments:I hope to have the opportunity to see how your consensus is turned into effective action. I wish there was something I could do. Gavilan2012-01-19: Chinese to Develop Resort in AsiaPacificNews/Detail.aspx?Section=14298 January 19, 2012A Chinese development firm last week signed an agreement to develop a new mass tourism resort on the little known island of Yap. The Micronesian island will play host to 10 hotels, casinos, and convention centres, and have its airport improved to cater for large aircraft from the Chinese Mainland and other Asian countries including Japan and Korea.Chengdu-based Exhibition & Travel Group (ETG) signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Yap Council of Pilung which lays the foundations for the project. As per terms of the agreement, local land owners have been invited to lease pockets of land to ETG who will rehome them in nearby villages. These villages will then act as cultural attractions for foreign visitors to the resort, offering local activities such as local dance performance, carvings, weaving, and more. ETG also plans to assist the State Government with its education and health development plan.2011-12-10: China’s Startling Strategic Play in MicronesiaBy Bill Wilson, President of Americans for Limited Government, December 10, 2011Twenty-seven years before a massive Japanese carrier task force set sail from Hitokappu Bay in Iturup to attack the U.S. Naval base at Pearl Harbor, a single Japanese ship steamed southeast into Chuuk (then called “Truk”), a tiny island with a deep lagoon in Micronesia.In less than three decades the Japanese developed a network of advanced bases and exclusive maritime control stretching thousands of miles across the Western and Central Pacific. They did it under the guise of economic development, initially with the blessing of the international community through a League of Nations “South Seas Mandate.”Control of Micronesia was key to swift Japanese victories on Guam, the Philippines, Wake Island, Kiribati, New Guinea, and Nauru. During the war, a significant part of the Japanese fleet was based in Truk Lagoon starting in mid-1942 . Four years and one hundred thousand American lives later, the U.S. declared no nation would ever again enjoy such a strategic foothold in the Pacific.Brigadier General Richard Simcock recently in testimony described Micronesia, Palau, and the Marshall Islands as “part of an important security zone under exclusive U.S. control that spans the entire width of the Pacific when we include Hawaii and the U.S. territories, Guam and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.”After the war, the United States poured billions into Micronesia as it passed from U.S. Naval control to a United Nations’ “Strategic Trusteeship” administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior. Today it is an ostensibly sovereign nation in a Compact of “Free Association” with the U.S. Nonetheless, Micronesia’s state and federal budgets continue to suffer scrutiny and overrides from office-bound Department of the Interior officials based in Hawaii. They control over $130 million annually in direct U.S. assistance.It isn’t working . In fact, generations of poorly managed U.S. aid have transformed Micronesia into a welfare state where political life revolves around asking for handouts—the larger the better—making Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s declaration of “America’s Pacific century” a joke.It is because—not despite—that massive and misguided nature of U.S. assistance to Micronesia that China has initiated a startling series of economic and infrastructure projects and proposals across the islands of Micronesia.These plans, including negotiation of exclusive fishing rights—over 1 million square miles of the best fishing grounds in world—the creation of ports and dry docks, and public sector building projects offer the Chinese unprecedented influence in a region once termed “the American Pacific.” Completion would place Sino maritime influence and presence within 500 miles of U.S. naval facilities on Guam, and 400 miles of U.S. missile sites on Kwajalein in the Marshalls.These are not the only examples of Chinese expansionism that starts out as soft economic power plays. It recently attempted to purchase 115 square miles in northeast Iceland that would have given it a critical foothold in the North Atlantic, but was fortunately rejected by the Icelandic government . China has also invested billions of euros in Greek infrastructure, such as its primary port city in Piraeus, an industrial zone to the west of Athens. China is investing heavily to modernize Piraeus, giving it a strategic harbor in the Mediterranean.Taken together with China’s rise as an important naval power , this may indicate a monumental shift in long-term Chinese security policy from a defensive posture to one with a potential offensive capability that should be greatly alarming to U.S. policymakers.That is why Micronesia matters.Most individual Micronesians relish their unique relationship with the United States. Under the terms of the Compact they enjoy the freedom to live, work and study in the U.S. without visas. Many now make their homes here. They enlist freely in the U.S. military, and eighteen have given their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan. They enjoy education and health care entitlements on par with native-born American citizens.It is that burden, borne primarily by taxpayers in the State of Hawaii where many Micronesians settle, that has precipitated threats by U.S. politicians to unilaterally abscond from key provisions of the Compact. Tension over proposed cuts have furthered resentment among a small but powerful clique of Micronesian leaders who’ve come to see China as a leveraging triumph-card in their frustrated dealings with U.S. Department of the Interior.As an isolated nation of tiny islands stretching a million miles of ocean, Micronesia is limited in its long-term prospects for economic self-sufficiency. But condescending, even meddling U.S. aid policies smack of botched imperialism making a tough situation unnecessarily worse.First, U.S. policy makers need to pass management of the U.S.-Micronesian relationship to the Department of State, home to our country’s professional diplomats. They orchestrate dealings with all other sovereign nations across the world. This will allow a deserved autonomy for the Micronesians in managing their own domestic affairs, promoting a more equal partnership.Second, the U.S. and its allies need to foster the development of robust civil society across the islands. The sprawling, duplicative and unaccountable Micronesian government bureaucracies are unable to provide islanders with even the basics of education or infrastructure needs. Under Interior, these bureaucracies have grown to bloated excess by crowding out private sector and non-profit sector development.The Chinese understand the situation well. As the U.S. spends millions annually to fund the day-to-day operations of the fledging Micronesian governments, Chinese support is targeted and strategic. Buildings for the personal use of top Micronesian political leaders, college scholarships for those officials’ children and even direct gifts of trips and cash to state, national and traditional village leaders offer the Chinese infinitely more return for their “development” dollar.There are a few bright spots. A handful of American non-profits are working to support Micronesians directly. The small U.S. charity “Habele “ offers tuition scholarships to low-income students attending prestigious private K-12 schools in Micronesia. They donate textbooks directly to isolated public schools. Habele operates without assistance from either American or Micronesian governments, cutting the bureaucratic middleman out completely. It’s the stuff of Eugene Burdick and William Lederer’s “Ugly American” but it pales in comparison to size and scope of Chinese influence peddling. Former Peace Corps Volunteers fluent in local languages and customs founded Habele in 2006.If America is to regain its historic—and strategically essential—position of leadership in the Pacific, then Micronesia will need a lot more “Habeles” and a lot less blankets-and-beads style government meddling from the U.S. Department of Interior.The American people should remember with reverence the valiant dead of Pearl Harbor seventy years after the attack, but they must also keep in mind it was Japan’s expansion into the Pacific that preceded it, beginning as early as 1914, which made it a threat. Because we cannot afford to ignore China’s continued power plays worldwide that could make it the 21st Century’s equivalent of Tojo’s Japan.Related:US Micronesia Aid Crowds out Private Investment, Local Decision MakingMicronesians: “Its just better in Arkansas”GAO: Improvements Needed to Assess and Address Growing CoFA MigrationChina’s Influence in the South Pacific is Growing Thomas Biddick noted in 1989 that “In the long term, the PRC is likely to play a larger role as Pacific maritime power, raising new questions for this region of traditional Western influence.” It was not until the late 1990s that China’s influence in the region started to grow substantially. China now has the largest number of diplomats in the region. John Henderson and Benjamin Reilly observed in 2003 that “It is now accepted routine that the first official overseas visit by a new head of government from the region is made to Beijing, not to Canberra, Washington or Wellington.” Economically, Beijing has offered various financial assistance packages aimed at enhancing trade, building infrastructure, equipping government and military assets, and developing natural resources. China is now reportedly one of the region’s top three aid donors. China’s trade with the 14 Island states has increased from US$121 million in 1995 to US$1,229 million in 2006. Culturally, the Chinese have built a law school at the multi-country University of the South Pacific. Chinese television programmes are also broadcast in the region and the locals are encouraged to study Mandarin. I would like to thank Sebastian Rattansen, Deborah Tipping and Jason Roberts for their contribution to this paper. The South Pacific in this paper refers to the 14 nations that make up the Paci?c Islands Forum (PIF) (excluding Australia and New Zealand). They are the Cook Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Vanuatu. Some observers refer the region as Oceania, such as Wesley-Smith, Henderson and Reilly. Others, such as Thomas Lum and Bruce Vaughn are more precise, terming the region Southwest Pacific. See: John Henderson and Benjamin Reilly, “Dragon in Paradise: China’s rising star in Oceania,” The National Interest, 72 (Summer 2003); Terence Wesley-Smith, “China in Oceania: New Forces in Pacific Politics,” Honolulu: The East-West Center, 2007; Thomas Lum and Bruce Vaughn, “The Southwest Pacific: U.S. Interests and China’s Growing Influence,” CRS Report for Congress, 6 July 2007.Thomas Biddick, “Diplomatic Rivalry in the South Pacific: The PRC and Taiwan,” Asian Survey, Vil. 20, No. 8 (August 1989), pp. 801-802.Graeme Dobell, “China and Taiwan in the South Pacific: Diplomatic chess versus Pacific political rugby,” Lowy Institute for International Policy, January 2007, p. 6. 4 Henderson and Reilly, p. 95.Tamara Renee Shie, “Rising Chinese Influence in the South Pacific,” Asian Survey, Vol. 47, Issue 2, p. 309 2012-06-16: Micronesia’s future between China and the USAuthor: Scott Leis, Maryland, June 16th, 2012, With a total land area of 702 square kilometres spread across a series of tiny isolated islands and atolls, the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) may not be rich in land, but it does have one enormous resource, and that is its ocean.The country’s Exclusive Economic Zone, which encompasses more than 2.5 million square kilometres, is some of the most strategically significant waters on the planet. It is an area near critical sea lines of communication and is located directly in the so-called ‘Second Island Chain’ from mainland Asia, close to all the major East and Southeast Asian Powers. And these waters are very rich too, containing abundant fish stocks that could help feed China’s enormous population. For these two reasons the FSM is commanding the attention and money of both China and the US.The FSM has an economic relationship with the US as a ‘Freely Associated State’ under the terms of a Compact of Free Association that was signed into law in 1986, was amended and renewed in 2003, and is set to expire in 2023. As a Freely Associated State, the FSM has received millions of US tax dollars to support and develop various sectors of their economy, including health, education, infrastructure, business and the environment. In return, the US has full international defence authority for the islands and their territorial waters.As the Compact approaches its end the FSM is trying to secure its post-Compact future by shifting away from its US-centric foreign policy. Since March 2000, China has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in developing its diplomaticrelationship with the FSM. Most of the money has been distributed to the same economic sectors that the US–FSM Compact intended to develop. Some of the money China invested has been deposited into a Trust Fund that will help support the FSM government after 2023, when it is likely to face severe budgetary deficits as the Compact with the US comes to an end. Beijing’s money has also paid for FSM officials at every level to travel to China for meetings and training.China has continually pushed to expand its fishing interests in the FSM’s territorial waters to the point where Chinese fishing businesses now have a vertical monopoly in the country. Initially, the Chinese offered pure grant money, but after Beijing decided, that “there is little return on [Chinese] investment owing to poor Micronesian performance,” they began to focus on preferential loans that would need to be repaid either with non-existent Micronesian money or through collateral.In October 2011 a Chinese company, Exhibit and Travel Group (ETG), unveiled a huge development plan for the FSM state of Yap. Yap is roughly 800 kilometres away from Guam, where one of the US’s largest military facilities in the Western Pacific is based. The proposed development plan was consistent with the FSM’s own Strategic Development Plans for 2004–23, which involved making tourism “the leading economic activity in the FSM.”As a result of these two complementary plans and with the support of Yap’s governor, in January 2012, the state council of traditional chiefs and ETG signed a memorandum of understanding with the intention of developing the island’s tourism industry and supporting infrastructure. If carried out, the provisions of the investment plan mean ETG will acquire the rights to the majority of Yap’s land, and promise to succeed where the US failed by developing key infrastructure including seaports, airstrips, roads and medical facilities while maintaining the environmental integrity of the island.The recent Chinese involvement in Yap, and the FSM as a whole, may be nothing more than a coincidence between three interests: a private Chinese company seeking to make profit; the Chinese government trying to quell its Malthusian fears by securing a dependable food source for its enormous population; and the FSM government trying to develop infrastructure and a sustainable economic sector that a nearly 30-year-old agreement with the US has failed to develop. Yet given the FSM’s geo-political situation between China and the US, China’s ever increasing defence budget, and the proximity of these islands and their territorial waters to US military installations in Guam and the Kwajalein Atoll, there is reason to fear that something that started as mutually beneficial will devolve into something that is mutually detrimental.If the Chinese development proposals in the FSM come to fruition, the FSM may no longer need a comprehensive assistance package from any foreign government after 2023. And if the Compact of Free Association is not renewed, the US will lose its full international defence authority for the islands and their territorial waters. But these strategically located islands will still require a foreign military for their national defence, and only time can tell whether that will be the US or China. Given the ever closer relationship between China and the FSM, it is increasingly possible to be China — but can, and will, the US allow that?Scott Leis holds a Master of Arts from the Kansas State University. He lives in Edgewater, Maryland.2005-06-27: China Extends Influence in the Pacific RegionPacnews, Monday 27 June, 2005, Australian online forum that discusses democracy claims over the past decade, China has been “quietly planting the seeds of greater influence in the southwest Pacific, establishing strong diplomatic presence and bestowing no-strings aid and other aid assistance in cash-strapped island governments.”The article by a Susan Windybank titled, “The China Syndrome” said as a result, China is now reportedly one of the region’s top three aid donors.“Unlike Australia, China does not ask for ‘good governance’ as a precondition.”“While the United States (U.S) has been preoccupied with combating terrorism and spreading democracy in the Middle East, China has been busy cultivating new friends and allies across the Asia Pacific region,” the report said.Most Pacific governments have welcomed China’s overtures, adopting official “look north” (or east) policies and, at times, playing the “China card” in an attempt to remind longstanding—but demanding—aid donors like Australia that they have other options, the report said. “China has encouraged this by softening up the region;s political elite through so-called visit diplomacy.”Over the past few years, the red carpet has been rolled out in Beijing for the leaders of Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Vanuatu, Samoa, the Federated States of Micronesia, Tonga and East Timor. “It is now accepted routine,” claimed an article in The National Interest last year, “that the first official overseas visit by a new head of government from the region is made to Beijing, not to Canberra, Washington or Wellington.”China has also been expanding its diplomatic posts in the region, with embassies in Samoa, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Tonga. Even the Cook Islands, with a population of just over 21,000, have established diplomatic ties with Beijing. China is now thought to have more diplomats in the region than any other country.“One goal of this diplomatic activity is to build an island’s voting bloc that will support China in international forums. The Pacific islands may be small but they are also numerous and in some forums numbers count, particularly the United Nations with its one-country, one-vote system.”The report added that a related objective is to isolate Taiwan. Last year Vanuatu became the latest Pacific island country to switch allegiance from Taipei to Beijing after two weeks of flip-flopping during which the government broke with Beijing, recognised Taiwan and finally returned to Beijing. There have been similar reversals in recent times by Nauru, Tonga and Papua New Guinea. But Taiwan can still count on five Pacific island states for support, with Kiribati last year joining Tuvalu, Marshall Islands, Palau and the Solomon Islands in the Taiwanese camp.The Dragon’s New Teeth:2012-04-07: A Look Inside the World’s Biggest Military ExpansionApril 7, 2012 | BEIJING | from the print edition ()At a meeting of South-East Asian nations in 2010, China’s foreign minister Yang Jiechi, facing a barrage of complaints about his country’s behaviour in the region, blurted out the sort of thing polite leaders usually prefer to leave unsaid. “China is a big country,” he pointed out, “and other countries are small countries and that is just a fact.” Indeed it is, and China is big not merely in terms of territory and population, but also military might. Its Communist Party is presiding over the world’s largest military build-up. And that is just a fact, too—one which the rest of the world is having to come to terms with.That China is rapidly modernising its armed forces is not in doubt, though there is disagreement about what the true spending figure is. China’s defence budget has almost certainly experienced double digit growth for two decades. According to SIPRI, a research institute, annual defence spending rose from over $30 billion in 2000 to almost $120 billion in 2010.SIPRI usually adds about 50% to the official figure that China gives for its defence spending, because even basic military items such as research and development are kept off budget. Including those items would imply total military spending in 2012, based on the latest announcement from Beijing, will be around $160 billion. America still spends four-and-a-half times as much on defence, but on present trends China’s defence spending could overtake America’s after 2035 (see chart).All that money is changing what the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) can do. Twenty years ago, China’s military might lay primarily in the enormous numbers of people under arms; their main task was to fight an enemy face-to-face or occupy territory. The PLA is still the largest army in the world, with an active force of 2.3m. But China’s real military strength increasingly lies elsewhere. The Pentagon’s planners think China is intent on acquiring what is called in the jargon A2/AD, or “anti-access/area denial” capabilities. The idea is to use pinpoint ground attack and anti-ship missiles, a growing fleet of modern submarines and cyber and anti-satellite weapons to destroy or disable another nation’s military assets from afar.In the western Pacific, that would mean targeting or putting in jeopardy America’s aircraft-carrier groups and its air-force bases in Okinawa, South Korea and even Guam. The aim would be to render American power projection in Asia riskier and more costly, so that America’s allies would no longer be able to rely on it to deter aggression or to combat subtler forms of coercion. It would also enable China to carry out its repeated threat to take over Taiwan if the island were ever to declare formal independence.China’s military build-up is ringing alarm bells in Asia and has already caused a pivot in America’s defence policy. The new “strategic guidance” issued in January by Barack Obama and his defence secretary, Leon Panetta, confirmed what everyone in Washington already knew: that a switch in priorities towards Asia was overdue and under way. The document says that “While the US military will continue to contribute to security globally, we will of necessity rebalance towards the Asia-Pacific region.” America is planning roughly $500 billion of cuts in planned defence spending over the next ten years. But, says the document, “to credibly deter potential adversaries and to prevent them from achieving their objectives, the United States must maintain its ability to project power in areas in which our access and freedom to operate are challenged.”It is pretty obvious what that means. Distracted by campaigns in Iraq and Afghanistan, America has neglected the most economically dynamic region of the world. In particular, it has responded inadequately to China’s growing military power and political assertiveness. According to senior American diplomats, China has the ambition—and increasingly the power—to become a regional hegemon; it is engaged in a determined effort to lock America out of a region that has been declared a vital security interest by every administration since Teddy Roosevelt’s; and it is pulling countries in South-East Asia into its orbit of influence “by default.” America has to respond. As an early sign of that response, Mr Obama announced in November 2011 that 2 500 US Marines would soon be stationed in Australia. Talks about an increased American military presence in the Philippines began in February this year.The Uncertainty PrincipleChina worries the rest of the world not only because of the scale of its military build-up, but also because of the lack of information about how it might use its new forces and even who is really in charge of them. The American strategic-guidance document spells out the concern. “The growth of China’s military power,” it says, “must be accompanied by greater clarity of its strategic intentions in order to avoid causing friction in the region.”Officially, China is committed to what it called, in the words of an old slogan, a “peaceful rise.” Its foreign-policy experts stress their commitment to a rules-based multipolar world. They shake their heads in disbelief at suggestions that China sees itself as a “near peer” military competitor with America.In the South and East China Seas, though, things look different. In the past 18 months, there have been clashes between Chinese vessels and ships from Japan, Vietnam, South Korea and the Philippines over territorial rights in the resource-rich waters. A pugnacious editorial in the state-run Global Times last October gave warning: “If these countries don’t want to change their ways with China, they will need to prepare for the sounds of cannons. We need to be ready for that, as it may be the only way for the disputes in the sea to be resolved.” This was not a government pronouncement, but it seems the censors permit plenty of press freedom when it comes to blowing off nationalistic steam.Smooth-talking foreign-ministry officials may cringe with embarrassment at Global Times—China’s equivalent of Fox News—but its views are not so far removed from the gung-ho leadership of the rapidly expanding navy. Moreover, in a statement of doctrine published in 2005, the PLA’s Science of Military Strategy did not mince its words. Although “active defence is the essential feature of China’s military strategy,” it said, if “an enemy offends our national interests it means that the enemy has already fired the first shot,” in which case thePLA’s mission is “to do all we can to dominate the enemy by striking first.” Making things more alarming is a lack of transparency over who really controls the guns and ships. China is unique among great powers in that the PLA is not formally part of the state. It is responsible to the Communist Party, and is run by the party’s Central Military Commission, not the ministry of defence. Although party and government are obviously very close in China, the party is even more opaque, which complicates outsiders’ understanding of where the PLA’s loyalties and priorities lie. A better military-to-military relationship between America and China would cast some light into this dark corner. But the PLA often suspends “mil-mil” relations as a “punishment” whenever tension rises with America over Taiwan. The PLA is also paranoid about what America might gain if the relationship between the two countries’ armed forces went deeper.The upshot of these various uncertainties is that even if outsiders believe that China’s intentions are largely benign—and it is clear that some of them do not—they can hardly make plans based on that assumption alone. As the influential American think-tank, the Centre for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA) points out, the intentions of an authoritarian regime can change very quickly. The nature and size of the capabilities that China has built up also count.History BoysThe build-up has gone in fits and starts. It began in the early 1950s when the Soviet Union was China’s most important ally and arms supplier, but abruptly ceased when Mao Zedong launched his decade-long Cultural Revolution in the mid-1960s. The two countries came close to war over their disputed border and China carried out its first nuclear test. The second phase of modernisation began in the 1980s, under Deng Xiaoping. Deng was seeking to reform the whole country and the army was no exception. But he told the PLA that his priority was the economy; the generals must be patient and live within a budget of less than 1.5% of GDP.A third phase began in the early 1990s. Shaken by the destructive impact of the West’s high-tech weaponry on the Iraqi army, the PLA realised that its huge ground forces were militarily obsolete. PLA scholars at the Academy of Military Science in Beijing began learning all they could from American think-tanks about the so-called “revolution in military affairs” (RMA), a change in strategy and weaponry made possible by exponentially greater computer-processing power. In a meeting with The Economist at the Academy, General Chen Zhou, the main author of the four most recent defence white papers, said: “We studied RMA exhaustively. Our great hero was Andy Marshall in the Pentagon [the powerful head of the Office of Net Assessment who was known as the Pentagon’s futurist-in-chief]. We translated every word he wrote.”In 1993 the general-secretary of the Communist Party, Jiang Zemin, put RMA at the heart of China’s military strategy. Now, the PLA had to turn itself into a force capable of winning what the strategy called “local wars under high-tech conditions.” Campaigns would be short, decisive and limited in geographic scope and political goals. The big investments would henceforth go to the air force, the navy and the Second Artillery Force, which operates China’s nuclear and conventionally armed missiles.Further shifts came in 2002 and 2004. High-tech weapons on their own were not enough; what mattered was the ability to knit everything together on the battlefield through what the Chinese called “informatisation” and what is known in the West as “unified C4ISR.” (The four Cs are command, control, communications, and computers; ISR stands for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance; the Pentagon loves its abbreviations). Just another corner of the network China’s soldiers come in from the coldGeneral Chen describes the period up to 2010 as “laying the foundations of modernised forces.” The next decade should see the roll-out of what is called mechanisation (the deployment of advanced military platforms) and informatisation (bringing them together as a network). The two processes should be completed in terms of equipment, integration and training by 2020. But General Chen reckons China will not achieve full informatisation until well after that. “A major difficulty,” he says, “is that we are still only partially mechanised. We do not always know how to make our investments when technology is both overlapping and leapfrogging.” Whereas the West was able to accomplish its military transformation by taking the two processes in sequence, China is trying to do both together. Still, that has not slowed down big investments which are designed to defeat even technologically advanced foes by making “the best use of our strong points to attack the enemy’s weak points.” In 2010 the CSBA identified the essential military components that China, on current trends, will be able to deploy within ten years. Among them: satellites and reconnaissance drones; thousands of surface-to-surface and anti-ship missiles; more than 60 stealthy conventional submarines and at least six nuclear attack submarines; stealthy manned and unmanned combat aircraft; and space and cyber warfare capabilities. In addition, the navy has to decide whether to make the (extremely expensive) transition to a force dominated by aircraft-carriers, like America. Aircraft-carriers would be an unmistakable declaration of an ambition eventually to project power far from home. Deploying them would also match the expected actions of Japan and India in the near future. China may well have three small carriers within five to ten years, though military analysts think it would take much longer for the Chinese to learn how to use them well.A New Gunboat DiplomacyThis promises to be a formidable array of assets. They are, for the most part, “asymmetric,” that is, designed not to match American military power in the western Pacific directly but rather to exploit its vulnerabilities. So, how might they be used?Taiwan is the main spur for China’s military modernisation. In 1996 America reacted to Chinese ballistic-missile tests carried out near Taiwanese ports by sending two aircraft-carrier groups into the Taiwan Strait. Since 2002 China’s strategy has been largely built around the possibility of a cross-Strait armed conflict in which China’s forces would not only have to overcome opposition from Taiwan but also to deter, delay or defeat an American attempt to intervene. According to recent reports by CSBA and RAND, another American think-tank, China is well on its way to having the means, by 2020, to deter American aircraft-carriers and aircraft from operating within what is known as the “first island chain”—a perimeter running from the Aleutians in the north to Taiwan, the Philippines and Borneo (see map).In 2005 China passed the Taiwan Anti-Secession Law, which commits it to a military response should Taiwan ever declare independence or even if the government in Beijing thinks all possibility of peaceful unification has been lost. Jia Xiudong of the China Institute of International Studies (the foreign ministry’s main think-tank) says: “The first priority is Taiwan. The mainland is patient, but independence is not the future for Taiwan. China’s military forces should be ready to repel any force of intervention. The US likes to maintain what it calls ‘strategic ambiguity’ over what it would do in the event of a conflict arising from secession. We don’t have any ambiguity. We will use whatever means we have to prevent it happening.”If Taiwan policy has been the immediate focus of China’s military planning, the sheer breadth of capabilities the country is acquiring gives it other options—and temptations. In 2004 Hu Jintao, China’s president, said the PLA should be able to undertake “new historic missions.” Some of these involve UN peacekeeping. In recent years China has been the biggest contributor of peacekeeping troops among the permanent five members of the Security Council. But the responsibility for most of these new missions has fallen on the navy. In addition to its primary job of denying China’s enemies access to sea lanes, it is increasingly being asked to project power in the neighbourhood and farther afield.The navy appears to see itself as the guardian of China’s ever-expanding economic interests. These range from supporting the country’s sovereignty claims (for example, its insistence on seeing most of the South China Sea as an exclusive economic zone) to protecting the huge weight of Chinese shipping, preserving the country’s access to energy and raw materials supplies, and safeguarding the soaring numbers of Chinese citizens who work abroad (about 5m today, but expected to rise to 100m by 2020). The navy’s growing fleet of powerful destroyers, stealthy frigates and guided-missile-carrying catamarans enables it to carry out extended “green water” operations (ie, regional, not just coastal tasks). It is also developing longer-range “blue water” capabilities. In early 2009 the navy began anti-piracy patrols off the Gulf of Aden with three ships. Last year, one of those vessels was sent to the Mediterranean to assist in evacuating 35 000 Chinese workers from Libya—an impressive logistical exercise carried out with the Chinese air force.Just practisingPower Grows Out of the Barrel of a GunIt is hardly surprising that China’s neighbours and the West in general should worry about these developments. The range of forces marshalled against Taiwan plus China’s “A2/AD” potential to push the forces of other countries over the horizon have already eroded the confidence of America’s Asian allies that the guarantor of their security will always be there for them. Mr Obama’s rebalancing towards Asia may go some way towards easing those doubts. America’s allies are also going to have to do more for themselves, including developing their own A2/AD capabilities. But the longer-term trends in defence spending are in China’s favour. China can focus entirely on Asia, whereas America will continue to have global responsibilities. Asian concerns about the dragon will not disappear.247657620000That said, the threat from China should not be exaggerated. There are three limiting factors. First, unlike the former Soviet Union, China has a vital national interest in the stability of the global economic system. Its military leaders constantly stress that the development of what is still only a middle-income country with a lot of very poor people takes precedence over military ambition. The increase in military spending reflects the growth of the economy, rather than an expanding share of national income. For many years China has spent the same proportion of GDP on defence (a bit over 2%, whereas America spends about 4.7%). The real test of China’s willingness to keep military spending constant will come when China’s headlong economic growth starts to slow further. But on past form, China’s leaders will continue to worry more about internal threats to their control than external ones. Last year spending on internal security outstripped military spending for the first time. With a rapidly ageing population, it is also a good bet that meeting the demand for better health care will become a higher priority than maintaining military spending. Like all the other great powers, China faces a choice of guns or walking sticks.Second, as some pragmatic American policymakers concede, it is not a matter for surprise or shock that a country of China’s importance and history should have a sense of its place in the world and want armed forces which reflect that. Indeed, the West is occasionally contradictory about Chinese power, both fretting about it and asking China to accept greater responsibility for global order. As General Yao Yunzhu of the Academy of Military Science says: “We are criticised if we do more and criticised if we do less. The West should decide what it wants. The international military order is US-led—NATO and Asian bilateral alliances—there is nothing like the WTO for China to get into.”Third, the PLA may not be quite as formidable as it seems on paper. China’s military technology has suffered from the Western arms embargo imposed after the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. It struggles to produce high-performance jet engines, for example. Western defence firms believe that is why they are often on the receiving end of cyber-attacks that appear to come from China. China’s defence industry may be improving but it remains scattered, inefficient and over-dependent on high-tech imports from Russia, which is happy to sell the same stuff to China’s local rivals, India and Vietnam. The PLA also has little recent combat experience. The last time it fought a real enemy was in the war against Vietnam in 1979, when it got a bloody nose. In contrast, a decade of conflict has honed American forces to a new pitch of professionalism. There must be some doubt that the PLA could put into practice the complex joint operations it is being increasingly called upon to perform.General Yao says the gap between American and Chinese forces is “at least 30, maybe 50, years.” “China,” she says, “has no need to be a military peer of the US. But perhaps by the time we do become a peer competitor the leadership of both countries will have the wisdom to deal with the problem.” The global security of the next few decades will depend on her hope being realised.Correction: The following definitions have been changed in the main table of this article: “Main battle tanks” to “Modern main battle tanks”; “Armoured infantry vehicles” to “Armoured infantry fighting vehicles”; “Intercontinental ballistic missiles” to “Intercontinental ballistic missile launchers”; “Transport helicopters” to “Heavy/medium transport helicopters”; “Transport aircraft” to “Heavy/medium transport aircraft”; “Tanker and multi-role aircraft” to “Tanker aircraft.” Additionally, the data are from 2011 not 2010 as originally reported. These changes were made on 6th April 2012.2012-02-27: Is the Yap/China MOU a Good Thing?Monday, February 27, 2012, Source: In the interest of spurring discussion, we put forth a small debate on this question: Is the MOU between Yap and China a good thing?We’re interested in your thoughts as well, please leave your thoughts in the comment box below or even start something up in the forum. Here’s a link to the article: “Yap Chiefs Sign Chinese Tourism Project”PROYap and China’s MOU is just preliminary but it has potential—potential to turn a pretty penny for Yap if they play it the right way. The Exhibition and Travel Group’s resorts are world class. They aren’t mom and pop’s side motel where you can rest yourself for the night. The hotels they make cater to the wealthy. They make world class resorts. Yap is almost a diamond in the rough. With the right investments and developments, Yap has the potential to be the next big destination of the wealthy. With the influx of money, jobs would be created that would go to the Yapese on the island. Of course land will be leased, meaning a large sum of steady income for some over a long period of time. There are precautions that should be taken. Lets take into consideration the situation with the Hawaiian islands. Right now the tourism industry is their main driving force of economy. Maybe Yap shouldn’t take that turn, but they can learn lessons from Hawaii and take the steps toward making it work for them.Certainly, the attentions of China on yap has not gone unnoticed by the US. This could be an extra bargaining chip to deal with future compact negotiations. If politics is a game, might as well have some good pieces. CONYap has seen positive growth in their finance and serves as a model to the other states in their handling of their funds. Yap is also the bastion of cultural integrity. Their culture fared best in Micronesia and persisted through 4 generations of cultural integrations by foreign powers, cultural integrations that were often forced. They now face a new form of cultural integration, one that suggests the preservation and promotion of native cultures, and is also a fast growing global industry.I believe that tourism’s ultimate guise is its very claim to be preserving culture. It is correct to say that the world is fast becoming globalized and even the historically resolute Yap is not immune to this new wave of cultural integration. But, is tourism the answer to saving or preserving culture and customs? And is it an economically viable investment?Let’s take a look at Hawaii. To accommodate to the large population of tourists their waters are overfished, they import food because local foods are at a shortage, the cost of living is one of the highest in the world and the native population has been pushed to less desirable locations.In the context of culture, let’s take a look at hula. The performance has adapted to suit the foreign perception of what they want the Pacific islands to look like. Hula has nearly lost its meaning, it has been reduced to a dance, not unique to its people but a product of tourism, copied and performed by others in the Pacific.An example closer to Yap is Palau. Palau sees many foreign experts and laborers brought into their islands to work in their industries. Additionally, many of the owners of their tourism businesses are foreigners (dive tours and hotels). Even with a large tourism population they are still heavily dependent on Compact aid.Who ultimately wins in a tourism industry? The 1%, political players, big businesses and outsiders are the beneficiaries. And who then becomes the eventual loser… culture, and often times the native population.So, in the case of Yap, an already efficient and effective state in our federation, a thriving cultural haven… is the risk worth the cost?To adopt the analogy, Yap has definitely entered a game. They are now the chips, with China and the U.S.A. as the players.2012-02-27: Yapese Citizens Gather Signatures for PetitionMonday, February 27, 2012, Source: A group of Yapese citizens have been gathering signatures for a petition to be submitted to Yap State govenerment regarding the MOU with the Chinese Exhibition & Travel Group. View the petition here. (HN: I have transcribed the.pdf image file as follows)We, the undersigned:As residents of the State of Yap, are aware of the many economic problems facing this State and the country; andAre also aware that there are potential economic development and investments being proposed by the Chinese Exhibition and Travel Group (ETG) for the state of Yap; andAre also aware as to the full impact of such proposals on our people, traditions, culture, land, ocean and identity; andAre concerned and committed to the welfare of our people, communities and islands and we recognize the importance of all our people being fully informed and provided an opportunity to participate and submit their views in any and all discussions on the investment issue;Therefore, we the undersigned:Are hereby requesting the Government and the Leadership of the State of Yap, to fully inform, educate and disseminate to the general populace relevant information regarding the components, impact, and status of the proposed ETG investment in various mediums and forums;That such mediums and forums be conducted thoroughly both in town and in all outlying villages and islands in a regular and frequent manner;And that no further agreements and promises, both written and oral, be made by the Government and the Leadership of Yap, on said proposal by ETG until such time that the people of Yap have duly expressed their free will on the said proposal in a pleibiscite to be funded by the Government of Yap.2012-03-15: Yap Governor: MOU for Chinese Development Not a Done DealBy Clynt Ridgell, Thursday 15 March 2012 Guam News (Also here)Back in January the Yap council of Pilung or tribal council signed a Memorandum of Understanding with a private Chinese development firm for the construction of a huge resort on Yap.However Yap State Governor Sebastian Anefal says the government has yet to approve of any plans for the development which reportedly included the construction of as many as 10 hotels, casinos and a convention center. Governor Anefal explains that the Chinese Exhibition and Travel Group based out of Chengdu city in China has not given the Yap state government any formal plans and only gave an oral presentation of their ernor Anefal says that he is waiting for the ETG to present a master plan that they requested months ago. “Our thinking is that without anything in black in white we’ll simply have to wait until they produce something,” said Governor Anefal adding, “No time lines it was just a general understanding of what the traditional leaders could do to facilitate a project if it is approved by the government.”The MOU was signed by traditional Chief Bruno Tharngan and ETG chairman Dèng Hóng. During the signing ceremony Deng presented a $20 thousand dollar check to Governor Anefal as a donation for medication.2012-03-16: Yap’s Anefal: “There is No Project!”By David Jay Morris, Friday, 16 Mar 2012 (Source: ) During a break yesterday at the 17th Micronesian Chief Executives’ Summit at the Sheraton Laguna Resort, the Variety had the chance to speak briefly with the governor of Yap, Sebastian L. Anefal, and ask him about the status of the potential massive Chinese resort project on his islands.“There is no project,” the governor replied forcefully. “Right now it’s only talk. I wish the media would stop listening to rumors and get the facts!” When asked if it was correct that Yap’s Traditional Council of Pilung had signed something with the group of potential Chinese investors, however, the governor answered, “Yes, but that was just an MOU, a memorandum of understanding.” He also added that as of yet, no detailed proposal had been made.The Variety then asked the governor if, by his definition, a potential project would involve a concrete proposal being made, with verification that the necessary funds are actually available. “No,” he replied. “There is a project only if they give a proposal, then both sides talk about it and negotiate some things. And, if both sides sign an agreement, then there’s a project.” Variety asked him if there was any indication that the Chinese government might be supporting the group that had put forward the idea for the resort, which reports had indicated could involve a hotel with tens of thousands of rooms, a jumbo-jet compatible airport, and a deepening of the harbor to enable it to handle large luxury cruise ships. Anefal told us he had no indication of this, but that the group appears to be “very serious.”Finally, the Variety asked the governor if the Americans have had anything to say to him about this idea. He replied, “They might. But we have asked them for investment many times, and they never did anything.”2012-04-30: Research: ETG, EXIM bank, CRBC, CMEC, CHEC…The following information provides some more detail about Dèng Hóng (ETG chairperson), China EXIM Bank, and some of the huge construction corporations (in the Governor’s “Counter-proposal #1“ listed as “Other Participants”) that visited Yap last week (end of April, 2012).ETG’s Dèng Hóng (邓鸿):Dèng Hóng was born in 1963, served in the military before going to the US in 1993. He returned from US ~1995, and started building his tourism and hotel empire. He seems to have very good relations with the highest PRC leadership: Jiang Zhe-Min () the previous topmost leader in China, once performed singing in Dèng Hóng ‘s Sha-Wan Convention Center (in Chengdu) in 2002! For an authoritarian regime, like PRC, this shows exceptionally good relations between Jiang Zhe-Min and Dèng Hóng. (Imagine Yap Governor Anefal singing a song—rare enough!—in somebody’s village store!)Dèng Hóng is also an artist; he initiates and sponsors the biennial art festival in Chengdu. He paints—his drawings are hanging everywhere in his grandiose hotels. He designed Jiuzhai Paradise himself, one of the most acclaimed hotels in China. (The small picture gallery DesignDengHong (from the.pdf file , unfortunately, in Chinese), copied from the Internet, features pictures from Jiuzhai Paradise, highlighting the artistic style of this building.) The Jiuzhai Paradise is located in one of the most well-known cultural/ecological preservation area. How did Dèng Hóng get the government’s permission to build such a huge “paradise?” in that place? It is as mysterious as how quickly he got his US citizenship, after only 1-2 years stay in the US (1993-1995). And who are the “local people” in Jiuzhai Paradise? They are not Han-Chinese but Tibetan/Qiang ethnic minorities.I’ve been told that Jane Zhang (one of the ETG people in the Aprl 19th meeting, in Colonia, with young Yapese) doesn’t know who the “locals” in the Jiuzhai Paradise are, because she does not belong to that project.ETG’s Partners (Visiting Yap together with Mr. Dèng Hóng)1) China EXIM Bank (Export-Import Bank of China) EXIM (EXport-IMport) Bank is one of three institutional banks in China, chartered to implement state policies in industry, foreign trade, diplomacy, economy and finance, and to provide financial policy support, to promote export of Chinese products and services.Note: the EXIM bank is subordinate to the PRC State Council. Li RuoGu (Chairman, President, and Party Secretary of China EXIM Bank (source: )) 2) China Road and Bridge Cooperation (CRBC) enCRBC (China Road & Bridge Corporation) was debarred by the World Bank in 2009 (for fraud in Philippines Roads Project (source: goo.gl/kqN9i)).“Washington, July 29, 2011?The World Bank today announced the debarment of China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) Limited, and all its subsidiaries, for fraudulent practices under Phase 1 of the Philippines National Roads Improvement and Management Project. Under the sanction, CCCC is ineligible to engage in any road and bridge projects financed by the World Bank Group until January 12, 2017. This action is based on recent changes in the World Bank sanctions system to clarify that successor organizations—through purchase or reorganization—will be subject to the same sanctions applied to the original CC is the designated successor entity to China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) which, along with six other firms and one individual, was debarred by the World Bank for eight years, beginning January 12, 2009, following an investigation of the National Roads Improvement and Management Project by the World Bank’s Integrity Vice Presidency (INT). No World Bank funds from the NRIMP project were disbursed to any of the sanctioned firms.”67.225.140.129/News/NewsDetails.aspx?Page=news&NewsID=1222:“World Bank Blacklists CRBCThe Chinese construction giant, China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) International has been suspended from undertaking World Bank (WB) financed road projects across the world for the next eight years. CRBC’s debarment, however, can be reduced or terminated after five years if the firm puts in place a compliance programme satisfactory to the WB. Along with CRBC, E.C. de Luna Construction Corp. and its owner and sole proprietor Eduardo C. de Luna, China State Construction Corp., China Wu Yi Co. Ltd, China Geo-Engineering Corp., Cavite Ideal International Construction and Development Corp as well as CM Pancho Construction Inc. were each debarred for a different number of years. The Chinese construction firm, which is currently undertaking about 10 projects in different parts of Ethiopia, has already been kicked out WB financed projects in Ethiopia as of December 9, 2008.CRBC had, for instance, won the Gonder-Debark asphalt road for which the Ethiopian Roads Authority (ERA) had floated a tender six months ago. However, the WB rejected CRBC as a winner and awarded the project to the runner-up, Sino Hydro, because the former was in its black list for the alleged collusive practices in the road project in Philippines.”china.business/news/2009-01/15/content_17110950.htm:“Chinese Construction Giants barred by World BankChina State Construction Corporation, China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC) and two other Chinese construction companies have been debarred from bidding for World Bank financed projects for periods ranging from five to eight years, after a corruption investigation in the Philippines, according to a Bank press release.The companies were among seven firms and one individual debarred for ‘engaging in collusive practices under a major Bank-financed roads project in the Philippines’, according to the World Bank press statement.The project, the Philippines National Roads Improvement and Management Program was partly financed by a US$150 million loan from the World Bank.An investigation by officials from the World Bank Integrity Vice-Presidency (INT) and external legal experts determined that the companies had colluded to enter non-competitive, artificially high bid prices, the Bank statement said.”3) China Machinery Engineering Corp. (CMEC (Web: goo.gl/icm5R))Snipped from maldivesembassy.jp/cat_001/9785: “President meets the Vice President of China Machinery & Engineering Corp 15 April 2012,President Dr Mohamed Waheed today met with the Vice President of China Machinery and Engineering Corporation (CMEC), Mr Li Chaoyang. The meeting was held this afternoon at the President’s Office.At the meeting, Mr Li Chaoyang briefed the President on the progress of the 1,000 housing units that are being built in Hulhumale’ by the CMEC. He said that discussions were underway with the Minister of Housing and Environment in improving the work of the 2nd phase of the project.President Waheed expressed satisfaction over the work being done by CMEC in building the housing units.He also noted the close ties that exist between the Maldives and China, and expressed confidence that the relations would continue to strengthen.”CMEC Suppliers to Iran (suppliers/suppliers-list.asp)Snipped from suppliers/records/china-cmecmee.html:“Sanctioned by the United States in July 2002 for engaging in proliferation activities with Iran; part of the China National Machinery and Equipment Import-Export Corporation (CMEC); imports, exports and distributes machinery and electrical products and automobile parts; exports small hydroelectric power stations, general purpose or special purpose machine tools, heavy and mining equipment, hoisting and material handling machinery, chemical equipment, food equipment, bearings, tools, measuring and cutting tools, electric motors and electric apparatus, light industry and textile products, raw materials, electronics, instruments, environmental protection equipment, iron and steel, non-ferrous metals, building materials, and chemicals.”4) China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd. (CHEC) chec.Snipped from goo.gl/ZKeme (Guyana):“PPP’s secret deal with Chinese is clear evidence of corruption and disrespectThe corrupt and barefaced PPP has cut yet another secret deal with another foreign company without telling the public and even its own PPP supporters. We had the deal with the Indian businessman to whom the PPP gave a five percent slice of our forests for an insult of a payment without telling us a thing.This airport deal has a lot of money involved, which is probably why the PPP cabal did not plan on telling anyone. The deal is with a company called China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC). A Chinese bank, China Exim, is putting up US $138 million, equivalent to Guyana $27.6 billion.No one knows how much the Guyanese people will have to contribute because the PPP hid this deal from the public. How could a government make a deal for $27.6 billion dollars and not say a single word to the people of this country?What is most shockingly egregious, brazenly barefaced and shamefully outrageous about this deal is that the PPP signed this deal just last Friday. Yes, this disgraceful bunch of riffraff running this country signed a deal worth $27.6 billion in the middle of an election and hid this deal from the public. This is deceit, plain and simple. If this is not the height of disregard and disrespect to the Guyanese people, I don’t know what is.”Snipped from news/international/article2129181.ece:“Khaleda Zia’s Son Sentenced Over BribesA Bangladesh court Thursday sentenced the fugitive son of former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia to six years in jail for laundering money taken as bribes from two global companies.Judge Mohammad Mozammel Hossain said in his verdict Arafat Rahman was guilty of smuggling more than 200 million takas ($2.66 million) to Singapore. The judge also fined Rahman 190 million takas ($2.53 million) and asked authorities to get the smuggled money returned.Rahman, the younger son of Ms. Zia, was accused of taking bribes from China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd. and the Bangladesh subsidiary of Germany’s industrial giant Siemens AG for helping them win government contracts during his mother’s 2001-2006 premiership.Rahman was tried in absentia. He has been living in Bangkok since 2008 after he was released pending trial on the grounds of poor health. He later refused to return for trial.The punishment will be effective from the day of Rahman’s return or surrender, prosecution lawyer Mosharraf Hossain said.”China Policies and Cultural IssuesSnipped from the.pdf document EU-China-Africa Trilateral Development Cooperation (see goo.gl/6w1Rv): China as a benevolent or malicious actor in Africa? In many opinion pieces on China’s increasing engagement on the African continent, its image as a determined, geostrategic and sometimes heedless actor that is achieving its interests–while sermonizing outdated principles—has taken shape in parts of the media as well as in academic and political circles. However, thus far China’s engagement in Africa has in practice been less systematic and effective than one might assume. China has to deal more with the shortcomings and unintended consequences of its engagement.These outcomes are less a result of malicious intentions than of lacking expertise and indifference towards possible political and social consequences of its actions. China’s approach of serving its own industrial development needs while holding up the idea of mutual benefit as the core of its development policy was a success as long as it did not attract any international public attention.When criticism arose not only from European and American commentators but also among African states and opposition groups and civil society, Chinese strategists were by and large caught by surprise. Some reacted with aggressive defence lines, like the governor of China EXIM Bank, most others tried to point to inevitable tensions at the margins while the core policies were not questioned. Like many domestic policies, the foreign policy situation highlights how ineffective political structures based on vertical reporting lines are in tackling complex situations which require horizontal coordination.The knowledge base on African (development) issues in China is very limited and China has reacted by investing more in analytical and policy formulation capacities, such as the expansion of existing or the creation of new Africa departments in think tanks and universities.”“Inevitable tensions at the margins” indeed! Could that eloquent piece be diplomatese for “the Chinese managers ran into problems with the African workers”? Are the Chinese really expected to be more knowlegeable with Yapese cultural issues, the “Yapese Way” of doing things, than of African same?Personal ConclusionsThe above short “research” took me about four hours net work on my computer to produce… The “dirt” is omnipresent, and not very difficult to find. I’m almost afraid of trying to dig deeper… Mr. Anefal states (in his email to Dennis Camblin), that: “The Exhibition and Travel Group was formally put in touch with Yap by the FSM Embassy in Beijing after having done necessary background checks and due diligence on the company and its principals. Yap also went through the same process (Interpol, FBI, etc.) to ascertain that we would not be collaborating with some unknown mafia group of something of that nature. While I admit that we are nowhere close to being comparable with the intelligence gathering capability of the CIA, we were comforted to learn that this was a genuine well-established company in several provinces of China and outside of China.” (highlights added)Due diligence? There must be several different definitions of the term… And it would be interesting to see the Interpol and FBI reports, that the Governor must have received from these agencies. What I have found (after only a few hours) would have made me seriously doubt the sincerity and intentions of both this “genuine and well-established company” and its “principals”… But that’s me.The EXIM bank (and corporations like CRBC, CMEC, CHEC) all have very close relations with the PRC government. EXIM bank is subordinate to the PRC State Council. CRBC (China Road and Bridge Corp), CMEC (China Machinery Engineering Corp), and CHEC (China Harbour Engineering Company, Ltd), appears to be “liberated” from the former national monopoly—but is it really possible to be “fully liberated” from the top-controlled PRC state government apparatus, given the huge scales of the investments and constructions these companies have undertaken?.ETG keeps saying that they are “private company.” Personally, I find that difficult to believe. According to “Lhasa Hotel Boom: The Back Story,” ETG’s chairman, Dèng Hóng, gave away 30% of his ETG assets back in 2001 to the Chengdu Government (for nothing in return?), and seems to have extraordinary good relations with the highest PRC leadership: As reflected by its “partners” (in the “counter-proposal #1“ understatingly referred to simply as “Other Participants”—Gigantic, used-to-be-national-monopoly companies, well known for bribing their way to fat contracts! Due diligence? More like, “Diligence? Duuh…” 2012-05-08: Yap Community Town Hall MeetingTuesday, May 08 2012 Press Release (Source: ) Colonia, Yap (Yap State Government) — A very important meeting has been scheduled for two hours on Friday, May 18, to discuss the proposed tourism investment in Yap by a Chinese group known as the Exhibition and Travel Group, or . Sebastian Anefal has invited all the people to meet with him and members of his cabinet on Friday, May 18, from 2:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Community Center in Colonia.As the proposed tourism investment project by the ETG will be the focus of discussion during the meeting, everyone will be given the chance to voice their concerns regarding the investment plan so governor and his cabinet can answer their questions and explain in detail how ETG plans to implement the proposed investment project.The governor is encouraging all employers to allow their employees the opportunity to participate so they can share their thoughts, ideas and concerns with him and his cabinet.All non-essential government personnel have been requested to be allowed to take part in the very important discussion.This will be the first time that the state government has scheduled a forum discussion with the people of Yap on the ETG proposed investment project.The ETG earlier conducted several meetings with groups in the government and other communities in Yap to educate them on the investment plan.2012-05-11: China Capital to Yap Island By Tomohiko Taniguchi, May 11, 2012 (Source: wedge.ismedia.jp/articles/-/1859)Purpose of the Large-scale Development 120651524000The name of Yap Island reminds me of those islands where the Japanese army deployed during the WWII. Now I heard the island has become a diver paradise. To go there from Japan, it takes only 1.5 hour by plane after transiting in Guam. The peaceful island of about 100 Km2 has long been known for the use of stone money, too. However, since Chinese companies are planning to develop the island into a big resort, it is going to experience a massive change soon. The name of Yap Island reminds me of those islands where the Japanese army deployed during the WWII. Now I heard the island has become a diver’s paradise and to go there from Japan, it takes only 1.5 hour by plane after transiting in Guam. Development by the Chinese, of the Chinese and for the Chinese The development’s China-side subject is Exhibition & Travel Group (ETG), which head office is in Chengdu, Sichuan. Mr. Dèng Hóng, the chairman of ETG, went to Yap and exchanged a MOU with the local representatives on January 12 of this year. According to the report, the plan intends to build 10 hotels with total of 4,000 rooms, 15 golf courses and several casinos, to begin with. There is also an intention to increase the number of the hotel rooms up to 20,000 in the future. Although the MOU includes an item which determines to keep the traditions and nature of the island, it also states that ETG can carry out “full-scale” development, and that the local representatives will support it to the largest extent. By 2015, or by the end of the first term of the plan, Yap Island, smaller than Shodo-shima, will be completely transfigured, if everything goes smoothly. Although Mr. Dèng Hóng may seem to extend the airfield to accept direct flights from Japan and South Korea, when the profit of such a mega-enterprise equal to hiring a complete island is considered, it is clear that Chinese people to come in en mass is surely being counted on. Unlike Guam, if it happens in Yap, Chinese visitors will easily get the number one position from the start. It will become the development of the Chinese, by the Chinese, for the Chinese. Mr. Dèng Hóng is a famous millionaire with a collection of luxury cars, such as Lamborghini, and a frequenter of a ranking list of millionaires of the world. “Which would you choose between a friend and politics?” When he was asked by a U.S. reporter, he answered “politics (= party)” with no hesitation. His close relations with the party would have helped him in various scenes, including building his individual assets presumed to be hundreds of billions of Japanese yen (translator’s note: several US$ billions ). In 2003, Mr. Dèng Hóng cleared the woods in Aba (Ngawa) Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture of Sichuan, and invited the InterContinental Hotel. Presently, he is building a large-scale hotel in Lhasa, a holy place of Lamaism, also with the InterContinental Hotel group. Because the former development is close to the area designated as one of the UNESCO World Natural Heritages Sites, the impact to the environment and degradation of the site is feared. The latter can be considered as a typical project of the secularization and Han race-ization of Tibet. Therefore, it is natural to figure that both moves would have been carried out backed by the invisible intention of Beijing. Yap Island, 2nd Island Chain US Navy 2nd Island Chain MapOn the other hand Yap is located on the “2nd Island Chain” which China says, in the position which can check the US Navy going to the Philippines from Pearl Harbor. This is why, during WWII, the Japanese Imperial Navy made their anchorage in Chuuk Lagoon. The methodology of dividing the Western Pacific Region which China desires has now become vaguely visible. It would drop a large amount of capital in the form of a private sector on to the small untouched island, and then would let the Chinese population grow intensively. This could be the strategy of politics and military osmosis. With great concerns it focuses on Micronesia that is now under protection of the U.S. This area was called “Nanyo-Gunto” during the Japanese occupation.Yap Island is in Federated States of Micronesia, an independent nation. The President, Mr. Emmanuel MORI, is of Japanese descent, a great-grandchild of Mr. Koben MORI from Kochi, who became the model of the story of “Boken Dankichi.” However, Japan has been assisting only with very limited aid, and from time to time invites a few leaders of the nation for meetings (“Island Summit” to be held this year). The U.S., in spite of its role as the protectorate, has long left jurisdiction over this area to the Department of the Interior instead of the Department of State, as same as the National Park Services, etc. Well, China has really poked the weak point. There is a motion which aims at independence in Yap. If it comes to the reality, Beijing will recognize it first of all.The Wedge, May 2012 issue 1) This article appeared on a Japanese monthly magazine “WEDGE” May 2012 issue and was translated in Yap by Mitsue Yasui. The original is listed at:) Mr. Tomohiko Taniguchi’s profile found on the Internet is as follows; (Current) Member of the Board, Advisor to the Editor at Japan Echo / Visiting Professor at Meiji University School of Global Japanese Studies / Special Guest Professor at Keio University Graduate School of System Design and Management.(Past) Deputy Press Secretary, Deputy Director General for Public Diplomacy, Speech Writer at Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan / Ex-Officio member at The Fulbright Commission / Senior Writer at Nikkei Business Publications / CNAPS Visiting Fellow at The Brookings Institution / Visiting Fellow at Shanghai Institute for International Studies.2012-05-21: Yap Executive Branch Holds Public Forum on ETGSource: Kaselehlie PressIn the afternoon of May 21, 2012, Yap State Executive Branch held a public discussion forum on the plans of the Exhibit and Travel Group better known as ETG. The discussion forum focused on the proposed plans of ETG and the status of such plans. Held at the Community Center in Colonia, the meeting was one in a panel discussion setting where panelists were situated in front of the crowd. The members of the panel included Acting Attorney General Jeremiah Luther, Director of Public Work & Transportation Vincent Figir, Director of Resources &Development Frank Haregaichig, Director of Youth &Civic Affairs Ruotpong Pongliyab, the Chief of the Division of Commerce and Industry, and a representative from Environmental Protection Agency. The discussion began with Garret Johnson who works in the Department of Youth & Civic Affairs, welcoming everyone and introducing the panel group members. The core of the discussion began with a statement and comments made by the acting Attorney General Jeremiah Luther.Luther assured the people that his job as acting AG is to ensure that the best possible agreement between the state and ETG is formulated, one that “will protect the interests of the individual citizens of Yap, protect the environment of Yap, and protect the laws and traditions of Yap.”Luther went on discussing the several documents that had been signed to strengthen the negotiations between the state and ETG, documents that have lead the state towards closing a deal with ETG.In April 2011, the governor of Yap signed a Strategic Framework of Cooperation between Yap’s executive branch and ETG, pledging cooperation between the two parties.In October 2011, the Director of Youth & Civic Affairs signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with ETG on behalf of the state to ensure continued communication between the two parties. Then in January of this year, the chairman of the Council of Pilung Bruno Tharngan signed a MOU between the Council and ETG, which partly states that the Council will act as a mediator between ETG and Yapese who own land.According to Luther’s statement at the public discussion forum, the AG’s office is currently working on the specific sections of an Investment Agreement including resolving some issues in the Agreement. Once the Agreement has been finalized, a copy will be transmitted to the Legislature for review and comments.Luther soon after his statement welcomed questions from the crowd. The crowd consisted of Yapese government employees, several members of the Legislature, and other Yapese citizens coming from different municipalities.Questions posed from the crowd involved land usage, assessment study with respect to the proposed ETG plans, gambling, and more.One Yapese man asked if the government had conducted a study that would look closely at the impacts the ETG proposed plans would have on Yap. Luther answered saying “no comprehensive studies have been put together.” The acting AG went on stating that neither an environmental study nor a comprehensive economic study have been conducted because the total scope of the ETG project is still unknown.One Yapese lady asked what the government and ETG plan to do should the situation arise where one landowner agrees to lease his land for a hotel build up, and that particular parcel of land happens to border land owned by other Yapese individuals who do not want to lease to ETG. Luther could not give a complete answer to this question but he did say that ETG was willing to accommodate those who are willing to lease their land and would need to relocate.One other Yapese lady pleaded with the government, asking the government to reevaluate its position with the proposed ETG plans and to think about the future generations of YapAnother Yapese man who is also a member of the state legislature brought up the issue of gambling as rumored to be part of ETG’s plans in Yap. Luther responded that ETG does want to start gambling in Yap but this will not happen “unless the people of the state of Yap agree to allow gambling.”When asked whether or not a Foreign Investment Permit had been issued to ETG, Luther said that the permit has been signed and approved, but has not been turned over to ETG. According to the acting AG, ETG has also applied for a business license but the state is holding on to the license at this time as the resolution from the state legislature requested that ETG halt any further actions regarding its development plan until such time that all Yapese are made fully aware of ETG’s plans.The Director of Public Works and Transportation made some comments about the benefit of ETG development in Yap. He also remarked on the end of the compact with the United States in 2023. He noted the tax revenue ETG would bring in should the proposed plans come through.The time allotted for the public discussion, from 2:30PM to 4:30PM, was not enough. It was close to 5:00PM when the discussion was cut short. Even then, there were still others who wanted to ask their questions but could not because of the time constraint.2012-07-24: ETG “Cooperative Agreement #5” DisclosedMany thanks to Martina Gisog for making this document known to the world! Unfortunately, it is a “scanned.pdf” (someone really knows how to make it difficult to effectively spread information!), five megabytes makes it too big to be included here. However, it can be downloaded, via the FaceBook group “Yap’s Development,” using this URL: (HN)2012-08-06: Yap Govt Reviewing Chinese Tourism Investment ProposalSource: Pacific Islands Development Program, East-West CenterNews ReleaseYap State Government, Colonia, Yap, FSM, August 6, 2012The legislative committees on Finance, Government, Health and Welfare and Resources, Education and Development continue to review and discuss the tourism development investment agreement between Yap state and the Exhibition & Travel Group from Chengdu, Sichuan province, China.The meeting was held in the presence of Gov. Sebastian Anefal, Lt. Gov. Tony Tareg, acting Attorney General Jeremiah Luther, Director Vincent Figir of the Department of Public Works & Transportation, Director Ruotpong Pongliyab of the Department of Youth & Civic Affairs, former Speaker Tony Ganngiyan and members of the public who were invited to testify on the specific provisions of the investment agreement.Lawmakers are hoping to complete the review process on most of the remaining provisions so they would be fewer when they return for another public hearing probably this week.The AG’s office will bring the proposed changes to the ETG for review.2012-07-28: Analysis of ETG’s “Cooperative Agreement #5”381027114500The latest version of the text in this section can be downloaded from 663511511557000663511511557000663511511557000This ETG “Cooperative Agreement” (#5) appears to be about “constructing a project,” but nowhere is it in any detail describing 663511511557000what “the project” is really supposed to do.ETG agrees that they and their subsidiaries will “follow relevant laws”—I’d feel a lot better if they agreed to follow ALL laws.Of specific interest is the fact that Section 3.5 (Development Limitations) brings up “industrial and mining activities,” and that the governor will submit bills to the Legislature “for necessary amendments to the law [ … ] to regulate industrial and mining activities on the Land and its continental shelf to the extent reasonably necessary to prevent their adverse impacts on tourism development and the environment”… It is at this point really difficult to see why this clause is in the proposal, what the actual intention here may be.Section IV describes what is to be undertaken by ETG. It is agreed that ETG shall “strictly comply with the FSM Environmental Protection Act,” and that they shall “follow the relevant Law” (I’d prefer to see “follow the Law,” with no reference to what is relevant) in terms of employment, that they will give preference to using “Local Goods and Services” and that they will “Respect Traditional Custom and Local Interests of Yap”—this is all good.Regarding “the Infrastructure,” it is now rather non-committing, saying simply that “ETG agrees to improve or build Infrastructure (without costs to the State) for the Project’s sole use as well as to operate them for its own gain”… Not sure what this means, but it sounds to me as if ETG will only improve the “infrastructure” for their own exclusive (“sole”) use, and for their own exclusive gain… Is this good? I don’t know. Section 4.5 also states that ETG promises to monitor road damage, and to take immediate action when repairs are needed… There is not a single word about building new, or improving existing, roads (other than fixing damage cause by ETG).Section 4.6 is likewise rather non-committing mentioning that ETG will “upgrade the airport and seaport facilities.” No details. Also, “upon the occurrence of such event” (that is, “upgrading” of air- and seaport facilities), ETG and the State will negotiate specifics and enter separate agreements for construction, upgrades, improvements, operation, and maintenance of cuch facilities. The “free airport” upgrade appears to have disappeared!Except these “infrastructure” mentions, all ETG has agreed to do is to “improve local current medical condition of medical facilities through contributions of medical equipment…”—The “new hospital” appears to have disappeared!ETG further loosely agrees to assist with “career training” and “education” (by providing training, and by “contributing funds to aid in the development of public education”…The “new school” appears to have disappeared!There are some loose promises of setting up a “trust fund for the benefit of the people of Yap,” but there are no details, no sums mentioned, the only details specify the bureaucratic structure of the fund, how many and who gets to be on the Fund’s board of directors…In addition, all the new roads, the new power station, the new sewer processing facilities, and the new water supply system, appears to have disappeared (well, there certainly is no mention of any of these old stand-by’s in “proposal #5”…)Other than that, two more “infrastructure” projects are mentioned: (1) A new public park (!), and (2) A new State Capitol (big enough to comfortably house all of Yap State government plus the two pilung councils).That’s all, folks!!!There is NO MENTION of ANY of the following (which have previously been prominently flouted as bringing wealth and prosperity to all the People of Yap):NO new/upgraded roads;NO new hospital;NO new power station;NO new sewer processing facilities;NO new water supply systems;NO five-star international brand hotels and resorts (or even any number of hotel rooms); NO exhibition and convention center with related facilities of international standards; NO entertainment center; NO eighteen-hole golf courses of International Standard; NO sports center including tennis courts, basketball fields, and other sport facilities; NO “ocean park”; NO marinas and yacht clubs; NO passenger’s wharf; NO cultural facilities including theaters, cinemas, performance stages, and cable tv systems; NO commercial blocks including shopping areas and duty free shop areas; NO apartments; NO “Garden villas”; NO “Chinatown”;NO village relocations; NO new villages built for the relocated villagers; And, lo and behold, NO CASINOS!So, it seems to me that this “Proposal #5” (which indicates that proposals #2, #3, and #4 has been going back and forth is complete secrecy, even though the “honorable governor” has repeatedly stated that “there are no ongoing negotiations”… Interesting, but not surprising!) only constitutes an agreement between ETG and the State of Yap, that the ETG will “construct a project” (with no details as to what that project actually is) according to a supposedly already existing but never made public “Master Plan,” and that ETG, MAYBE, will upgrade airport and seaport facilities (subject to negotiations)… Poooooof!However, ETG agrees that they WILL build a new public park (just what the People of Yap needs most of all!) and a new Capitol—meaning a new office building for the Yap State government functions—again something that the People of Yap really needs!All the rest is just legalese, ass-covering mumbo-jumbo, totally inconsequential for the “tourism development” and the future of Yap.So what happened, pray tell, to the lofty mega-resort project, with its thousands of hotel rooms, golf courses, casinos, international travel hub, called the “Pacific Yap Paradise Island International Tourism Resort project”?What is it that ETG is after? Free hands to do what they want with Yap, on the promise of building a new park, and a flashy new government building?Shakespeare would have written: “Something is rotten in the State of Yap”!To my eyes, it looks as if higher level ETG decision makers (or financers) has realized that the Yap Megaresort project is nothing but someone’s crazy pipe dream, and that they are now looking for a way out that saves face… Good, and Good Riddance!The saga continues… Copyleft 2012 Henry Norman — No Rights Reserved2012-08-13: Yap, Chinese Resort Group Sign Investment AgreementIsland to become “one of the main tourist destinations in the Pacific”Source: Colonia, YAP (Marianas Business Journal, Aug. 13, 2012)—An investment agreement was signed by the Yap state government and the Chinese resort development firm Exhibition & Travel Group (ETG) during a ceremony at the Pacific Dive Resorts in Colonia on Aug. 11, according to release from Yap state.The agreement was signed by Gov. Sebastian Anefal and Deng Hong, chairman of ETG of the People’s Republic of China, according to the release. Also in attendance were the governor’s cabinet; chairman, vice chairman and members of the Traditional Council of Pilung; chairman of the 8th Legislature Standing Committee on Government, Health and Welfare; and members of the public.According to the release, in a brief statement, Anefal said, “the year 2023 brings an end in the economic provision of the Compact between the Federated States of Micronesia and the United States, to me that would be the funeral for the Federated States of Micronesia. If you want to prolong and postpone this funeral ceremony then I think we have to take a bold step and this is the right time to do so. During the remaining 10 to 11 years before 2023 I think Yap has to do something.”Hong thanked the government and the people of Yap for accepting the investment proposal. He said this visit has opened a new page of close relation between Yap and ETG. He also said that by working together, ETG will build Yap to become one of the main tourist destinations in the Pacific region. Hong has mentioned that ETG would be able to complete the construction of all the facilities in Yap within the next five years from that day of signing if things are moving forward according to plan.After the state legislature concluded the series of oversight hearings with the administration regarding the agreement, the state government returned to ETG to discuss the issue with their legal counsels before the signing of the agreement.Prior to the signing of the investment agreement, the Council of Pilung requested both the executive and legislative branches of the government expedite their work on the agreement so the project could start to move forward, according to the release.According to an ETG flyer posted on the Nature’s Way website, ETG’s investment plan includes construction of 4,000 hotel and resort rooms, exhibition and convention centers, entertainment centers, an ocean park, golf courses, marina and yacht clubs, a duty-free shopping area, a food and beverage area, and a museum. The plan also includes infrastructure upgrades to the Yap airport terminal, roads, sewage treatment facilities, water supply and power system. Public service facilities in the ETG plan include a hospital, sports center, school, entertainment facility and public transportation.Marianas Business JournalCopyright ? 2012 Glimpses of Guam Inc., All Rights Reserved2012-08-14: Rolling the Chinese Dice?(Marianas Variety)Tuesday, 14 Aug 2012, source opinionTHE government and traditional leadership of Yap have taken a huge step toward ensuring their financial future, with an agreement signed over the weekend and reported elsewhere in this edition of the Variety.?The pact could bring billions of dollars of infrastructure and commercial development to the state.Yap is the closest to Guam of any of the Federated States of Micronesia, just a couple of hours away.?Officials there have been discussing and negotiating with developers out of Chengdu in mainland China for more than a year.?The agreement signed on Saturday is the fifth version of the contract, which is called a “cooperative investment agreement.”As originally envisioned, the plan was to bring as many as 10,000 hotel rooms to various locations in Yap, along with golf courses, spas, restaurants and all the other amenities of an intensive visitor industry development.?”The objective of this project is to develop the State of Yap into a world renowned tourism destination,” the agreement states.The parties also agree that “the local culture and environment shall be preserved during the whole term of the project.” The company, ETG, agrees it will not engage or invest in any industrial or mining activities.?”Such activities are inconsistent with the principle of self-sustainability underpinning the project concept,” the agreement states.The scope of the planned development is mind-boggling.?ETG agrees to upgrade the airport and seaport facilities to accommodate the requirements of what will be the largest investment and development in the entire FSM, by far, since the founding of the nation.?ETG will also fund the creation of a new public park and a new state capitol.Whether all of this will overflow into Guam is not clear.?While most air and surface shipping to the FSM now goes through here, the ETG officials from China negotiating this agreement have flown into Yap directly.?United Airlines, which provides twice-weekly commercial airline service to the state now, has not said anything about increasing the frequency of that service, although they would clearly be in a position to do so should conditions warrant.The impact of all of this on Yap is a worry.?The land of stone money is the most traditional of the Micronesian states, and things haven’t really changed very much there for the past 50 years.?It’s a small, tightly knit community where traditional leadership is more highly respected than the elected leadership. Although Gov. Sebastian Anefal signed the agreement on behalf of the state, he would not have been able to do so without the acquiescence of the Council of Pilung, the traditional chiefs of Yap, who were present at the signing.So this grandiose project is now, finally, going to get underway.?We wish the best of luck to our neighbors, the Yapese, as they embark on this phenomenal ments?john smith 2012-08-14 Yap is now a Chinese military base.?The improvements for civilians are designed for military aircraft and warships.?No country will come to the aid if Yap, like how many warships does the Pacific islands have?China now rules Yap, well give them 5 years and soon all Yapese will bow to their Chinese Masters.China plans Pacific domination, o’bama will not interfere, he is weak.?The Russians are building a massive naval base in Kuba, o;bama does not care.Mathew 2012-08-14 05:28Rolling the Chinese dice is not like rolling the Japanese dice.?Everyone remembers the time when the Japanese were the ones to be “feared” because they were investing/buying up American icons, but Japan is a democracy, while PR China is not.?Where is the Japanese miracle now? Some of its citizens, the ones not aging, are moving to other countries which once thought that Japan was the example to be emulated, economically.?Now Japan’s economy will be subsumed into China’s over a period of time, not unlike Taiwan’s will be.So, we are transitioning from an era of “noxious monarchies” and “noxious nationalism” to an era of regionalism and globalism.?If central banks around the world, for instance, are acting in concert on monetary policy, as they have been, that means there is already the makings of a rudimentary global political alliance, without the approval of voters from participating countries.In the context of self-determination, borders and boundaries were drawn up by colonizers to make nations, subjects of monarchies.?India, like Iraq, for example, did not have present day borders until the British drew them up, and India, like Iraq, might find it increasingly difficult to maintain solidarity among its varied groups of people.?(Sikhs, the subject of debate about gun violence in the U.S., wanted independence for their Punjab state, the richest state there.)While folks are fighting yesterday’s battles, the world has passed them by.2012-08-15: Yap Residents Wondering What Future Holds After ETG SigningSource: Colonia, Yap, August 15, 2012—A Yap State press release says that an investment agreement signed was signed by Yap and Chengdu Century City New International Convention and Exhibition Center Company Ltd. (ETG) officials last Saturday night, but the press release was scant on the details of the agreement. There was no mention in the press release of the 4000 hotel rooms that ETG wants to plop down on the island; no mention of the golf courses, the expanded airport, the marinas, or the casinos it wants to operate in Yap.Yap State Government and ETG representatives signed the agreement on Saturday, August, 11 but the press release covered only statements made at the Pacific Dive Resort and not the content of the agreement.Yap residents who have sought information on the agreement most often complain that officials are unwilling to share documents and information with the public.We sent repeated emails this week to Yap State Government officials trying to get an authoritative source for the details of the agreement but all have gone unanswered. We did not even receive an answer as to the depth of the agreement or if the development will now proceed as a result of the agreement.“The investment agreement was signed by the Honorable Sebastian Anefal, Governor the State of Yap and Mr. Dèng Hóng, Chairman of the Exhibition & Travel Group of the People’s Republic of China (ETG), with the presence of Governor’s Cabinet, Chairman, Vice Chairman and members of the Traditional Council of Pilung (COP), Chairman of the 8th Legislature Standing Committee on Government, Health and Welfare and other members of the public,” the press release said.In his statement during the ceremony, Governor Anefal said that 2023, the year that economic provisions under the Compact of Free Association with the United States will end, will be the “funeral for the Federated States of Micronesia. If you want to prolong and postpone this funeral ceremony then I think we have to take a bold step and this is the right time to do so. During the remaining 10 to 11 years before 2023 I think Yap has to do something,” he ernor Anefal is in his second term as Yap’s Governor. He was previously the FSM’s Secretary for Foreign Affairs. He left that position in order to pursue the office of Governor or Yap State.The Yap press release said that the Governor hopes that the relationship with ETG will provide the “way forward so that the ‘funeral’ in 2023 could be ‘delayed further.’”According to postings on Facebook and other Internet sites, many residents of Yap seem to think that funereal proceedings should have begun on the night of the signing. Some postings on those sites refer to that night as 8/11, an undisguised reference to the tragic events of September 11, 2002.Some of the postings are disturbing and include racial epithets. More than one posting contained threats saying that any foreigners found in their villages might “disappear.”Probably the most disturbing of all of the postings on the subject was posted on the Micronesia Forum (). The poster did not say whether he was Yapese or not. It said:“Seems like we cant stop this ETG crap due to the fact that a selected few has now made a deal with the devil and will be getting rich off of it, while the majority of the Yapese population suffer the consequences. Thats okay my Yapese brothers and sisters. Many of us have served or are currently serving in the U.S. Military and have learned tactical trades about certain chemicals and compounds that when put together make fireworks. I say since we cant stop the building of ETG hotels and their ideas of tourism while getting rich off of the hard working men and women of Yaps back. We wait, before its done and before any Yapese set foot inside we blow those (expletive) buildings up.”Another individual responded to that post:“Anyways, it’s done already. The past IS the past, and now we have to live with it. Hopefully it’ll turn out good if not. Ima be looking for (user name deleted) squad.“(User name deleted)“Invited or not, I will join your patriotic campaign for the freedom and rights of the people of Yap. If FBI, CIA, or even the SEAL 6 OPS* get’s in the way, they will regret!! None of them has any experience defending against black magic... And when I say black I mean black, black... Darker than the black holes NASA scopes on.“Whether it’s a good thing or not, I think that not enough people was able to voice their opinions or questions. I know our gov’t is democratic but it’ll be only democratic by label if the peoples voice is not heard. Some people here in Yap are crazy about land ownership. They will claim whatever piece they wish, whether it’s theirs or not. A lot of conflict is to be expected in the upcoming years.”There are several groups on Facebook that discuss Yap issues. All of them have been discussing the ETG proposal for several months. Still Yap’s government has been less than forthcoming with the details on the plan and resident angst about what the future holds seems to be at an all time high.According to the Yap press release Chairman Hong told the participants at the signing ceremony that ETG would build Yap to become one of the main tourist destinations in the Pacific region. He said that ETG would be able to complete the construction of all the facilities in Yap within the next five years if things are moving according to plan.Again, the plan was not shared.A freelance journalist in Yap told KPress today that she has been trying for weeks to get details and that she hopes to have a detailed article on the ETG agreement in time for the next issue of The Kaselehlie Press.2012-09-05: Tourism Project “Too Massive” For Yap, Says ChurchSource: .au/news/2012-09-05Project includes building a new airport, hospital, improving all roads and ports in Yap (photo David Weekly)Public opposition has led to the suspension of a major tourism development on Yap, in the Federated States of Micronesia.China Exhibition and Travel Group’s hotel development would cater for 10,000 visitors to the island by 2020.One of the main opponents to the plan is the Catholic church.Father John Hagileiram has told Radio Australia’s Pacific Beat program he thinks the project is too big for Yap.“It’s too massive for our island—our island is very small. There are only 11,000 people on this island, and this project proposes to create jobs for 10,000 people,” he said. “Who’s going to fill these? Of the 11,000 people living here, only about half the people are in the workforce, so obviously they’re going to bring in foreign people to fill these 10,000 jobs and this island is going to be overrun by foreigners.”Father Hagileiram says the church would back a smaller project which he says would help the development without overwhelming the island.An advisor hired by the China Exhibition and Travel Group (ETG) says the government invited the company to invest in Yap in 2011.Paul Conway has indicated the company isn’t willing to downsize the proposed resort. “Right now the project size is based upon Yap’s request to materially improve the infrastructure of Yap,” he said.“ETG is being requested to build a new airport, a new hospital, improve all the roads and ports in Yap and as a result of the added infrastructure cost, which ETG is more than willing to do, it results in a larger resort.”Mr Conway says the company is talking to private landowners and the government’s executive branch to secure a lease of land for the construction.He says the development is an important step for securing Yap’s future. “The majority of the GDP for Yap today comes from financial aid from the United States, which is expected to expire in 2023,” he said. “So the governor of Yap and the president of Micronesia have made a bold step forward to develop tourism to help control its own destiny.”But Father Hagileiram says he is concerned increasing tourism could lead to an erosion of Yap’s culture. “They’re going to bring in things like casinos and golf courses and hotels—all these are massive things that we have never experienced before,” he said. “We’ve never had these things before in our culture... the project is planning on making this a tourist destination—obviously it’s going to be overrun by tourists and we’re not capable of dealing with the effects.”2012-09-05: Yap Tourism Development Threatens Culture & LifestyleUpdated 5 September 2012 On Yap island in the Federated States of Micronesia, public opposition to a major tourism development has forced the Yap State Legislature to stop all activities by the development company, the China Exhibition and Travel Group.Leading the opposition to the hotel development which is proposed to cater for 10,000 visitors by 2020 is the Catholic Church.Presenter:Geraldine CouttsSpeaker:Father John Hagileiram, Yap Catholic ChurchHagileiram: The reason is because it’s too massive for our island. Our island is very small, there are only 11-thousand people on this island. This project proposed to create jobs for 10-thousand people, who’s going to fill these? Of the 11-thousand people living here there are only about half of the people who are in the workforce. So obviously they’re going to bring in foreign people to fill these 10-thousand jobs, and this place is going to be over-run by foreigners, with Chinese. And yet they say that they’re going to develop their culture and help traditional values and that kind of stuff. So I don’t see how that can happen.Coutts: Would you agree to any kind of project? For instance if they reduced the size of it?Hagileiram: Most definitely yes, we have are for development, but one that will fit our island, that’s small enough so that we can accommodate that, that will be good, I have no problem with development and I like to encourage people who can help us to developing a way that is fitting for our island, capable for our island to sustain it, and not be overwhelmed by it.Coutts: Father one of the issues that you’ve raised or one of your concerns is that this huge development will hurt the quality of life in Yap and negatively affect people’s dignity. How will it affect their dignity? Is that because they have to perform traditional dances and other cultural performances for tourists alone rather than what they’re really meant for?Hagileiram: We perform traditional dances for tourists when they come, but my concern here is the people are going to lose their culture because they’re going to bring in things like casinos and golf courses and they’re going to build hotels. Now all these are massive things that we have never experienced before. And we never had these things in our culture. So that these are all foreign things, we have seen things happening in places like Tibet. Tibet is a country where it is also being developed by the same company that is proposing to work here, and the people are screaming and they’re protesting, they’re burning themselves, because it’s killing them, it’s killing their culture, it’s killing their human dignity and integrity. And that’s exactly the same things that we see that are going to happen here in Yap. We’re much smaller than Tibet, the project is proposing to make this a tourism destination. Obviously it’s going to be over-run by tourists. We’re not capable of dealing with the effects, things that come in with casinos like money laundering, human trafficking, and all these things. … on the watch-list of the US State Department for human trafficking. And Yap is part of the FSM, we’re just a small state in the FSM and we’re not capable to deal with these kind of things that come in with casinos and massive influx of tourists. So this is going to really jeopardise our own local ways of doing things, and that’s why I say our integrity, our cultural integrity, human integrity and identity, all that is going to be threatened 2012-09-17: Letter From Dalip Pi Nguchol (Wa’ab Paramount Chiefs)Dalip Pi Nguchol Paramount Chiefs State of YapSeptember 17, 2012The Honorable Sebastian L. Anefal Governor, Yap State Government Colonia, Yap, FM 96943The Honorable Henry Falan Speaker, 8th Yap State Legislature Colonia, Yap, FM 96943The Honorable Bruno Tharngan Chairman, Council of Pilung Colonia, Yap, FM 96943The Honorable Ignathio Hapthey Chairman, Council of Tamol Colonia, Yap, FM 96943Mr. Dèng Hóng Chairman, Exhibition and Travel Group c/o ETG Office in Yap Colonia, Yap, FM 96943RE: ETG ProjectGentlemen:We, the undersigned DALIP PI NGUCHOL, the Paramount Chiefs of all of Yap State, pursuant to our traditional authority which is also recognized by Article III, Section 1, of the Yap State Constitution, do hereby command all of you to prohibit the Exhibition and Travel Group from proceeding with its intended Project for Yap State.Arib Estate (*signature) Aloysius Faimau Paramount ChiefRu’way Estate (*signature) John B. Ranganbay Paramount ChiefBulwol Estate (*signature) William Yad Paramount Chief2012-09-18: YSL Resolution No. 8-83 (“Stop ETG Now!”)A RESOLUTION“Respectfully calling on the Governor to submit a written notice to Exhibition Travel Group (ETG) to void the Investment Agreement between the State and ETG and to disapprove any and all master plans from ETG for investment in Yap State.”Whereas, the people of the State of Yap have requested the Government and the traditional Chiefs of Yap to stop ETG investment in ?the State; andWhereas, the Government of the State of Yap includes all branches of the State government, and one branch alone and separately does not constitute the State Government unless it is authorized by law to implement and execute a mandate established by law; andWhereas, in a Yap State Leadership meeting held on January 19, 2012, the State Leadership was informed that an investment proposal by ETG has been offered to the Government of the State of Yap in the form of an investment agreement to be signed by the Governor of the State of Yap; andWhereas, the Legislature on January 26, 2012 adopted Yap State Resolution No. 8-29 entitled “A Resolution Respectfully requesting Governor to defer signing an investment agreement proposed by the ETG until such time when the people of the State of Yap have been fully informed about the proposal, and until the State Leadership has unanimously agreed that such proposal will be in the best interest and welfare of the people of the State of Yap”; andWhereas, on April 3, 2012 the Legislature was presented with a petition signed by more than 1,500 people and residents of the State of Yap plus those currently living 9 abroad studying and/or working, and interested parties expressing “concerns regarding the development and investments being proposed by the Chinese Exhibition and Travel Group (ETG) for the State of Yap,” and requesting that “no further agreements and promises,... , be made by the Government and the Leadership of Yap, on said proposal by ETG until such time that the people of Yap have duly expressed their free will on said proposal... “; andWhereas, the Governor and the Council of Pilung and Council of Tamol were also similarly petitioned by the more than 1,500 petitioners to consider their concerns over the ETG investment proposal; andWhereas, on April 19, 2012 the Legislature adopted Yap State Resolution No. 8-31 entitled “A Resolution Respectfully requesting the Exhibition Travel Group (ETG) to refrain from engaging in any further action in the State of Yap in connection with its plans to invest in the State until the Legislature has authorized that ETG may engage in further action in the State in connection with their investment plans to insure that such plans will be in the best interest and welfare of the people of the State of Yap”; andWhereas, on May 3, 2012 the petitioners submitted to the Leadership of the State of Yap and ETG Project Manager Mr. Matti Dubi, additional signatures increasing the number of individuals to almost 1,700, humbly requesting that their concerns about ETG investment proposal not be dismissed by the State Leadership; andWhereas, on May 21, 2012 a Townhall Meeting was conducted by the Office of the Governor during which the people expressed their concerns about the ETG investment proposal and the need to know more about the proposal before further actions on the proposal are taken by ETG and the State; andWhereas, on July 31, 2012 a petition by Women of Yap was presented to the Leadership of the State of Yap including the Yap Delegation to the Congress of the Federated States of Micronesia, asking the Leadership “to put a stop to this Proposed Development of ETG,” that the “Bpin nu waab,” the women of Yap, “strongly feel that this.investment [ETG] is not right for the state of Yap”; andWhereas, on August 9, 2012 another petition signed by concerned people of the State of Yap was presented to the Legislature and the rest of the Leadership of Yap to “respectfully tell you members of the Council of Pilung, Governor of Yap State, Speaker of the 8th Yap State Legislature, and the members of the Council of Tamol NOT to permit the Exhibition and Travel Group (ETG) to invest in the whole State of Yap” and that ETG “investment is not good for Yap and her future generations”; andWhereas, on August 23, 2012 the Concerned Citizens Against ETG (Group) representing the concerned people and residents of Yap including the Women of Yap, met with the Legislature to formally ask the Legislature to hear the concerns of the people brought forth by the Group to stop ETG from investing in the State; andWhereas, the Group thereafter met and presented a traditional “bayul” to Governor to help the people of Yap and stop ETG investment in the State; andWhereas, the Group also tendered another traditional “bayul” to traditional Chief Steven Mar to stop ETG from investing in the State of Yap; andWhereas, on September 13, 2012 the Group again met with the Governor, Legislature and the Council of Pilung to ask them to stop ETG from investing in the State of Yap; andWhereas, custom and tradition of the State of Yap mandate that when the people speak or voice their concerns and ask their leaders for help, the leaders must listen to what the people have to say; andWhereas, based on the chronological events listed above, the Legislature believes that the State has legitimate and reasonable grounds to deny the approval of the ETG Master Plan as required by section 3.1 of the ETG investment agreement which provides that “unless State has legitimate and reasonable grounds and notifies ETG by written notice, State shall not deny or delay the approval of the Master Plan.”; now, therefore,Be It Resolved by the Eight Legislature of the State of Yap, Second Regular Session, 2012, that on behalf of the people of the State of Yap the Legislature is respectfully calling on the Governor to submit a written notice to Exhibition Travel Group (ETG) to void the Investment Agreement between the State and ETG and to disapprove any and all master plans from ETG for investment in Yap State; andBe It Further Resolved that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Governor; ETG Chairman, Mr. Dèng Hóng; ETG designated local agent Mr. Yang Gang; Concerned Citizens Against ETG Spokesperson; Governor’s cabinet members; Yap Women’s Association President Julie Yoruw; Traditional Chief Steven Mar; the Chairman of the Council of Pilung; and the Chairman of the Council of Tamol.Date: 09/18/12Introduced by: John Mooteb, Clement Mulalap, Jesse Raglmar-Subolmar, Sabino Sauchomal2012-08-30: Yap Opinions Split Over Massive ETG Tourism ProjectAugust 30, 2012 (Source: ) Colonia, Yap—The controversy over the agreement between Yap State leaders and Chinese developers who want to develop a massive tourism industry in Yap is not likely to go away any time soon. ETG wants to build hotels, casinos, marinas, and golf courses. ETG has also promised to significantly beef up Yap’s infrastructure such as roads, schools, a hospital, water supply and others. However, many Yapese believe that the development will cost Yap its identity and that it also has a potential to destroy its environment.It is difficult to determine whether the Yapese residents who are upset about the proposed project are more upset about the potential environmental and social impact of the project or because their government did not provide much information to them before the Governor signed the agreement.Freelance reporter Bernadette Grong tried to schedule an appointment to interview Governor Sebastian Anefal and was told that she should instead talk to ETG representatives. Indeed the task of public information on the project has been left primarily to ETG and its representatives. Grong wrote that ETG has met with several members of the Yapese Women’s Association, the Yap Visitor’s Bureau, OurYAP, and the Yapese Youth Congress to brief the members of those groups about the project.Grong said that ETG representatives have started to actively distribute information packets to the public. During an interview one ETG representative told her that the investment group feels that the lack of information coming from the Yap Government will not help the public to understand what ETG is in Yap to do or how they will go about it.Though Yap State has posted the entire Cooperative Investment agreement signed by the State of Yap and ETG (Chengdu Century City New International Convention and Exhibition Center Company Ltd.) on its website it was a foregone signed deal by the time it did.But while many Yapese residents still feel that their government has sold them down the river, the agreement doesn’t seem to show any evidence of that. Government does agree to change some laws. Essentially the agreement boils down to the fact that control over the entire project is in the hands of the land owners. Landowners can choose to lease their land for use by ETG for the project and it will proceed or they can choose not to lease their land and it will never start.The fate of the project rests entirely in the hands of Yap’s property owners. “If Yapese people do not lease their land to E.T.G., then E.T.G. will leave. No land means no investment. Simple as that,” said Yang Gang, an ETG representative.Grong wrote that tensions are high in Yap and there has already been at least one case of assault against a representative of ETG. “One of the ETG reps was assaulted while in his vehicle, in front of the Blue Lagoon Store in Colonia on Wednesday, August 22, 2012,” Grong wrote. “The culprit was a local male, who was arrested and jailed. He was later released and he signed a formal written apology for the ETG rep involved. His reason for attacking the ETG rep was simply because he worked for ETG. Since then, no other violent scenes have occurred in Colonia regarding ETG.”Yap residents are divided about the project. Grong asked local residents if they think that ETG will help the economy of the State. “Yes, they have offered to help improve our tourism and don’t forget the job opportunities they will provide,” said Paul Tapang. Another Yap resident wholeheartedly disagreed, “They just want to come in and take over. They don’t care about our culture or our way of life.”Grong says that there is division even amongst the leaders of the local government. One official told her, “I don’t want the Chinese to come here and take the land that belonged to my ancestors.” But another government official was positive about ETG. “If this will bring in revenue for our island, then it will be good. Especially since budget cuts are in the near future.”Some of the government leaders in Guam have expressed their opinions on the ETG proposal.Shortly after Yap’s Council of Pilung signed a Memorandum of Understanding with ETG in January of this year, Guam’s Pacific News Center ran an interview with Senator Judi Guthertz of the 31st Guam Legislature. During the interview, Guthertz reacted strongly to word of the potential development in its neighboring State.“Should we be concerned about this? I think we should be very interested in this because this is not the only area within the Western Pacific that China’s established a strong presence economically and socially,” she told PNC. “We should be concerned about the potential strength that China is trying to establish in our region, and I’m sure that the United States government through its intelligence forces, etcetera, are aware of this.”She told PNC that the move by China highlights the U.S. military’s need for Guam “so that Guam will be a strong location for the defense of the United States and our allies.”At about the same time, Congresswoman Madeline Z. Bordallo released a statement in connection with the signing of the MOU. “The recent addition of direct flights to Yap from China highlights the importance and urgency of including Chinese visitors under the Guam-CNMI Visa Waiver Program. I continue to work with Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense, as well as our island leaders, to push for the inclusion of Chinese visitors. The Chinese market would be an important growth market for our tourism industry in the future,” her statement said.A group of concerned Yap citizens met with some members of the 8th Yap State Legislature on Thursday, May 23 2012 regarding the ETG project. People from all parts of the island, of different ages, and different backgrounds attended to voice their questions and concerns. Grong said that a broadcast of the meeting was supposed to have been aired over the weekend, but the radio station did not play it. “What do you think the Governor has failed to do concerning this investment, and what do you think he should do?” Grong asked Vice Speaker Ted Rutun.“I don’t think that the Governor has failed in his duties. I think the lack of communication is making him into a bad guy. If negotiations were public, there would be no misunderstanding.”She asked Speaker Henry Falan, “What actions can the civil society take to ensure that this investment will not flop?” “The public must demand transparency and responsibilities of the government officials working for them,” he responded.Grong told the Speaker and Vice Speaker about threats posted on the Micronesia Forum and on several Facebook forums. She asked the two men what advice they have for the people of Yap during what she called “this time of turmoil.”“I think people should wait and give a chance to the government process. Peaceful actions are the appropriate way of doing things. Violence won’t solve any problems,” the Speaker said.“If this investment agreement goes thru, we shouldn’t resort to violence,” the Vice Speaker said. “We must conduct ourselves civilly. Hopefully, we can still negotiate with ETG to benefit our people and our island. Dignity and integrity is important. Our culture is unique to us and to the rest of the world. Let’s not forget that.”2012-10-01: Letter: Governor Anefal to ETG Chairman Dèng HóngSource: Micronesia Forum Post, URL postQuote From the Micronesia Forum Posting:“ok folks. Here w/me is a letter from governor Anefal to chairman of ETG Dèng Hóng. Like I said before, I’m just no one so I can’t scan this letter for I don’t have any device that could help me scan, photo copy or anything of that sort to be more like a original copy. Yet I will type the exact word in the letter for all of us to ponder on.....”The Posted Letter:October 1, 2012Chairman Dèng HóngExhibition and Travel Groupc/o Yang Gang (authorized representative)7th Floor, Century City International Conference Center No.198 Century City RoadChengdu, Sichuan 610041 ChinaDear Chairman Deng,It is with a heavy heart that I write to you today. I fear that my administration’s attempts to bring significant and worthwhile investment to the island of Yap have been almost completely rejected by the local populace an their elected representatives in the Yap State Government. I fear that your Project will encounter an ever increasing amount of legal and popular resistance within the State. It would be disrespectful for my administration to continue enjoying your generosity and hospitality in the face of circumstances which are so completely adverse to your company’s ability to generate a profit.As you Know, ETG’s proposed development in Yap has always been controversial among the public. Many people are scared that they will be forced to move from traditional land. Many people worry that they will find themselves as a second class citizens or unable to compete with the size of ETG’s proposed investment. This administration and your very hard working representatives have done much to try to dispel these fears, but they have persisted. The signing of the Investment Agreement in August seems to have inflamed the passions of those in the public who are opposed to the project and, in full response, the Legislature and certain members of the traditional society have responded quite forcefully.On September 17th, my office received a letter from the Dalip Pi Nguchol (the Paramount Chiefs of Yap) commanding my administration to “prohibited the Exhibition and Travel Group from proceeding with its intended Projects for the Yap State.” Please see the copy attached hereto.On September 19th, the Yap Legislature passed Resolution No. 8-53 which says, “BE IT RESOLVED by the Eight Legislature of the State of Yap... that on behalf of the people of the State of Yap the Legislature is respectfully calling on the Governor to submit a written notice to Exhibition Travel Group (ETG) to void the Investment Agreement...” Please see the copy attached hereto.It is my belief that the attached letter and resolution, together with other attachments herewith, are indicative of a resistance to your proposed project in the state and I feel that is my responsibility to approach your organization before you risk any greater financial investment going forward. I fear that the prospects for ETG crafting a profit-making enterprise in Yap may be very low, It seems that ETG, if it decides to go forward with the project, will encounter a huge amount of resistance from the public and by way of laws passed by the Legislature which will all but ensure that ETG cannot do business in the State of Yap.As I said before, it is with heavy heart that i must come to you today and request that we come to the table to reconsider the proposed project, if not to dissolve the Investment Agreement and any legal documents proceeding. I hope that our two sides can perhaps come together in the near future regarding further investment by ETG and its partner, however I know that this experience will probably cast great doubt on future business endeavors between our two organizations.With warm regards, I remain hopeful of obtain a positive response from you at your earliest convenience.RespectfullySebastian L. AnefalGovernorState of Yap2012-10-01: Letter: Governor Anefal to Chairman Deng Hong (“official” version)The authenticity of the letter from Anefal to Deng Hong was questioned by many, but eventually a scanned image of the letter, including the Yap State seal and the Governor’s signature, surfaced on Facebook:Source: : Letter: Concerned Citizens Group to Governor AnefalTwo weeks of confusion followed, with lots of rumors flying around... Then, On October 15, the Concerned Citizens Group (CCG) sent the following letter to Governor Anefal:Source: : Letter: Mr. Yang Gang (ETG Yap) to Concerned Citizens GroupTo that letter, Mr. Yang Gang of ETG reacted by sending the following response to the CCG:2nd Floor, Y.P.D.R Restaurant, Colonia, Yap State, FSM. Tel: 3505888October 19, 2012TO: Concerned Citizens GroupDear Mr. Nicholas Figirlaarwon, Mr. John Guswel, Mr. Timothy Moon, M.r charles Falmeyog,I, Yang Gang, a member of ETG working team , received a letter dated October 15, 2012 from Concerned Citizen Group (CCG) to Honorable Governor Mr. Anefal and Honorable Speaker Mr. Falan in the morning of October 19, 2012 from the reception desk of Yap Pacific Dive Resort. This letter was sent by a lady. The letter from CCG mentioned that they followed up with Mr. Yang Gang after the meeting between Chairman Deng Hong and the Governor and mentioned Mr. Yang Gang denied knowing about the letter from the Governor. I would like to take this opportunity to clarify this wrong and false information in the letter seriously. During the dinner time in the evening of October 03, 2012, I was informed by Yap Pacific Dive Resort (YPDR) staff that I had a phone on the land line of YPDR. I answered the phone call from 3507916. The caller is a lady and she asked if I had received the letter from Governor Mr. Anefal. I said yes we received the letter from the Governor, and then she asked what ETG’s response to the letter is. I told her, so far no comments on the letter to you. I asked who she is, she answered that she is a Yapese. I said I can not tell you now, and I do not even know who you are, and then we finished phone call. After this phone call, I checked my mobile phone and found I had four missing incoming calls from the same number 3507916 from 17:40 to 17:50, October 03, 2012. I believe that is the same person called me from the same number for the same issue. According to your letter, your member followed up with me after our meeting with Governor, we believe this lady who called me on Oct.3 should be the member of CCG who “followed up with me”. She was the only person who contacted me to confirm the receipt of the letter and asked for the response from ETG right after the meeting. I also would like to point out that ETG not only received the letter officially from Governor Mr. Anefal during the meeting between Chairman Mr. Deng Hong and the Governor, L.T. Governor in the afternoon October 2, 2012, but also received another photocopied Governor’s letter (Same letter from Governor) sent by a lady to the Y.P.D.R in the afternoon of October 03, 2012. In fact, ETG also has confirmed the receipt of the letter from Governor and no response from ETG head office to a member of Yap State Legislature by email. ETG working team has not received the response from ETG head office yet. As soon as ETG working team receives the response from ETG head office on this letter, we will inform Government of Yap, Yap State Legislature, and Councils as well as other related organizations. Once again, ETG working team confirms that the information in the letter from Concerned Citizen Group is wrong and false. Sincerely yours,Mr. Yang GangETG Working Team MemberCopy to:Honorable Sebastian L. Anefal GovernorGovernment of Yap StateHonorable Henry FalanSpeakerYSLHonorable Bruno TharnganChairmanCouncil of PilungSource: etgyap2012-09-19: Letter: Mrs. Regina Laagsag (CCG) to Yang Gang (ETG Yap)October 19, 2012Mr. Yang Gang,ETG Working Team MemberYang Gang:This is in response to your letter dated October 19, 2012, addressed to the Concerned Citizen Group, and copied to the State Leaders. I thought the issue here was the ETG Investment in the State of Yap… and a hope that somehow all the Yapese PEOPLE, could come together to discuss and make a collaborative decision on what is best for our island and its people now and for future generations. I had the telephone conversation with you the evening of October 3, 2012, regarding the Governor’s letter of October 1, 2012 to Deng Hong. It is definitely hilarious that you, as a representative of such a huge company “ETG”, could be so engulfed in your own suspicious and immaturity, to see it fit to write such a letter and send copies of it to the Yap State Leaders… Governor, Speaker and COP Chairman. I just couldn’t possibly understand what made you think our telephone conversation was of so much importance, but than…Let me explain my side of the story and what actually happened which may have brought about all this accusations and insults. A copy of the Governor’s letter of October 1, 2012 to Deng Hong, was transmitted to the Concerned Group with a request by the Governor to keep it nonpublic. Through a telephone conversation Governor informed the CCG rep. that the letter would be discussed during Deng Hong’s courtesy call on him on October 2, 2012 and would report back the outcome of the meeting that same afternoon.The Governor left the island with no word to the CCG representative, and I hope you will understand what I mean when I say sometimes individuals themselves make others lose faith in them. The Governor left with no word to the CCG and Deng Hong was to leave island the next day. The Governor’s secretaries worsened the fears and doubts when they confirmed that the letter was still at the office for you to pick up. Reflecting back on discussions and agreements with the Governor, CCG desperately wanted Deng Hong to get a copy of the letter because of a certain assurance gotten from Governor. It was than agreed to by CCG that a copy be given to you and Deng Hong in case the Governor may have been too busy to do so. Because it was late in the day, and both you and Deng Hong were not at YPDR, the letter was left with a cab to be delivered. Your assumption that I personally sent the letter was also inaccurate, however, I did volunteer to call you and follow up on your receipt of the letter.Now I believe our conversation went on somewhat like this. I asked you if you had received the letter from the Governor and you said yes. I asked you what Deng Hong’s response was and you said you needed time to translate the document into Chinese for Deng Hong. I asked you how long you think it’ll take before he responded, than you started asking me if I was with the administration or to which administration I was from (something to that effect) and that was when I told you I was a Yapese calling from the village. I did not want to mislead you to think I was working with the governor’s administration, or whatever other administration you were referring to. Instead, of being understanding of my situation as just an ordinary villager, you became sarcastic and responded “Yeah, I know I’m Chinese and you’re Yapese.” Please bear with me and try to recollect the rest of our conversation, which I hope you hadn’t completely forgotten as you also didn’t mention it in your letter. You continued on to say that the letter you had was a copy and therefore not official. Now do you remember me telling you that the original copy was at the Governor’s office, and you were supposed to pick it up? To this very moment I still believe you said nobody has told you about it, because I clearly remembered saying, “I personally talked to the secretary today and she said you’ve been informed and should pick up the letter”, and asked you to go in the next day… that was when you hung up on me. Now does that ring a bell???? Now that we’ve come to the conclusion of our October 3, 2012, phone conversation on land line 350-7916, let us let the Yap State Leaders get back to their busy schedule.Let’s get back to the main issue… Yang Gang, thanks for the assurance that ETG has received the Governor’s letter, we hope to hear from the ETG head office through the ETG working team soon.I hope your goal on the idea of bringing up our conversation has been achieved. I do have personal standards for myself and being a liar is not one of them. And I see no reason why I should make up false conversations between us. Sorry if our conversation has in any way adversely affected something of personal gain to you, on this matter I have none for myself. I understand there could have been a miscommunication in our conversation, as English is a second language for both of us, but instead of trying to resolve that and arrive at a common understanding, you decided to take this route. Now I fully understand what one of the CCG elder meant when she said, “it feels like ETG’s strategy is to DIVIDE AND CONQUER”. Yang Gang, please refrain from identifying both of us as “Bulyal” (very young girls) I feel I have outgrown that stage, ere keyoge pufthin ko nochi bulyal. P.S. ask one of the state leaders for an accurate translation on this. Have a good day.!!!Kefel too,Regina Laagsag350-7916Source: 2012-12-31: Letter: Deng Hong’s Response to Governor AnefalOn 2012-12-28 I received a scanned image of this letter, from a friend in Wa’ab. Significatly, as of today—New Year’s Eve of 2012—nothing has been communicated about this from the “Governor” of Yap State, Mr. Sebastian Anefal. The first public announcement of this very important piece of news for the People of Yap State was when I—a foreigner, an off-island outsider—posted it to the Facebook groups “Yap’s Development” and “Yap State Youth”… That fact, in and by itself, tells us more than we really want to know about how “the state” (Mr. Anefal and his “administration”) looks at the people who voted them into office… (Highlights are all added by me!)December 26, 2012The Honorable Sebastian AnefalGovernorYap State GovernmentColonia, State of YapFederated States of MicronesiaDear Honorable Governor,I received the letter from you during the meeting on October 2, 2012 in your office. In your letter, you mentioned that ETG’s Project may encounter an increasing amount of legal and popular resistance and ETG may face financial risk, and you requested ETG to reconsider this proposed project in the Yap State. We appreciate your kind reminding and suggestion in your letter.In the past period, other leaders of ETG and I have conducted serious and comprehensive study on the current situation of Yap State and the concerns from the public.ETG has already obtained the Foreign Investment Permit and Business License in Yap State. Yap ETG Paradise Islands Investment Group Inc. was legally incorporated strictly based on the laws of Yap State and Federated States of Micronesia. ETG always firmly believes that Yap Paradise Islands Tourism Development Project will drive the development of the private sector in the industries of agriculture, fishery, handy craft making, hospitality business etc. The project will create a great number of employment opportunities for citizens of Yap State, will increase the income of the people and improve their living conditions, and will also increase the tax revenue of the Yap State Government significantly. ETG believes that this project will be a win-win project with mutual benefits to both Yap and to ETG, and that this project will also bring significant economic and social benefits to the whole Federated States of Micronesia.ETG working team in Yap has been actively communicating with the public of Yap and has learned about the concerns from the public and answered various questions on this project. ETG is seriously committed to protecting the natural environment, culture and tradition of Yap State during the development of project, according to laws and regulations of Yap State and FSM, because the natural environment and traditional culture are critical to the tourism development. ETG understands that the public has concerns, due to the lack of the necessary information and comprehensive understanding about our project. We deeply believe that most of concerns and misunderstanding will disappear with the development of the project and with the more communication.Taking your information and the public concerns into consideration, ETG would like to adjust our approach and develop the project in several phases, most importantly start the project from smaller scale and by phases. ETG has decided to build the following facilities in the first phase: Five-star hotels, resorts and holiday apartments; New dining and sport facilities, new airport terminal and new hospital; Power plant, water plant, solid waste treatment plant and sewage treatment plant, and other related facilities based on the availability of the land.After completion of above scope in the first phase, ETG will then decide on the remaining phases based on the actual market demand situation. ETG also has a plan to develop tourism facilities in some of the outer islands of Yap State.ETG will engage globally well-known environmental consulting and engineering companies, energy companies and architect firms to conduct the scientific study and planning for this project. Many advanced technologies and cleaner energies will be applied for this project to protect the natural environment. In the nearest future, ETG will also provide fund and cooperate with all the four branches of Yap State Government and other related organizations to establish trust fund (or foundation) that will be used for education, medical treatment of citizens of Yap State, the preservation of the traditional culture. The natural environment will be protected, and the traditional culture will not only be well preserved but also be promoted by this tourism development project.ETG always has very positive and open attitude towards this tourism development project. The working team of ETG in Yap would like to communicate with Executive Branch, Legislature, Councils, citizens, communities and organizations at any time and welcome citizens and organizations to visit ETG’s Yap office to learn more information, express concerns and ask questions. We sincerely appreciate the support from Government and citizens to this project.ETG is fully confident that Yap Paradise Islands Tourism Development Project can create a win-win situation between Yap/FSM and ETG and will bring significant benefits to Yap. This project will create employment opportunities, increase the income of the people of Yap, Government of Yap State and FSM, and improve living and housing conditions of the people of Yap. ETG is looking forward to working closely with government and people of Yap to make this project the most successful example of cooperation in the whole pacific region.Sincerely YoursDeng HongChairmanExhibition and Travel Group (ETG)CC:YAP STATE LEGISLATURECOUNCIL OF PILUNGCOUNCIL OF TAMOL2013-01-11: President Mori Heads to Yap for ETG Consultations2013-01-11 (Source: myfsm.)President Manny Mori will head to Yap State on January 12 to hold personal meetings with the state’s political, traditional and business leaders regarding the proposed ETG investment in Yap.“The primary purpose of my visit is to learn more about the ETG investment through personal meetings and consultations with political, traditional, and business leaders in Yap State,” the President expressed in a January 10 letter to various leaders, including Chief Bruno Tharngan and Chief Ignathio Hapthey for the Council of Pilung and the Council of Tamol.According to his schedule of events as arranged by his chief of staff?and Yapese officials, the President will hold meetings with?Church leadership on January 13. On?January 14, separate meetings will be?held with??the Speaker and Members of the Yap State Legislature during the opening of their session; the Council of Pilung; and the council of Tamol, in that order.Some other meetings will be on January 15, including with Governor Sebastian Anefal and later with the business community before he departs Yap way early morning of January 16.For further reading on ETG and its investment interest in Yap State, you may click on: 2013-01-14 (Facebook Comment):Henry K.O. Norman?Thanks to United Continental, the flight that was supposed to bring President Mori to Yap bypassed Pohnpei, leaving the Presidential entourage grounded. Perchance good ol’ Uncle Sam knows more about what’s going down than he is willing to reveal at this stage of these murky proceedings. Shakespeare’s Hamlet comes to mind: “Something is rotten in the State”... Oh well! Consolidate, strengthen, prepare, CCG!2013-01-14?·Like?·?12013-01-15 Letter from CCG to FSM President Manny MoriThe following was uploaded to the Facebook group “Yap’s Development,” by Ms. Dolores Wilbuw (Thanks, Dolores!), as a “scanned image” .pdf document. It was transcribed to Microsoft Word format, in order to better fit (and bring down the size of) this collection:Concerned Citizens Group of Yap StateColonia, YapFederated States of MicronesiaJanuary 11, 2013His ExcellencyThe Honorable Manny MoriPresidentFederated States of MicronesiaPalikir, Pohnpei, FM 96941Position and Concerns of the GroupDear Mr. President:Siro:We, the undersigned individuals, representing the Concerned Citizens of the FSM Nation and residents of the Great State of Yap, would like to welcome you Mr. President and your distinguished delegation to Yap. We appreciate very much your efforts to find time in your busy schedule to meet with us today. We thank you for this precious opportunity.Mr. President, at the outset we would like to state for the record that our organization is not allied with any sect, denomination, politics, organization or institution, public or private. We represent ourselves and share a common cause.Our group’s membership comes from a cross section of the community and from different religious affiliations in the state. We even have non-Christians and non-believers in our midst. Various age groups are also found in our organization. Our membership is estimated to be in the thousands throughout the state and abroad. We can safely assume here that we speak for a majority of the Yapese people.Mr. President, most of us believe in God. We have faith in the FSM National Government and we believe in We the People. When We the People are put in harm’s way so that ETG can make a lot of money, then it is time for simple people like us to step in and champion their cause.We are extremely opposed to the Cooperative Investment Agreement between the State of Yap and the Exhibition and Travel Group (ETG) founded by Chairman Deng Hong in 1997. This China based corporation has three core sectors: (1) Investment development, (2) Real estate construction, and (3) Property operations. In our humble opinion, we believe that the agreement is a win-win situation for ETG, and a very painful hangover for Yap State.Operating under the investment agreement scheme, ETG is now in the process of leasing land parcels from Yapese landowners, most of them do not know the terms and conditions of the lease agreements they signed. While we cannot tell a Yapese landowner not to lease his/her land if that is what he/she wants, we can caution them to know and understand their responsibilities and obligations under the agreement before they sign.The Yap State Legislature has adopted several resolutions asking the Administration and ETG to refrain from their land grabbing activities until the issues are explained properly to the people. The three highest traditional Paramount Chiefs in Yap have directed ETG to do the same, and thus far it is business as usual. ETG, that claims to have high regards for the government resolutions and traditional mandates simply ignore these requests from our leaders and continue on their merry way. This is un-Yapese and very disrespectful and insulting to us.This ETG investment agreement scheme is too complicated for the average Yapese to fully comprehend. In our humble opinion, it is a flawed document with too many loose ends and loopholes for ETG to avoid living up to their responsibilities, promises, and obligations.The project is too ambitious, too massive, and too sudden for Yap State and the Yapese People to accept without knowing the commitments and obligations contained and/or implied therein. The development is specifically designed to cater to the high-end international tourist with money to spend, and not for the benefit of the average Yapese person. We are being discriminated against and turned into second-class citizens in our own homeland.Our primary purpose is to make sure that the average Yapese person knows and understands fully what is expected of him/her under the lease agreement.We Yapese are traditionalists. We pride ourselves in the fact that our unique traditions, customs, and culture are one with the land. Our native names and identities are perpetuated in the land. If the land is leased away and/or gone for a long time, then we will be lost and homeless in our own state. Land in Yap is a precious commodity. We want and love our own patch of jungle and we do not want to be forced to give it up if we do not want to. We value our land and want to hold on to it for as long as we can. We have too much island pride to end up on an artificial reservation.It is customary that we Yapese come together when our own people are hurting and/or in times of great need. This tradition has been with us ever since we can remember. Money and greed has come in, and easily replaced the accepted local customs and traditions. ETG is working very well with the scheme of divide and conquer.ETG has managed to do the impossible for Yap. For the first time in the long and proud history of Yap State, our state leadership is divided. Our state government is divided on this issue. Our traditional chiefs and councils are divided, our municipalities, villages, clans, families, and people are divided. Greed and selfishness is more common, and is destroying the fragile fabric of our society. We do not need this in Yap.Mr. President, we are not opposed to economic development, progress that will fit our needs, and under Yapese control. We want Yapese to be part owners and stakeholders of the economic development of our state.We want to protect the heritage of the past and the promise for the future. This is what we Yapese need to pass on to our children and grandchildren. We have no other valuable assets other than the land.The ETG’s disruption of our lives, cultures, tradition and government operations must be stopped, Mr. President. The only way is for ETG to leave Yap. If some of our own people believe in ETG, then we respectfully invite them to pack up and relocate to China.This is not going to be a “once in a lifetime” missed opportunity.If ETG is a good thing for our nation, then perhaps one of our sister-states should consider inviting ETG to set up their investment project in that state. If there is a way that you know that might help us in our efforts, please let us know. Your understanding and cooperation is gratefully appreciated and most welcome.At the end of the day, Mr. President, this issue is a Yapese problem that must be solved only by the Yapese People coming together and working together as one. In order for this to work, ETG must pack up and leave Yap, and the sooner this is done, the better for all concerned. We invited this mess upon ourselves, and it is time that we clean house. To this end, we pledge our sacred honor.Please accept, Your Excellency, the assurances of our highest considerations.Siro, siro and kamagar.Respectfully submitted,Attachments:Copies of Related CorrespondencesOther Supporting Documents2013-01-15 CCG Presidential Letter Attachment (The Problems)The following was also uploaded to the Facebook group “Yap’s Development,” by Ms. Dolores Wilbuw (Thanks again, Dolores!), as a “scanned image” .pdf document. It was transcribed to Microsoft Word format, in order to better fit (and bring down the size of) this collection:Concerned Citizens Group of Yap StateColonia, YapThe ProblemsETG plans to do massive tourist development for Yap proper. ETG wants to develop Yap into a leading tourist destination worldwide. ETG plans to build hotels, condominiums, golf course, and other tourist attractions. When the hotels are built and operational, Yap will have more hotel rooms than Chuuk, Pohnpei, Kosrae, the Republic of Palau, the Marshall Islands, Saipan and Guam combined.Under the investment agreement scheme, when fully operational, ETG will have ten thousand (10,000) job openings. Current labor statistics shows only three hundred (300) people looking for jobs. This number can conceivably go up to 800, tops. The population of Yap State, based on the last FSM Census, is twelve thousand plus people. Most of the 10,000 ETG employees will be hired outside of Yap. If these employees bring their families in with them, the workforce will be two times bigger than the population of the entire Yap State. If these figures are correct, then we, the Yapese People, will be a minority group in our very own home state.Certain elements that are sure to happen if this magnitude of development is allowed to be established are gambling, prostitution, money laundering, drug dealings, human trafficking, diseases, and very bad people like the mafia and/or the yakuza!ETG will also assist in putting in a hospital, power plant, water reservoir, improving the roads, a new dock, and a new airport and terminal. These are very ambitious and expansive plans, which would cost millions of dollars. The Yap State Government cannot afford to fund and operate these kinds of projects, today or in the future. Maintenance alone would be a nightmare.This investment project planned by ETG is much to massive for Yap State at this time. The recipients of this tourist investment project are the high-end tourists from all over the world who have money to spend. This is obviously not for the Yapese people. The Investment Agreement, which was signed between the administration and ETG is more of a loose and best effort arrangement with too many loopholes and windows for ETG to escape promised obligations. It is a mostly one-sided arrangement, which was tailor-made for ETG to avoid responsibility to the needs of the Yapese People. The Investment Agreement, in our humble opinion, is a flawed document, and chances are that it will not stand up to a competent court of law, if challenged.The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which was signed between ETG and the Council of Pilung (COP), which authorized ETG to go to the local villages directly and negotiate to lease land from local landowners, is essentially an understanding and nothing more. Under the Yap State Constitution, the COP has no authority and right to obligate and/or commit private landowners.The actions of the Administration and the COP with respect to their dealings and arrangements with ETG, has alienated them from the Yap State Legislature and most of the Yapese People. ETG has successfully done the impossible: It has divided the Yapese Leadership and People on this issue.Since there were no transparent dealings, and the issues were not adequately explained to the people in a timely manner, other concerned groups are coming out and voice objections and concerns.No one knows what the real facts are, and no one trusts anyone when these issues are discussed. Most people operate on rumors, and not facts. This is a guaranteed formula for confusion and mistrust among our Yapese people.This ETG mess is heading straight to the courts where we will all be losers — ETG, the Administration, the Legislature, the Traditional Councils, and the People of Yap State. Are we ready, willing and able to accept and abide by the court’s findings? The end may be very interesting indeed.The investment project is currently focused on Yap proper only, and not the Neighboring Islands. The Neighboring Islands are also part of the Great State of Yap. In fact, about 40% of the state population resides in the Neighboring Islands.The effects of climate change, with respect to global warming and sea level rise, will eventually force the Neighboring Islands people to migrate to the state center as environmental refugees. ETG has no plans for us. And finally:The Council of Tamol (COT) needs to protect and look out for the future wellbeing of our Outer Islands people. The current ETG investment plans do not include them.2013-02-07: Tourism in Yap and FSM: Will China Run the Show?By Adam Thompson, 2013-02-07 (Source: )Adam Thompson, Archaeologist at the Federated States of Micronesia National Archives, Culture, and Historic Preservation Office, explains that “Whether China or the United States will have a greater influence over this region has yet to be determined, but the process of competition is underway now.” Micronesia, the collection of tiny islands in the Western Pacific between Hawai’i and Japan, is probably most familiar to Americans for the island of Guam which hosts a large strategic US military base. Less familiar are the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), a freely associated state that receives U.S. funding and enjoys open access for its citizens to America. Of the four main FSM islands, Yap has remained the most traditional. Historically, it was one of the first islands in the Pacific to be settled and many ancient cultural norms and practices continue to this day. For the past half millennium, people from Yap have traveled to the neighboring island of Palau—300 miles away—to carve large circular pieces of crystalline limestone to bring back as gifts to their chiefs. These large pieces of stone were historically traded for knowledge and land, and today remnants of this “stone money” are evident throughout the island. Therefore, it is unsurprising that Yap is currently under the scrutiny of prospective tourism developers. Recently, the private Chinese tourism company Exhibition Travel Group (ETG), whose owner has ties to the Chinese government, has proposed to build a 20,000- room hotel, along with a convention center, shopping mall, and golf course on the island. Since first proposing its plan, ETG has met resistance from the local population and has since reduced the ambitious size of the project to include fewer rooms, and Yap legislators are considering prohibiting casinos as part of the development. Even with these changes however, the problem of available physical space amongst the ancient villages to build even small boutique hotels remains an issue of concern. Furthermore, ETG has already made inroads in acquiring influence over some of Yap’s traditional leaders and the company demonstrates an arrogance that appears to reflect no limits to its power, despite ongoing widespread opposition from the local population.Many developing countries are very receptive to the economic support that China offers, but often there is a cost. Historical evidence also indicates that developing countries that rely on foreign aid do not develop their economies as efficiently as those states that pursue their own economic development. While it is in the best interest of islands like Yap to develop their tourism sector—their most valuable export—the development on the scale proposed by Chinese companies would potentially destroy the traditional culture that is the very foundation for that industry. Yap’s northern neighbor Guam is currently a major tourist destination for visitors from Japan, and combined with the presence of the U.S. military, the island’s traditional culture is slowly eroding. The effect on Yap would be far more devastating as profits would flow out of Yap directly to Chinese companies and it is anticipated that proposed tourists would outnumber the local population four- or five-fold. Yap’s traditional culture would become a commodity that the indigenous population no longer controlled and would doubtless lead to increased development from China across Micronesia. Indeed, China has already been investing in other FSM islands and there no evidence of this abating as the United States reduces its foreign aid to the region. A much more culturally-sensitive and ecotourism development project that works is UNESCO’s World Heritage program. However, sites throughout the Pacific are greatly under-represented on this United Nations list. There are efforts currently underway to nominate Yap’s stone money as a World Heritage site granting the population of Yap the opportunity to promote tourism in a more sustainable manner. The problem is that World Heritage nominations take a long time to process and require a significant amount of bureaucracy, while China’s offer provides a quick and easy alternative but with enormous hidden sacrifices. Another alternative is the World Park initiative, which is a program based on the World Heritage model. This project would designate the FSM as an ecological conservation zone under protection for cultural preservation and which only a specified number of tourists would be privileged to visit. If successful, this will be the first “cultural park” of its kind ever developed and provide protection for the area’s environment and cultural heritage, as well as facilitate much needed economic development. UNESCO supported workshops conducted over the past year in consultation with the islanders of Pohnpei and Kosrae are designed to facilitate nominations for inclusion onto the UNESCO list for their respective Lelu and Nan Madol historical sites. While both of these endeavors are time consuming and heavily bureaucratic, they are deemed worthwhile due to the fact that they are more environmentally sustainable and focus more on the welfare of the indigenous populations of the islands.Currently, the states of the FSM depend heavily on foreign aid from the United States, along with revenues from industrial fishing permits for their economic development. The islands have limited terrestrial resources sufficient for large-scale export, while in contrast the cultural and historical resources for heritage tourism are immense. The significance of this reality becomes more pronounced when one considers that the Compact of Free Association grant funds from the United States are set to expire in 2023. Indeed, the future uncertainty surrounding this withdrawal of funds has facilitated fear-based arguments supporting the necessity of ETG’s proposal to provide revenues that can replace current levels of compact funding. The implications of this shift in patronage from U.S. support to heavy Chinese investment should be noted by those in strategic policy circles. Palau provides the best example of an island nation sustaining itself through tourism while continuing to preserve its natural and cultural resources for future generations. Palau has successfully nominated the Rock Islands to the World Heritage list as a mixed site of both natural and cultural universal value to humanity, and has a joint nomination with Yap to nominate the “stone money” and associated quarries as cultural heritage sites. Decisions regarding the future of the tourism industries and cultural sites of the FSM are currently being decided and could have wider strategic implications for US interests in the region. The national government of the FSM supports the World Park model for sustainable tourism, but given the opportunities being discussed with Chinese investors it is uncertain what decisions individual state governments will decide upon and based upon what incentives. Whether China or the United States will have a greater influence over this region has yet to be determined, but the process of competition is underway now.About the AuthorAdam Thompson is an archaeologist at the Federated States of Micronesia National Archives, Culture, and Historic Preservation Office. He can be contacted via email at rusticpurveyor@.Following Entries Related Only Indirectly to Yap2002-03-17: Deng Hong Interview (Washington Post)By John Pomfret, Washington Post Foreign Service (Source: )In China, the Rich Seek To Become the “Big Rich”New Wealth Creates Class Divisions Chengdu, China—When Deng Hong was 17, he led a company of Chinese soldiers into battle against the Vietnamese. By the time he was 20 he was out of the military and selling clothes. By 30, he had made millions in China’s go-go property markets. He divorced his Chinese wife, married an American, immigrated to the United States and bought property in Hawaii and Silicon Valley.“I was,” recalled Deng, now 41, “living the American Dream.”But Deng junked that dream and returned here to Sichuan province to pursue another. The reason, he said, was that becoming “big rich” in China was easier than in the United States. He was right: At last count he owned 35 cars, including a Ferrari, a Lamborghini, some Jeeps, a Corvette, several 600 series Mercedes-Benzes and a fat Lincoln Continental. He shuttles between two houses in Chengdu and a suite at his convention center. He recently purchased the rights to develop 100 square miles of land next to one of China’s national parks.“Many Americans I meet don’t believe there are rich people in China. They still think we are pulling rickshaws,” he said, puffing on a small, finely rolled Cuban cigar. “They’re wrong.”Deng is part of a growing class of rich Chinese who are remaking China’s social, economic and political landscape. A country that once proclaimed itself a workers’ paradise has now become a paradise for the well-heeled. After striving to obliterate classes for years, China has become one of the world’s most stratified societies with, according to Chinese economists, a gap between rich and poor that dwarfs the divide in the United States.“When China’s leader Deng Xiaoping said, ‘To get rich is glorious,’ I don’t think he imagined this,” said Zeng Xiangquan, a labor economist at People’s University. “The chasm between rich and poor in this country could have serious political implications.”When President Bush visited China in 1975 as a young man, this country had few, if any, wealthy people. An old friend remembered Bush pedaling around Beijing on a bicycle, amazed at the sea of Chinese workers dressed in blue or green. There were no private cars and few private houses. When Bush returned to Beijing last month, he saw streets crammed with cars, including high-end roadsters. More than 3?000 BMWs have been registered in Beijing, along with thousands of Mercedeses and more than 20 Porsches—after less than a year of sales. BMW plans to open a factory here by the end of the year.Housing for the wealthy has boomed as well. When Bush first came to China, only a few Chinese in the stratosphere of the Communist Party lived in luxury. Today, every major city sports gated communities fit for kings and modeled after those in the United States.The sign at the entrance to the Lemon Lake housing development in a northern suburb of Beijing says it all: “North American Demeanor, Rich and Strong.” The houses there, with sunny breakfast nooks, vast master bedrooms, basement bars and American Standard bathrooms, look like they were plucked from a lane winding through Potomac, Md. The smallest is 2?500 square feet, while the biggest is 4?500 and sells for $1.1 million. The first phase of the development, 68 houses, is sold out.“A few years ago our buyers were from Hong Kong and Taiwan and a few foreign companies. Now, they are almost all Chinese,” said a real estate broker who sells expensive properties in Beijing. “The people who buy here live a completely different life from the rest of us. They don’t pay taxes. Most of them have two children because they don’t need to obey Chinese family planning laws. They are completely free, probably freer than the rich in America.”There are no ready statistics on the number of wealthy Chinese. That is partly because the government still clings to its Communist ideology in public and partly because the wealthy fear publicity. A reporter from the state-run Central Television said he shelved a documentary project about the rich in China because few wanted to be interviewed and most of them made their first million by breaking the law.But according to research last year by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, 80% of China’s $894 billion in bank deposits is held in 20% of the accounts. And some of Beijing’s trendiest stores, including a Hermes outlet at the Palace Hotel and a Fendi boutique at the China World hotel, office and retail complex, routinely sell upward of $5 million of goods a year.Some kindergartens in Beijing charge higher tuition than Beijing University, China’s premier institute of higher learning. Market research by Seventeen magazine found that many girls in China’s major cities got a monthly allowance of more than $100—the average annual salary for workers.Many social trends begin with the rich. For her doctoral thesis at Yale University, Wang Gan studied the wealthy in Shenzhen, a Chinese city bordering Hong Kong that is famed for its money and sleaze. She was struck by how the rich set the tone for the whole society.“The things they sought after soon became things that government officials sought after—a certain cellular telephone model, a lifestyle such as golf. They would invite a government official to their golf club, outfit him on the spot with the best equipment, buy him a gold card membership and then take him golfing,” she said. “Their cultural influence was enormous. Now many Shenzhen officials are good at golf.”Wang’s research also pointed to the close relationship between China’s rich and the Communist Party. Indeed, many of China’s wealthiest people are members of the Communist Party or are relatives or friends of party members and have parlayed their connections into cash.Deng is an example. His father was an officer in China’s air force. A military background has often been considered a key ingredient in the recipe for Chinese wealth. Deng says that is because military officers were trained to be trustworthy and disciplined. Others say the old-boy network of the People’s Liberation Army is beyond the reach of the law.Take Hao Yaning. The burly former tank company commander is now a millionaire advertising executive who used connections with his former comrades to build a veritable palace in a valley east of Beijing. For the front, Hao said he took as his inspiration William Randolph Hearst’s castle in California. Hao modeled the back—whitewashed walls and blue shutters—on a Greek hideaway owned by Aristotle Onassis. Underneath a spacious lawn graced with a fountain runs a bowling alley. Out back, a kennel contains more than 50 purebred dogs, including a Tibetan mastiff.Deng, in addition to his army background, has assiduously cultivated ties with the city government of Chengdu. Ask him which is more important, his relationship to other businessmen or to the government, and he does not hesitate: “I really don’t have anything to do with my fellow businessmen,” he said, echoing other well-off Chinese. “My business depends on the government.”So much so that last year, Deng surrendered 30% of his stake in the convention center to the Chengdu city government, for nothing. One of his senior executives is the former deputy mayor of Chengdu. For his development project next to the national park in western Sichuan, he has hired retired government officials.Deng had to rely on government ties to win approval to develop that site, 100 square miles of land next to one of China’s last remaining wilderness areas, Jiu Zhai Gou. Deng plans to build 100 vacation houses, a five-star hotel and a golf course. Each vacation home will sell for at least $300,000, he said.Like many of China’s rich, Deng said he does not worry that the increasing gap between rich and poor could result in social unrest. But that gap was the hottest topic at the past two annual meetings of China’s legislature, and the bulk of Premier Zhu Rongji’s work report to the current legislative session focused on increasing the incomes of China’s poorest farmers.In 1998, the government recognized private property as an important part of the economy. This year there is talk that the legislature could amend the constitution to grant protection to private property.President Jiang Zemin, in a speech July 1 to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Communist Party, said entrepreneurs and other rich businessmen should be allowed to become party members, something that actually has been happening for years. Jiang also came up with a new theory, called the “Three Represents,” to bolster the party’s position in China. It basically states that to stay in power the party must now represent the interests of the “most advanced productive forces in China”—meaning the rich and the middle class. This signals a 180-degree turn from the party’s old roots in workers, peasants and soldiers.With their two children, country house on the outskirts of Beijing, jet-setting lifestyle and effortless integration of East and West, Pan Shiyi and his wife and partner, Zhang Xin, seem to encapsulate what it means to be at the top of “advanced productive forces” in China. The pair developed a community near Beijing and have recently contracted with a group of 12 architects to build country estates by the Great Wall outside the capital—each villa would go for more than $1 million. They are also building villas in the canal-crossed village of Boao on Hainan Island.“It’s like the south of France. It’s so beautiful,” Zhang said. “Every time we go to the south of France, we think China needs a place like this.”2012-12-24: Li Chuncheng’s Fall Threatens Chengdu’s RiseSource: The aftershocks of former Sichuan Province deputy Party Secretary Li Chuncheng’s takedown are starting to ripple through Chengdu’s real estate sector. Developers are freezing projects, architects are putting plans on hold, while prospective tenants are left in a holding pattern until the rubble clears.Caixin recently reported on one deal, involving real estate giant Vanke and a shell company, Tongtai, that is at the center of the investigation into Li Chuncheng’s activities. That deal highlights the role of the “Harbin Gang,” associates of Li Chuncheng from his days in Heilongjiang, and their efforts to cash in on their boss’s sway over land auctions in Chengdu.But if rumors swirling around the city prove to be true, then the biggest head—involving literally the biggest real estate project in the world, The New Century City Global Center (Youku video)—is about to roll.Deng Hong’s recent public appearance—second from leftIt’s been two weeks since whispers on the street and on Weibo mentioned Deng Hong and the New Century Global Center in connection with Li Chuncheng’s fall. On December 8th, a Weibo user posted the first mention of Deng Hong under investigation, which was then promptly deleted. On December 10th, Caijing journalist Li Wei Ao (@李微敖 on Weibo) posted a photograph of Deng Hong attending a meeting at the his company’s offices, roundly ridiculed by netizens who saw the meeting as a diversion meant to put an end to the rumors. Since then, no one has come out to definitively state whether or not Deng Hong is under investigation, but the damage is already done.Tenants are starting to shy away from the development, and the firm run by famous Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid, who designed the New Century Art Centre across from the New Century Global Center, has reportedly recalled their representative in Chengdu.A Likely SuspectDeng Hong, director of the Exhibition and Travel Group (ETG), is one of the most powerful real estate magnates in the region. The group’s holdings include the massive Century City Exhibition Center in the south of the city, which includes an Intercontinental Hotel, another Intercontinental Hotel and exhibition center near Jiuzhaigou in northern Sichuan, a smaller collection of hotels and exhibition centers in Yibin, and several other tourist locations around Sichuan. The group also owns the Intercontinental Hotel in Lhasa and has controversial projects in Micronesia and the Maldives.Yet, none of these projects match the New Century City Global Center in investment or size. Sources within the government claim that the city of Chengdu provided RMB 50 billion in funds for “the world’s largest stand-alone building” and the whereabouts of those funds is central to the investigation into Deng Hong.In an interview for the Washington Post in 2002, Mr. Deng comes off as the prototype Chinese nouveau riche, with interests in real estate and powerful connections in the government:Deng, in addition to his army background, has assiduously cultivated ties with the city government of Chengdu. Ask him which is more important, his relationship to other businessmen or to the government, and he does not hesitate: “I really don’t have anything to do with my fellow businessmen,” he said, echoing other well-off Chinese.“My business depends on the government.”So much so that last year, Deng surrendered 30% of his stake in the convention center to the Chengdu city government, for nothing. One of his senior executives is the former deputy mayor of Chengdu. For his development project next to the national park in western Sichuan, he has hired retired government officials.The former deputy mayor of Chengdu in 2002—supposedly one of Deng’s former executives—was none other than Li Chuncheng. Although no smoking gun exists, and the Chinese media has so far remained silent on the possibility of Deng Hong under investigation, the very system that drives development in China creates men like Li Chuncheng and Deng Hong: powerful, supremely wealthy, and until very recently, unaccountable to anyone.A Corrupt System of AchievementDeng Hong has often spoken publicly of his goal to transform Chengdu into the “Davos of the East,” and these words—along with his willingness to partner with international chains like Intercontinental, build massive convention centers, and turn over shares to the government—was music to official ears. During the last 15 years, Chengdu has expanded well past the Second Ring Road, the border between the urban and rural worlds in 2002 when John Pomfret sat down with a confident Deng Hong, and has become one of the fastest growing cities in China. Very little of that growth came outside of the system that created Li Chuncheng, shell companies like Tongtai, and fabulously rich magnates like Deng Hong.Even as these men and their associates cashed in on this growth, the city also received a complete makeover. The government offices moved south to surround the convention center that Deng built; shopping malls filled with luxury outlets, Starbucks and now a new Apple store popped up all over the city; two Metro Lines now criss-cross the city with more planned; and the Second Ring Road is receiving an upper deck. Next year in June, the Fortune Global Forum will be held here in Chengdu—an international stamp of approval if there ever was one.The most recent project in Chengdu’s modernization drive, the Tianfu Cultural and Performance CenterThe construction barrels forward all across the city. Thousands of apartments are up for sale along the Third Ring Road, the new border between urban and rural in Chengdu, advertising a “massive discounted price of RMB 6,500/m2—property prices within Chengdu’s central CBD and in high-end complexes like Luxe Hills in the south start from RMB 15,000/m2. And the city has another grand contemporary art complex in the works—to complement the New Century Art Centre and the Tianfu Museum of Modern Art going up right under Mao’s nose—the Tianfu Cultural and Performance Centre, a gorgeous capstone to Chengdu’s economic and cultural renaissance.But a list of Li Chuncheng’s corrupt deals that is circulating Weibo presents a veritable who’s who and what’s what of Chengdu’s last 15 years of development. The list, put together by netizens, includes construction on the First and Second Ring Roads, various tourism projects involving the Chengdu Culture and Tourism Group, and pretty much every large-scale real estate project initiated between 2000 and 2012, including The Luxe Hills residential development. There are even dealings between the government, the local Red Cross when it was under the control of Li Chuncheng’s wife, and local mafia.The Chengdu public assumes that every major development in the city is tainted with corruption in some form, and now that the once unassailable Li Chuncheng is under investigation, they are more brazen in the streets and online with their condemnation and identification of allegedly corrupt officials and their projects.In an article in the?Economic Observer, Chen Jieren wrote that this anti-corruption drive may be real, due mostly to official tolerance of?public participation—the fact the case of Li Chuncheng, speculation on Deng Hong, and a list of supposed crimes have been?posted and re-posted?online is testament to that tolerance.?In fact, the public reaction to this recent drive may actually be affecting the system enough to cause the recent articles in?Duowei and the?Wall Street Journal (via Sinocism) about a possible backlash against the anti-corruption drive and its proponents online.When one removes the nucleus from a system, as the anti-corruption drive did when it targeted Li Chuncheng, the system can’t help but falter.?Real estate prices cool down, developers and tenants freeze plans, and the steamrolling development of an emerging city takes a punch to the gut.?A backlash is inevitable.What else is to be expected from a system that has not only made many people incredibly rich, but has also turned provincial capitals like Chengdu into international up and comers?2011-06-20: Millionaire Scouts SamoaBy Staff Reporter, Monday 20 June 2011 (Source here)The Chinese Exhibition &Travel Group (ETG) has its sights set on the untouched beauty that is Samoa. It comes at a time when the Chinese people are being encouraged to invest overseas.Last week, the owner and multimillionaire Dèng Hóng made a special low-key inspection visit to Samoa. They were here to follow up on a review report that had been provided for Mr. Hong by a group he had sent to Samoa in April on a fact-finding mission for ETG in light of its interests.Mr. Hong’s visit to Samoa was also a follow on from the Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi’s visit to China earlier this year.At that time, discussions of ETG’s potential developments in Samoa were put in place. According to Mr. Hong, “the aim is to help Samoa become a famous Tourist destination.”To do so, ETG hopes to not only build developments such as hotels and event centres on the island but it also has indicated its plans to promote Samoa’s handicrafts and culture to the rest of the world.This will be done by taking Samoa to the nations through putting them on show overseas rather than just waiting for the nations to come to this side of the Pacific to witness what Samoa has on offer.Acting Prime Minister, Fonotoe Nuafesili Lauofo says Mr. Hong was very happy with what he saw last week.“He said our weather’s nice. He enjoyed the cultural show at the STA fale and was very impressed with our culture and the scenery,” says the deputy Prime Minister. “He was very positive.” It is understood Mr. Hong flew to Samoa from Micronesia in his private jet.Says Fonotoe, “When they got to Samoa, their private jet circled over Upolu so his party could get a good view. I was told he was very happy with what he saw.”Mr. Hong was accompanied by the Governor of the Export-Import Bank of China (China Eximbank). Mr. Hong is a Chengdu-based property tycoon who succeeded in his plan to turn Lhasa into a world resort destination. He is famous for showing off his status symbols, his acquisition of the most glamorous and expensive cars on earth at the resort hotels he builds.Mr. Hong made his $660 million in personal wealth (Hurun richest 500 in China list, 2010) turning a remote corner of Tibet into a global destination attracting millions of tourists a year. He took the nine stockade Tibetan villages of the Dzitsa degu valley, at the easternmost edge of Amdo, directly north of Chengdu, and made it a tourist paradise. Mr. Hong and his global partners, the London-based InterContinental hotel chain, made the crystalline waters, forested slopes, disappearing pandas, UNESCO World Heritage protected landscapes and quaint Tibetan villagers into an irresistible package for tourists, both Chinese and international, seeking a fairyland paradise on earth.Mr. Hong has built tourist resorts not only in Jiuzhaigou and Chengdu, but also shopping malls and convention centres in Chengdu, and he has steadily risen in personal net wealth, in the Hurun top 500 richest Chinese annual rankings, leaping from $220 million in personal wealth in 2008 to $660 million in 2010. Forbes magazine ranks his wealth similarly.2002-06-22: Small Islands Voice: Foreign Investment—Who needs it?A large hotel project, started by foreign investors in Rarotonga in the Cook Islands, was subsequently abandoned in the 1990s. This project became a major source of controversy in mid-2002, when several government officials stated that completing the project was a priority in developing the country’s economy and attracting foreign investment.What is foreign investment for, and whose economy will be “developed”? In most countries of the Pacific there is good reason for investment, foreign or local. Countries with many people desperate for work can benefit from appropriate, employment-generating investment. However, once full employment is achieved, the benefits of foreign investment go down and the costs and problems go up.That is the situation in the Cook Islands. In Rarotonga, Manihiki and Aitutaki at least, there are more jobs than workers, so workers have to be imported, with all the costs and problems that go with that. Every country needs some imported skills, but the kinds and proportions are getting out of hand in the Cook Islands. There is a case for appropriate investment on those outer islands where people want work and cannot get enough of it. But that is not where the priorities of foreign developers lie.The “trickle down” claim, that everyone profits from investment where there is full employment, is just that. Those at the top get the lion’s share and the ordinary people get a trickle. Foreign investors demand, and often get, lots of benefits at the expense of ordinary people. When there is a desperate need for jobs this is sometimes justified, but that is not the case in the Cook Islands. When investors are given “tax holidays,” import duty reductions, and where the government provides infrastructure for them or gives them free access to public infrastructure, then ordinary Cook Islanders through value added tax (VAT) and other taxes have to pay the foreign investors’ costs for them.In all cases the governments promise to control immigration, but governments soon lose control when investors pressure them. Once full employment is available for those who want it and are prepared to do it (this was achieved in Rarotonga several years ago), the advantages of foreign investment go down and the disadvantages go up.The cost of living for ordinary people goes up; the price of land skyrockets making it difficult for ordinary people to afford land or housing; crime, juvenile delinquency and corruption grow; the gap widens between rich (mainly foreigners with a few locals) and poor (mainly local people); the proportion of local people in the population goes down and they lose effective political as well as economic control. Race relations and social cohesion deteriorate. The growth of immigrant populations is worsening ethnic tensions in several Pacific countries. Research in the Caribbean from the 1960s confirmed what was obvious to the public, that when tourists and local people are of different cultures, and income differences between them are large, then as tourist density goes up, so does crime. Is this what Cook Islanders want?There is no shortage of investment here already. Building permits issued in Rarotonga show that several millions of dollars worth of building go up each year for tourist accommodation and other investments. Much of it is small and locally owned, and evidence around the world shows that local investment is more beneficial than foreign, and that “small is beautiful” as long as the ownership is widely spread.It is time that control of this debate is taken away from those who have a conflict of interest and who promote what will benefit them to the disadvantage of Cook Islanders in general. It is hoped that political leaders will focus on benefits to islanders in the long term and not on what will make a few rich ones richer and the rest relatively poorer, or will cause more Cook Islanders to escape abroad, or worsen the social and cultural lives of ordinary people.Adapted from an article by Ron Crocombe in Cook Islands News, 22 June 2002Messages In This Thread HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" Cook Islands: untapped paradise?L. Davidsson, I. Lutchman, D. Reid, Shailesh — Tuesday, 27 May 2003 HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" Fostering development where it matters: the Turks and Caicos IslandsAnthony Garland — Tuesday, 10 June 2003 HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" Facing up to tough questions of population control and political improvementBrian R. Mommsen — Tuesday, 24 June 2003 HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" Saving island identityD. Hudson, M. Jackson, W. Robinson — Tuesday, 8 July 2003Small Islands Voice Global Forum is maintained by Administrator.Views From Auckland: Pacific Islands Drifting North?By Dev NadkarniAre too many security-influenced policy pronouncements turning some Pacific heads to look north? Oceania’s 9/11—the Bali carnage that left scores of Australians dead—ushered in a justifiably heightened security climate in the region, mainly in Australia and to a lesser extent in New Zealand. In the following months, leaders and academics expressed fears that Pacific Islands nations were fertile havens for international terrorist outfits to plan and launch attacks on the metropolitan neighbourhood a hop, skip and jump away to the south.Several reasons were cited: weak regimes, corrupt administrations, growing international crime syndicates using the countries as their bases for human trafficking, drug running and money laundering. Steps were also taken to sanitise ports of entry and transit in many of the islands nations. Security personnel were trained and specialised equipment installed at crucial points. In this heightened security atmosphere came the RAMSI intervention and soon afterwards, there were increasing reports quoting Australian leaders in the regional media and in books published on the subject of regional security that armed interventions would be the way to go in future conflict situations, and even elsewhere in the islands nations, should the need arise.Frequent media coverage of the festering internal political turmoil in many of the islands states has resulted in increased usage in the media of terms like “the Melanesian arc of instability” and the more contentious tag of the “failed state,” among others. While there is no broad agreement on what really makes for a “failed state,” especially in the Pacific islands context, the rather loose and frequent use of the term has sought to exaggerate the notion of regional instability and therefore gone a step further in subtly justifying actions like possible armed interventions in the minds of the people. To say this is not to imply that the islands nations have been perfect real-life portrayals of their paradise-on-earth touristy image. Ongoing political events in Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Kiribati-and more recently in Fiji and to a certain extent Tonga—not to mention the Solomons, have all sought to reinforce the “arc of instability” image in Australian and New Zealand circles. And thanks to the global instant media, these images and opinions filter back into the islands, often resulting in sharp reactions in editorial and readers’ views columns in the local media.Diplomatic imbroglios like the on-going VIP security drill involving the prime minister and the tangle over the issue of aid that dominated the news pages in Papua New Guinea for over a month and the manner in which it has been handled have brought in a sense of an expanding chasm between Port Moresby and Canberra, and by extension, in the minds of the people of neighbouring states. More recently, academics and politicians have also suggested hard-line policies in the media—a panacea to set the islands right in one fell swoop, as it were—that range from completely suspending aid to linking future aid to demonstrable good governance. Good governance as measured by the yardstick of western democracies-particularly the Westminster system which was imposed on many of the islands peoples when their colonial masters left: not much more than a generation-old system that does not take into account the entrenched ancient socio-political structures that these islanders have lived in for over a thousand years. The southern developed nations need to urgently evaluate if “wielding the stick” policies like openly bandying ideas in the media about armed interventions and conditional, strings-attached aid is an approach that would go anywhere, especially at a time when the Pacific Islands nations seem to have an option to look elsewhere other than the south—a possibility that did not exist even a few years ago.What policymakers in these nations will have to contend with in the short-to-medium-term is the fact that the Pacific Islands nations’ attention is being increasingly distracted by the fiercely growing economic giants immediately north of the Pacific Ocean. There is little doubt that the temptation to look north is getting stronger by the month for many Pacific islands states. China’s so-called “machinations” are now quite the staple of political commentators of the South Pacific scene. China and Taiwan have long expanded their battleground into the South Pacific in quest of their own geo-political ambitions while yet having an eye firmly focused on the region’s abundant marine and littoral natural resources. They have abundantly shown their capacity to quickly and almost imperceptibly muscle into the tiny nations with infrastructure projects like buildings, roads and sports facilities-and a growing body of their own people. The number of Chinese-owned businesses in Tonga, Fiji and Samoa bear testimony to this. And despite the increased security measures put in place after Bali and 9/11, the law and order climate in many of the islands countries seems to be worsening by imported crime-internecine gang warfare and other questionable activities often traced to illegal and overstaying oriental nationals: something that was a rarity in the islands in earlier times. Coming from a socio-political culture that is completely different from that of the western world, with global business strategies that are more pre-modern and informal, their street-smart style of doing business is likely to have a greater appeal to societies that share similar values and world-views. And what’s more, their more-than-buoyant economy and blitzing growth rates have wetted their appetite for both geopolitical and economic supremacy in the region. Aid from these nations will certainly be more forthcoming. Of course, there will be strings—there never are free lunches. But one thing is certain: these strings will not be of the “only-if-you-are-a-good-boy” and good-governance variety. The southern metropolitans will need more than ingenuity—let alone school masterly attitudes—to draft future policies if they are to stop some of the South Pacific islands nations now barely perceptible drift towards the north before they attain cruising velocity. HYPERLINK ""ETG Hopes to Make Dream for Samoa A RealityAs the Chinese are being encouraged to invest overseas, the Chinese Exhibition & Travel Group (ETG) are setting their sights on the untouched beauty that is Samoa.Led by owner and multimillionaire Dèng Hóng , the Chinese ETG made a special low key inspection visit to Samoa earlier this month, to follow up on a review report that had been provided for Hong by a group he had sent to Samoa in April.The group were on a fact finding mission for ETG in light of its interests.Hong’s visit to Samoa was also a follow on from the Hon. Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism’s visit to China earlier this year whereby discussions of ETG’s potential developments in Samoa were put in place.According to Hong, “the aim is to help Samoa become a famous tourist destination.”To do so, the Samoa Tourism Authority bulletin says, ETG hopes to build developments such as hotels and event centres in Samoa and has indicated plans to promote Samoa’s handicrafts and culture to the rest of the world.This is by taking Samoa to the nations in putting them on show overseas rather than just waiting for the nations to come to this side of the Pacific to witness what Samoa has on offer, the STA Bulletin says.China ETG Hopes to Make Dream for Samoa a RealitySource: south-pacific.travel/samoatourismAs the Chinese are being encouraged to invest overseas, the Chinese Exhibition & Travel Group are setting their sights on the untouched beauty that is Samoa. Led by owner and multimillionaire Dèng Hóng , the Chinese ETG made a special low key inspection visit to Samoa earlier this week, to follow up on a review report that had been provided for Hong by a group he had sent to Samoa in April, on a fact finding mission for ETG in light of its interests. Hong’s visit to Samoa was also a follow on from the Hon. Prime Minister and Minister of Tourism’s visit to China earlier this year, whereby discussions of ETG’s potential developments in Samoa were put in place. According to Hong, “the aim is to help Samoa become a famous Tourist destination.” To do so, ETG hopes to not only build developments such as hotels and event centres here on the island but it also has indicated its plans to promote Samoa’s handicrafts and culture to the rest of the world by taking Samoa to the nations through putting them on show overseas rather than just waiting for the nations to come to this side of the Pacific to witness what Samoa has on offer. Hong Deng (pictured left), Owner of ETG looks on at the cultural entertainment (pictured right) he was able to witness during his inspection visit to Samoa. Samoa and ETG Group Sign MOU for Resort ProjectNo author named (source :)Prime Minister of Samoa Hon. Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, Samoa’s Ambassador to China HE Tapusalaia Toomata and officials from Samoa visited the Exhibition and Travel (ETG) Company’s Head Office in Chengdu, China from 13-15 May for discussions with the company regarding a 500 room Hotel Resort project in Samoa to be managed by Intercontinental Hotels Inc.The Prime Minister and the Chairman of ETG Dèng Hóng, signed an MOU during the visit to facilitate the implementation of the project. Ambassador Toomata visited Samoa with a team from ETG in April prior to the Prime Minister visit to Chengdu. In June, ETG Chairman Deng, the Chengdu Exim Bank President and officials of ETG paid a visit to Samoa for site visits, following a visit to Yap in Micronesia, where ETG is also planning another resort. The proposed project would be a huge boost for Samoa’s tourism especially in targeting Chinas growing outbound tourism as well as nearby markets such as Australia and New Zealand. Samoa Delegation Attend China International Investment FairNo author named (source :)Samoa Deputy PM Fonotoe Lauofo and Delegation Attend 15th China International Fair for Investment and Trade in Xiamen, ChinaSamoa was invited to participate in the 15th China International Fair for Investment and Trade (CIFIT) in Xiamen 7—10 September 2011 at the Xiamen International Conference and Exhibition Centre.Themed on “Introducing Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)” and “Going Global,” the CIFIT is China’s largest international investment promotion event aiming at facilitating bilateral investments and trade. CIFIT is the platform for the International Investment Forum which includes seminars on significant investment issues and investment project matchmaking.Samoa’s Deputy Prime Minister Fonotoe Pierre Lauofo and a six member delegation from Samoa were the special guests of the 15th CIFIT and its official opening. They were joined by the Ambassador of Samoa to China, Tapusalaia Terry Toomata in Xiamen. In his speech delivered at the 2011 International Investment Forum, his Honorable Deputy PM stresses Samoa’s successful and ongoing cooperation with China and encouraged Chinese investors to continue to consider the many investment opportunities Samoa has to offer, to boost the level of trade between the two nations and for Samoa to fully utilize the Zero Tariff Scheme that eliminates tariffs on nearly 5 000 products including water, noni juice, honey, kava, coconut products and etc.While in Xiamen, the Deputy Prime Minister also met with Chairman Wu Bangguo, Chairman of Chinas National People’s Congress, Minister of Commerce Mr. Chen Deming and senior Fujian Province and Xiamen Government officials.The Samoa Embassy in Beijing set up a booth to promote and display several products from Samoa at the Fair, like Samoa Artesian Water, Noni Juice, Samoa Hot Chili sauce and Natural Honey as well as promoting tourism and investment.Samoa has participated in the Fair for the past three years to promote potential Samoan products for exports to the huge China market. The 15th CIFIT attracted exhibitors from over 50 countries and many Chinese companies and provinces. The delegation also visited and met government officials and companies from Shenzhen and Guangzhou, such Huawei Telecom Company, ZTE Telecom Company, and South China Airline, the biggest airline in China and Asia.— Members of the delegation to the Xiamen Fair from Samoa were Deputy Prime Minister Hon. Fonotoe P. Lauofo, Mrs. Rosita M. Meredith, Associate Ministers Mr. Muagututia P. Ah Him and Mr. Sooalo Mene, Mr. Maualaivao Pat Ah Him (Private Sector), Mr. Namulauulu Sami Leota (Chamber of Commerce President) and Mr. Justin Lima of MFAT. From the Samoa Embassy in Beijing were Ambassador Mr. Tapusalaia Toomata, Mrs. Silverina Toomata, Mr. Louis Ofele (First Secretary) and Mr. Jhin Zhao (Admin. Officer).2011-11-10: China’s Hotel In Samoa On TrackBy Aigaletaule’ale’a F. Tauafiafi, Thursday, 10 November 201133743909779000The relationship between Samoa and China continues to grow from strength to strength. So said Samoa’s Ambassador to China, Tapusalaia Terry Toomata. Based in Beijing, Tapusalaia told the Samoa Observer that one of the projects in 2012 will be the Intercontinental hotel. “The 500-room Intercontinental Hotel is going to happen next year,” he said.It appears the delay is due to Dèng Hóng ‘s company, ETG (Exhibition & Travel Group), currently focusing elsewhere. Said Tapusalaia, “ETG is focusing now on their huge resort projects in Yap (Federated States of Micronesia) which is only a three hour flight from China, (and also Korea and Japan).“They are building seven Resorts there (Intercontinental, Marriott, Holiday Inn, Crown Plaza etc) to take advantage of Yaps proximity to China and given China’s increasing tourists as a result of its booming economy. (There are no hotels on Yap!).”Tapusalaia also confirmed that Samoa and China have...” other projects already in pipeline like hospital, e-government, police centre under Chinese loan facility.” In the education sector, a Ministry of Finance memo to the Minister, dated 5 August, informed him of schools projects under China’s Education Programme.It confirmed construction in 2011 of primary schools at Falevao, Gataivai, Sapapali’i and Faleu Manono. “Furthermore” added the memo “the remaining two schools Siumu primary, the Loto Taumafai National centre and the NUS Marine School are scheduled for construction in 2012.”2013-02-22: Site Of Chinese Owned Casino Yet To Be Decided By Lagi Keresoma (Source: )APIA: No site for the second casino scheduled to be built here has been chosen—contrary to recent news reports.That will be the decision by Exhibition Tourism Group ETG, said Chief Executive Officer of Samoa Tourism Authority (STA), Papali’i Sonja Hunter, referring to the company that was awarded one of the two casino licenses on offer.ETG makes a site identification trip to Samoa next month, Papali’i also confirmed.The company intends to build a 500-room hotel with a casino inside.Papali’i was not available for further comment but Talamua understands that the options for sites for the casino considered include Fagai’ofu at Falelatai, Samoa Trust Estate Corporation (STEC) land at Mulifanua and Tafatafa at Falealili; and Mulivai, Safata.Fagaiofu is the location where the American reality television show Survivor Samoa series was filmed.STEC land opposite Faleolo International Airport was also considered but disputes with Satapuala village over ownership of the land is an issue.Leota Su’atele whose family land at Mulivai is one of the options for the hotel/casino, said the village is in support of the project.“It’s an enormous project and I know it will contribute a lot to the development of families, churches and the community,” said Leota.He said negotiations between ETG and the village is ongoing but it was too early to celebrate as there are other options for the company. The Safata location is where the Hideaway Hotel was in the 1970s.“I hope they choose Mulivai,” said the former MP.2013-02-24 (Samoa): Mulivai hasn’t been consulted, says Pulenu’u By Lanuola Tupufia, 2013-02-24 (Source: samoaobserver.ws)Mulivai Mayor Tafa AukusitinoPULENUU: Tafa Aukusitino only heard about the casino on TV. He said, there have not been any negotiations made with anyone.The pulenu’u (mayor) of Mulivai, Safata, Tafa Aukusitino has not been consulted about the Government’s plan to allow a Chinese company to build a casino on 500 acres in their village.Asked by the Samoa Observer on Saturday if he was excited about the prospect of jobs and having such a large tourism property in their midst, Tafa said yes.“Some people don’t really support it but I feel that there will be benefits for us in terms of jobs,” he said. “I guess the hotel and casino will prevent our people from going overseas to find employment.”But the village mayor was somewhat baffled as to how such a plan could gain so much momentum without consultation with himself or the Village Council.He said he has only heard about the Casino on TV.“We haven’t met (with the Chinese company),” he said. “There’s been talk about a casino being built in our village. Our villagers only saw it on television but we haven’t been officially informed.“We haven’t had any negotiation with the company.”The pulenu’u said the company might have met with “Leota Su’atele” but “they haven’t met with us and we haven’t had a village meeting about it.”It was not possible to obtain a comment from Leota Su’atele yesterday. According to the village mayor, however, the 500 acres of land which the Casino will be built on belongs to the Roman Catholic Church.“The land was leased by Hide Away but it belongs to the Catholic Church,” he said. “It’s been years since the land has been used. It runs all the way to the neighbouring Coconut Beach Resort.“All that’s left on the land are empty houses but no one else lives further down that way.”While there are different views among villagers about the casino, the village mayor supports it because of “employment benefits to our children.”Concerns about the criminal aspects of Casinos do not worry Tafa.“Mulivai is governed and protected by the Ali’i ma Faipule and any villager who will commit a crime will be punished by the village council,” he said.“We have one church in our village and everyone is to comply with church rules every Sunday.”During a recent interview with Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi, said the company has met the village and they have agreed.“Mulivai, Safata is the place,” he said. “The five hundred acres has already been discussed and agreed to.”Comments +3 #4 Theresa 2013-02-25 11:01Is money the most important issue now in Samoa???? Because if it is, then we are totally doomed!!! Do we really need a casino to boost our economy or is it necesarry to satisfy the Big Boy’s gambling pleasure???? Let’s think about our future generation and do whats RIGHT... We are already as poor as ever and they come up with the idea of a casino!!!UGH...the Chinese will make millions $$$$ while we still make $0.00!!!+5 #3 Sam 2013-02-25 08:59Please be careful with the chinese people They will like us as customers, but dispise us as a backward people not like them who are an advance society. I love my Samoan people and its land and problems etc, but the europeans came to colonize and were cruel masters. The Chinese may or may not do the same but in terms of what we will owe them will be immeasurable. E o mai saina ma a latou tupe. Ole mamalu ole tatou aga-i-fanua ole a le amana’iaina e nei tagata. They will buy our land, dignity, and passports and because of their money ole a maua ai fo’i ma o latou tusi folau samoa, sitiseni samoa, fanua samoa. O i latou o ni tagata e le talitonu i le Atua. O i latou o fili o le saolotoga. they will rule Samoa with an iron hand because samoa will rent from them, buy food from their farms, pay their doctors who provide medical help for us etc. Samoans abroad who are successful should come home and atina’e le atunuu. Long live Samoa, it’s land and happy people. May God continue to bless and keep all of Samoa safe. Soifua+7 #2 Nelson Sagato 2013-02-25 08:36What happens when gamblers get addicted and become broke? My answer is greed to get back what they lost and if not smart they will go to great lengths to get money meaning “Crime will become a Problem.” There is a scripture that says Gods tells us to repent through weather and calamity. Our PM is ruining our nation.+10 #1 Iakopo T F 2013-02-25 03:43The Bible that Samoa always claim as the Word of God speaks against the love of money because it is the root of all evil. I have lived in Las Vegas, Nevada for 3 years working in a Casino/hotel to provide for my family. It was good money, but I want Samoan people who have never exposed to the casino entertainment business life that drugs, prostitution, underage smoking/drinking, crimes, deaths, etc. are always associated with money. I have seen and written more reports of those who committed suicide in the casino hotels as a result of gambling. Please this is dangerous for our Samoa and its people. Love is my reason.2013-02-25 (Samoa) ETG Yet To Submit Casino ProposalBy Lanuola Tupufia, 2013-02-25 (Source: pidp.)ETG also looking to arrange direct flights from China to FaleoloAPIA, Samoa (Samoa Observer, Feb. 25, 2013)—The Chinese company to whom the government has granted a license to establish a casino in Samoa has yet to submit a proposal as a foreign investor, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Commerce Industry and Labour, Auelua Samuelu Enari, has confirmed.Exhibition and Tourism Group (ETG), based in Chengdu, is one of the two companies whose applications to set up casinos in Samoa is accepted by the government. The other one is Aggie Grey’s Beach Resort.However, Auelua says that before any foreign company can invest in Samoa it needs to have a Foreign Investors Certificate.He explains that the Chinese company has indicated it will submit its proposal soon when it is compiled.“The proposal can be done through an attorney or an accountant. They need to have a location in the country,” he said. “We are told that they are preparing their proposal and they will submit it together with their incentives.”ETG. is apparently planning to build a “substantial hotel” at Mulivai, Safata, in Upolu where the casino it is proposing will be located.It is understood that the company is also looking to arranging direct flights from China to Faleolo with the idea of flying Chinese tourists over to play at the casino when it is completed.Auelua says an ETG representative who visited Samoa last year discussed with his office “entitlements and other related information to prepare their proposal.The way things are at the moment indicate that the process is in progress.”As for the 500 acres of land at Safata on which the five star hotel will be build, Auelua says that the “negotiation are looking positive”He says the company is looking at other locations to setup smaller resorts.“I am not sure if 500 acres of land will be found in Safata but that is what they want to include in the hotel, a golf course and other activities. The Chairman (of ETG) will visit in March.”ETG are a very successful Exhibition and Tourism business with head quartered in Chengdu, China. China’s third largest travel company, ETG has extensive hotel and resort operations in other countries.Samoa Observer: samoaobserver.ws Copyright ? 2013 Samoa Observer. All Rights Reserved2013-02-26: Mulivai Safata Supports ETG hotel By Tupuola Terry Tavita (Source: )The landowner for most of the 500 acres earmarked for a multi-million hotel development at Mulivai, Safata is fully supportive of the project.45599356223000High ranking Safata matai, Leota-Su’atele Manusegi (picture), says the development has already been sounded at the village level to full support.ETG, a China-based investment company with multiple hotels in the Asia-Pacific region, plans to build a 500-room hotel at the old Hideaway location, an 18-hole golf course and a casino. The company has already been issued a casino license and its Chinese representatives are expected on-island next week.“As leaders, you have to look at what is in the best interests of your people,” said Leota-Suatele. “And that is, they get jobs, they have a steady income to support their families, to build good homes, afford good schools and quality education for their children. That they have the financial means to support themselves and take advantages of all the opportunities available today.“Tourism is the industry of the future. All forms of development in Samoa is geared towards, and based upon tourism. That important fact is not lost on Mulivai.“We are fully this government initiative and we are fully behind this hotel development in Safata. Because we know very well we will be the major benefactors of it in terms of jobs, agriculture, handicraft and other commercial opportunities that spin from it.”As far as the casino is concerned, Mulivai Safata is not worried.“The law says that only tourists and foreigners can enter the casino. The Mulivai village council will also issue penalties—like twenty hogs—to whoever is reported to have entered the casino.“As far as prostitution and money laundering is concerned, I know very well that Samoa has very stringent offshore money controls and that prostitution, of course, is outlawed here. Those are problems associated with countries where prostitution is legal.“Casinos will also have little to no impact on the rest of the country,” said Leota-Su’atele who spent many years living in the United States.“Las Vegas and Reno are the entertainment capitals of Nevada, or the United States for that matter. You go there if you want to be entertained. If you live elsewhere, Las Vegas and Reno have no impact on your life.”Leota-Su’atele is the patriarch of his family and says all the land is vested under his title.“There is no misunderstanding on the rightful landowners. We have been to court and we have the necessary documentation. It’s a beautiful area with two converging streams, stretches of white beach and wooded forests. I also believe some of the land to be used in the project belongs to the Catholic church.“But it is a huge area that goes right up to the Tiavi Falls. There is plenty of idyllic space to build more hotels.”2013-02-26: Casino Company To Submit Proposal By Lanuola Tupufia (Source: samoaobserver.ws)The Chinese company to whom the government has granted a license to establish a casino in Samoa has yet to submit a proposal as a foreign investor, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Commerce Industry and Labour, Auelua Samuelu Enari, has confirmed.Exhibition and Tourism Group (ETG), based in Chengdu, is one of the two companies whose applications to set up casinos in Samoa is accepted by the government. The other one is Aggie Grey’s Beach Resort.However, Auelua says that before any foreign company can invest in Samoa it needs to have a Foreign Investors Certificate.He explains that the Chinese company has indicated it will submit its proposal soon when it is compiled. “The proposal can be done through an attorney or an accountant. They need to have a location in the country,” he said. “We are told that they are preparing their proposal and they will submit it together with their incentives.”E.T.G. is apparently planning to build a “substantial hotel” at Mulivai, Safata, in Upolu where the casino it is proposing will be located. It is understood that the company is also looking to arranging direct flights from China to Faleolo with the idea offlying Chinese tourists over to play at the casino when it is completed.Auelua says an ETG representative who visited Samoa last year discussed with his office “entitlements and other related information to prepare their proposal. The way things are at the moment indicate that the process is in progress.” As for the 500 acres of land at Safata on which the five star hotel will be build, Auelua says that the “negotiation are looking positive.” He says the company is looking at other locations to setup smaller resorts.“I am not sure if 500 acres of land will be found in Safata but that is what they want to include in the hotel, a golf course and other activities. The Chairman [of ETG] will visit in March.”ETG are a very successful Exhibition and Tourism business with head quartered in Chengdu, China. China’s third largest travel company, ETG has extensive hotel and resort operations in other countries.2013-02-26: Opposition Says Casinos Will Erode Samoa’s Culture Source: .auSamoa’s opposition leader, Palusalue Fa’apo, has pledged to abolish legislation which opens the way for casinos to start operating in the country.Photo: Samoa’s opposition leader says tourism should be focused on promoting the country’s tradition and culture, rather than casinos. (ABC News)The process of awarding licences to interested hoteliers has already begun, with a Chinese company interested in setting up in Mr Fa’apo’s constituency of Safata.Mr Fa’apo has told Radio Australia’s Pacific Beat the government’s decision to sanction casinos goes against Samoa’s cultural and Christian heritage, and he fears it will create a raft of social problems.“My position will be always against this legislation,” he said. “I believe there will be more social problems and disadvantage, more than the benefits from the casino.” Mr Fa’apo says the focus of tourism should be on promoting Samoa’s tradition and culture, rather than casinos.First Casinos Two licences are to be issued for casinos in Samoa, one to Aggie Gray’s beach resort in Apia and the other to a Chinese company, ETG.Robbie Kearney, chief executive of Samoa’s Gambling Control Authority, says the casinos will create jobs for local people and attract tourism dollars to Samoa.“Once we’ve reached the limits of what we can supply from the local Samoan population then the conversation will go to whether they can get visas to allow people to come in and work,” he said. “But their commitment in the first instance is to employ locals if at all possible.”2013-03-01: Opposition Mounts to Casinos in Samoa Source: Samoa’s opposition leader has pledged to abolish legislation that opens the way for casinos to start operating in the Pacific island nation.Palusalue Fa’apo told Radio Australia’s “Pacific Beat” that the government’s decision to sanction the industry goes against Samoa’s cultural and Christian heritage, and he fears it will create social problems.“My position will be always against this legislation,” he said. “I believe there will be more social problems and disadvantage, more than the benefits from the casino.”Two licenses are to be issued, one to the Aggie Greys resort hotel in Apia, the other to ETG, a Chinese exhibition, travel and property development company that is investing in large-scale resort projects in the Pacific and Indian oceans. ETG’s resort is slated for Mr Fa’apo’s constituency of Safata.Robbie Kearney, chief executive of Samoa’s new Gambling Control Authority, says casinos will create jobs for local people and attract tourism dollars.Mr Fa’apo says the focus of tourism should be on promoting Samoa’s tradition and culture, rather than gambling.2013-03-04: U.S. and China Battle For Influence in the PacificBy ?Miglena Ivanova, 2013-03-04 (Source: investor.bg) For decades, the United States fueled the state apparatus strategic island states in the Pacific, Chinese companies now offer a different model of developmentStone money on Yap island.?Photo: WikipediaA small island in the Pacific Ocean, which is extremely important for the United States from a strategic point of view, is about to literally be conquered by China, according to The Wall Street Journal.If you implement the plans for the construction of a large-scale resort with a casino and a golf course, the island will become one of the main destinations for Chinese tourists.?However, this will not only affect U.S. interests, but will seriously affect the culture of one of the most isolated and traditional societies in the world, as well as the environment.Largest project is the Chinese construction company Deng Hong and Company Exhibition and Travel Group (ETG).?In fact, they will take control on the port and airport of the island.Yap Island is strategically located in the Pacific Ocean.?Now he is part of the Federated States of Micronesia, and over the centuries has been a colony of Spain and Japan.?After the end of World War II, however, the island came under the tutelage of the United States and the Pentagon promised never to allow foreign influence there.It's not clear how the Americans intend to deal with the growing Chinese influence in the strategic region, but apparently they have not learned their lesson and repeat the same mistake for decades, the newspaper notes.?America failed in the “export” of one of its “assets”—capitalism and the free market, and the end of the 40s did nothing more than to feed socialism in Micronesia and the Pacific Island countries.U.S. sending multi-billion dollar aid to Micronesia intended to fund the development of economic and political systems of the islands.?Instead, local “grown” perfect bureaucracy that reflect excesses and failures of the U.S. Department of Interior—the federal department that controlled these benefits.The result is obvious—bloated beyond recognition state apparatus that stifles all economic development, but nourishes dependence of the islanders by the federal government in Micronesia. Repressive bureaucracy prevents the creation of any business, so administration is a unique and irreplaceable source of jobs.?This is why many Micronesians to emigrate to Hawaii or Guam or choose a career in the U.S. Army.The huge Chinese tourist complex is a kind of metaphorical image of accusing finger pointed at them for that U.S. policy in the region.?Some of the officials who are responsible for the transaction, justifying it with the development of the free market and the ability to replace the already existing perfectly correlated with economic activity and growth.?In short, the state apparatus of Micronesia traded U.S. handouts, which are planned to be completed in 2023, a Chinese-style capitalism, the newspaper notes.Instead controversial aid but Washington could spend the last few decades to help Micronesians build a modern legal system and the rule of law.?Washington might give them the tools to strive for self-empowerment of the political and economic future.?Instead, the U.S. did their best to maintain the status quo as “feed” the public sector and give cheap and durable support.The truth is that the Chinese project for now is not very popular on the island of Yap, especially among the population outside the capital.?But it offers something very different from stagnation and not very surprising if you raise popularity because it totally breaks the status quo.Worked on the article:?Miglena Ivanova, editor?Andrei Lyubenov2013-03-08: Casino Controversy Brewing In Samoa Source: A large Chinese consortium is due in Samoa in the next few days to sign up the country’s first international casino.The controversial move to give out two casino licences has split the country, with fears financial profit will bring increased crime.The Samoan government believes casinos could turn its economy around and the Gambling Control Authority says the benefits are numerous in terms of employment for local people.The Chengdu Exhibition and Tourism Group was awarded one casino licence while the other went to local company Aggie Greys.The Chengdu group intends to build a 500 room resort, complete with golf course and a number of shops, and intends to bring in Chinese tourists on charter flights.The company is to get tax breaks and entry requirements for Chinese tourists are likely to be relaxed.“I imagine that the Samoan government and the Chinese government will come to some kind of reciprocal arrangement,” casino consultant Robbie Kearney said.ONE News understands the group will pay the government a licence fee of $US150,000 as well as 15% of its net gaming revenue.But Reverend Maauga Motu from the Council of Churches says the move will bring social problems to the country.Legally only foreign passport holders staying in hotels can gamble, but locals doubt that will work, with one telling ONE News: “There will be ways the locals will find to get into the casino and that is where the problem will arise.”However, Kearney said they will be doing spot checks around the casino and the government has gained local support by promising to put some of the casino revenue into sport.Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi said it is an experiment and that “if the casino does not produce the desired result then we just fold up.”2013-03-10: Casinos An Experiment, Samoa PM Tells the World By Samoa Observer Staff (Source: )Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi has told the international media that the Government’s proposed casinos are an “experiment.”“If the casino does not produce the desired result then we [would] just fold [them] up,” he told TVNZ.The Prime Minister was asked to comment on concerns about the negative impact of the casinos, voiced by members of the community, including the churches.-59055317500Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi. [Samoa Observer]Reverend Maauga Motu, Secretary of the National Council of Churches says the casinos will bring social problems to the country. But Tuilaepa disagrees. He said the casinos would create much-needed employment for residents of villages, which have been chosen for the projects. At the moment, these villages include Mulifanua and Mulivai Safata.Further, the Prime Minister said the casinos would give tourists one more reason to choose Samoa as a destination. He said there is a need to create more activities for tourists to attract them and the casino is part of that. Tuilaepa is also excited about the possibility of direct flights from China to Samoa, which are being proposed by the Exhibition Tourism Group (ETG) as part of their license conditions.ETG representatives are expected in Samoa to sign the papers. The controversial move to give out two casino licences has split the country, with fears financial profit will bring increased crime. The Samoan government believes casinos could turn its economy around and the Gambling Control Authority says the benefits are numerous in terms of employment for local people.The Chengdu Exhibition and Tourism Group was awarded one casino licence while the other went to local company, Aggie Grey’s Reef Resort. The Chengdu group intends to build a 500-room resort, complete with golf course and a number of shops, and intends to bring in Chinese tourists on charter flights.The company is to get tax breaks and entry requirements for Chinese tourists are likely to be relaxed.“I imagine that the Samoan government and the Chinese government will come to some kind of reciprocal arrangement,” casino consultant Robbie Kearney said.2013-03-13: Tuilaepa’s Magic Word “Casino,” Let’s Give Him A ChanceBy Savea Sano Malifa (Source: samoaobserver.ws/editorial)Much has been said about Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi’s dream casino projects, and whereas some of which is positive most are pretty unflattering.However, the latest troubling revelation from Tuilaepa was when he told TVNZ: “(Don’t worry.) The government’s proposed casinos are just an ‘experiment.’ If the casinos do not produce the desired result then we will just fold them up.”Now wait. What was he talking about there? Isn’t this somewhat confusing?Already the government has announced that two licenses to establish and operate casinos have been awarded, one of them had been given to the Chinese company Chengdu Exhibition and Tourism Group (ETG). And just recently, in an announcement that seemed to assure everything was proceeding as planned, Tuilaepa said representatives from ETG would be arriving in June to get the ball rolling.They will be making the final arrangements for the land to be leased on which a “500-room resort” will be built, and that part from the casino being housed there, the resort will also provide accommodation for the thousands of Chinese who will be flown over to play in the casino.There will also be a golf course and a shopping mall, as well as lounging facilities where tourists could relax and enjoy the Samoan sun when they are not gambling. Now the questions are: When all these facilities that are now jointly known as an “experiment” are built, how does our government go about “folding it up?”Does our prime minister really think that a company such as ETG would pour millions of dollars in an “experiment” which the Samoan government will then “fold up” if it failed to produce the “desired results?”Incidentally, is our prime minister playing games in the hope that his critics will just get fed up and go away, or is he on the verge of quitting everything so that he is now trying to escape, by saying that this casino idea of his is just another “experiment” bound for that muddy heap of our broken dreams anyway?We don’t know. What we know is that Tuilaepa is really not the bad guy he has deliberately been making himself out to be.Somehow we believe that his intention is not to make people angry with him, but to make them sit up, take notice, and think hard.In other words, he wants them to use the time they are just sitting around doing nothing to think.He might have displayed fits of arrogance from time to time, said the “wrong word” here and there, but then that is because he sees that people are not thinking, and then worse still he does not have the patience to remain aloof all the time, as those silly carnivals of pettiness coming his way are just continuing to swirl around him over and over again.Like it or not, that is the simple truth. Pettiness does not turn our prime minister on at all. What turns him on are ideas, especially the ones that promise unlimited windfalls in the form of remittances, foreign exchange, and of course, aid.Never mind that there are those who are opposed to this line of thinking as dispiriting and reactionary; because according to Tuilaepa, they are the ones who cannot see the future clearly since they are “idiots.” Still, it is those ideas that our prime minister enjoys tinkering with in his mind, and when he is in that “tinkering” mood, he is in a world of his own so that any criticism being hurled at him will fail dismally to touch him. It is when his real self shows up and he emerges as the person he has always been—forgiving, collected, caring—so that all that he would be saying to his critics—journalists included—with a smile on his face, is: “Let’s not be grumpy, let’s be happy!”And so we ask: Where else in the world would you see a “dictator”—as Tuilaepa has often been dubbed here and abroad—reacting in such a way against his critics?None.What we know though is that he will not allow his disappointment to stand in his people’s right to express themselves freely and openly.And that, without a shade of a doubt in our minds, is the most important trait we should look for and cherish in our leaders.In this country, as we all know, the media are free to publish and broadcast anything they feel are of public interest so long as they are within the boundaries of the law.Indeed, the media are also free to criticize their government even most vehemently within the same boundaries, which shows that democracy is surely alive and well in Samoa.In comparison anyhow, opposition to dictatorships such as the government of nearby Fiji is not allowed; it is, in fact, an invitation to brutal punishment as we have seen this week. (Samoa Observer, 11 March.)Elsewhere around the world especially in the Middle East, government critics are persecuted, jailed, and even killed with the tacit approval of dictators. Not here in our little paradise though. We argue, we criticize, and we later sit down, talk, laugh, and make up; that’s us. And so whatever Tuilaepa’s faults are, he is not a dictator. His motives are sincere, and now that his magic word is “casino,” let us hope and pray that if those two “casinos” do go ahead as planned, they are prevented from allowing criminal activities that cause suffering to enter and flourish in small, vulnerable Samoa.2013-03-15: Mulivai to Become Samoa’s Las Vegas By Niccola Hazelman-Siona (Source: ftp.newzealandpacific.co.nz)Possible location: This Beach front property is the former location of the Hideaway Beach resort.A village destroyed by Cyclone Evan last year—with one of its biggest churches demolished as well as its school—is set to become Samoa’s version of the world’s casino capital, Las Vegas Nevada.Mulivai Safata has been confirmed as the venue for the 500-acre Casino property to be constructed by Chinese group, Exhibition and Tourism Group (ETG). ETG has been handed one of the Casino licenses by the Government. The other license has been given to Aggie Grey’s Resort. The decision by ETG to choose Mulivai Safata was confirmed by Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi. In an interview with the Weekend Observer, Tuilaepa said Casinos are not just an added attraction for tourists so that they are lured to Samoa; they would also be good for the economy.“There will be job opportunities, plenty of job opportunities for our young people,” he said.According to the Prime Minister, local people cannot gamble but they are allowed to work there. As a venture designed to cater for tourists, Tuilaepa said casinos are part of a “service industry, the entertainment industry.”The Prime Minister pointed out that the benefits of casinos are not limited to the districts in which they are located. Everyone will benefit, he said.“Foreign exchange earnings, our other tourist related industries will also benefit from this, airports, travel agencies, hotels, restaurants, bars, farmers, fishermen,” he said. “You see people that to come to play, they have to eat, they have to drink so there will be more income for those who cater to these needs.”Speaking about Mulivai Safata, the Prime Minister said the company has met the village and they have agreed.“Mulivai Safata is the place,” he said. “The five hundred acres has already been discussed and agreed to.”Asked about the villagers and residents of Mulivai and how they would react to the thought of losing up 500 acres of land, Tuilaepa replied; “It’s been arranged.”He did not elaborate.The Prime Minister said the village—and its neighbours—would benefit through the creation of jobs. He said it is only in the beginning when the two casino operators are expected to bring it outside knowledge.“The two casinos will bring in only operators because we don’t know how to operate casinos and then our people will be trained to take over.”If everything goes according to plan, ETG is set to begin its project in June.“We have a delegation coming in shortly and if everything is ok the project can start June.”Pressed about what issues there maybe in terms of land leases, Tuilaepa said; “The little issues that we have are being attended to by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.”Background InformationLast month, the Gambling Control Authority issued two conditional casino licenses. The licenses have strict conditions placed upon them relating to the time they have to open their casino and other operating requirements placed upon them in line with the Casino and Gambling Control Act 210 (the Act).The Exhibition and Tourism Group (ETG) have their head office in Chengdu, China. According to the Gambling Control Authority, ETG are a very successful Exhibition and Tourism business with extensive hotel and resort operations in many different geographical locations.ETG owns the third largest travel company operating in China.Last year, 80 million Chinese nationals left China to holiday in other countries. ETG plan to operate charter flights direct from China to Samoa and plan to build a substantial hotel and casino complex. Numbers to be employed are still being finalised but it is expected that a large number of local people will gain employment with ETG.ETG have secured the casino management services of the Genting Group which was founded in 1965 and has over 26 years of experience in developing, operating and marketing casinos and integrated resorts in different parts of the world, including the Americas, Australia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and United Kingdom. It has been voted Malaysia’s leading corporation and one of Asia’s best management multinationals.The Genting Group employs over 58,000 globally and possesses 4,500 hectares (11 acres) of prime resort land and 133,500 hectares (330,00 acres) of land for plantation.Legislation is clear, access to the casino for the purposed of gambling is restricted to those who hold foreign passport and who are registered guests at a hotel.Both license holders are responsible for ensuring that all guests visiting the casino are genuine tourists who meet the criteria. Casino operations in Samoa will be regulated through the Gambling Control Authority (GCA).The GCA was established through the Casino and Gambling Control Act 2010 and has the responsibility for administering the Act and ensuring that the license holders comply with all provisions of th Act.The GCA will employ two inspectors once both casinos are operating. These Inspectors will be trained and will be responsible for checking that guests visiting the casino are indeed visitors to Samoa, they will investigate complaints as well as ensuring that all games played in the casino are being conducted according to the relevant game rules.The entire focus of casino operations in Samoa is to generate more funding for sporting and charitable purposes, an increase in tourism and through that increase in visitor numbers see a flow on effect into the entire economy, thereby increasing foreign earning and improving the performance of the Samoan economy and sporting achievements. 4561205-325755002013-04-03: Sichuan Realty Tycoon Disappears Following Probe By WCT Staff Reporter, Source: Deng Hong, the would-be chairman of Exhibition & Travel Group China in Chengdu, Sichuan province, has disappeared from the public eye since March, following a government investigation launched in early December.Exhibition and Travel Group Chairman Deng Hong. (Photo/CFP)Deng Hong is the mastermind behind a convention center and hotel project in the southwestern province. The project, spanning 800,000 square meters, is the largest real estate undertaking in Asia. Deng is estimated to hold 10 billion yuan (US$1.6 billion) in assets, including international convention and exhibition centers in Chengdu and holiday resorts elsewhere in the province.Construction of the hotel and convention center project is still ongoing after news of Deng’s investigation reached the public.An inside source said Deng assured a meeting of his company’s managers that he would not resort to illicit means to run his business, according to the Guangzhou-based 21st Century Business Herald. He apparently hoped his words would prevent gossip from leaking to the press.Dubbed the convention and exhibition baron of western China, Deng returned to Chengdu from the US in 1995 before investing 1.4 billion yuan (US$226 million) to build an international convention and exhibition center in the city.The Chengdu international convention center entailed investment totaling 375 million yuan (US$60 million). In addition, Deng has poured 1.5 billion yuan (US$242 million) into building hotels and a convention center in Jiuzhaigou, a renowned local scenic area. The project reportedly encountered serious funding problems.In 2003, Deng started building a new convention and exhibition center in Chengdu. To fund the project, he obtained a 2 billion yuan (US$320 million) loan from China Citic Bank, 300 million yuan (US$48 million) from the issuance of securities products, and 700 million yuan (US$113 million) from mortgaged loans provided by several banks.303784088265002013-04-05: Tycoon Probed for Involvement in Li Chuncheng CaseSource: , 2013-04-05 02:54 AMDeng Hong, a Sichuan tycoon, is being investigated by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) authorities. Reportedly, he has close ties to Li Chuncheng, who is Sichuang’s ex-Deputy Party chief. Media said the official probe may aim to find out the whereabouts of huge assets that Deng Hong’s businesses are involved with.50-year-old Deng Hong is president of the Exhibition & Travel Group (ETG), in Chengdu, Sichuan Province. ETG owns dozens of entities, including an international convention centre, and an international holiday center. In 2006, Deng Hong was ranked 328 in Forbes’ Billionaires List, with a wealth over 900 million yuan.On March 3, China’s “21st Century Business Herald” reported that Deng Hong is under CCP investigation. Where are ETG’s huge assets? The answer may be what the investigation aims to find out.Reportedly, Deng Hong has close ties to Li Chuncheng, the former Deputy Party Chief of Sichuan. At 2012 year-end, Li was arrested on charges of corruption.Deng Hong was questioned by the relevant authorities, Deng denied involvement.According to earlier media reports, Li Chuncheng’s patron is Zhou Yongkang, the former security czar. After Zhou’s tenure ended, Li Chuncheng got the axe by Xi Jinping, as part of Xi’s anti-corruption drive.In early February, a news report on panchinese..br quoted an inside source. It said that Xi Jinping has decided to purge Zhou Yongkang ahead of schedule. Li Chuncheng was said to have contributed greatly to it, with his confession about Zhou’s many criminal activities.Media reported that besides his involvement in corruption, Li Chuncheng was accused of buying and selling official positions. In addition, he abused power and was involved in high-level infighting. Zhou Yongkang was implicated in all the concerned cases.Li Chuncheng also offered great help to Zhou Yongkang’s son, to be able to reap huge profits from oil, real estate and investment in Sichuan Trust Co., Ltd. Sichuan Trust owns many state-owned assets, including stocks in vintage liquor “Wuliangye” and “Guo Jiao.” By investing 200 million yuan in the Sichuan Trust, they acquired state-owned assets worth over 7 billion yuan.Since the end of 2012, three wealthy businessmen in Sichuan have been put under official probes. They included Wang Junlin, president of Langjiu Group, and Liu Han, president of Jinlu Group. Media said these three people, and Li Chuncheng, shared close relationships. Analysts said that the investigation into the three men may pave the way for Xi Jinping to catch Zhou Yongkang.Critic Jason Ma says that Li Chuncheng and Zhou Yongkang both got their starts in Sichuan. It isn’t groundless about their close links with the three tycoons.Jason Ma: “In China, it’s impossible to become a tycoon without having connections to the authorities. Meanwhile, the authorities are willing to take some wealthy men as a source of their income. So there are complex links between rich men and local officials.”Jason Ma speculates that if the new CCP leadership team fails to hide the evidence of organ harvesting, they may take an axe to Zhou Yongkang.Jason Ma: “Anyway, Zhou Yongkang is one of main culprits who has committed crimes against humanity. An example is live organ harvesting from Falun Gong practitioners. If the new CCP administration has obtained sufficient proof to convict Zhou Yongkang, they might let him carry the blame for the CCP.”Zhou Yongkang, the former head of CCP’s Political and Legislative Affair Committee (PLAC), had control of the police, the procuratorate, courts, prisons, and petitions. Zhou dominated a “stability preservation” system, which has created numerous injustices across China. Early in March, Pu Zhiqiang, a Beijing human rights lawyer, denounced Zhou Yongkang on the internet. Pu said that during his ten years of tenure, Zhou has committed all kinds of evils in China. According to Pu, China has to purge Zhou Yongkang before it can really step out of the dark shadows.Hu Po, political observer: “It implies a sort of political killing.”Will Jia Qinglin, Luo Gan, and Zeng Qinghong be threatened next? That will involve a wide initiative.Xi Jinping is now targeting CCP politburo members. These “tiger” officials, in his words, are “strictly defined.”In 2012, the crimes of Wang Lijun and Bo Xilai were exposed.Since then, atrocities of the CCP removing organs from living prisoners of conscience have been unveiled to the world. These crimes have been controlled by top level CCP officials, including Zhou Yongkang, Jiang Zemin, Zeng Qinghong and Luo Gan. So far, they have been sued in 30 countries, on charges of crimes against humanity, torture and Genocide.Related articles/blogs: blueworld.co.za2013-04-05: Wealthy Businessman Deng Hong Under InvestigationInformation Security Forum (Source: forum.)According to the 21st Century Business Herald, the 50-year-old Deng Hong, Sichuan entrepreneurs are under investigation. Deng Hong, currently chairman of Chengdu Convention and Exhibition Tourism Group, a number of large commercial real estate projects company Trader. He was in early December by the relevant departments of interviews, but deny that they are investigating. Since the beginning of March this year, Deng Hong again disappeared from public view. Official still no official news. Multiple news sources said Deng Hong and out of the low-key, but he was the loudest of those titles, just the direction of the investigation. Especially his dozens of operating entity of the complex interests involved, and ultimately just where may be where it is the center of gravity of the relevant departments for investigation. The outside world, said Deng Hong-controlled assets worth tens of billions, but it is difficult to estimate the net asset value of the part of his personal. The survey shows that, at least Chengdu International Convention and Exhibition Centre, Chengdu International Convention and Exhibition Center Co., Ltd., Sichuan high standard Construction Engineering Co., Ltd., Chengdu Century City New International Convention and Exhibition Center Co., Ltd., and Long Beach in Jiuzhaigou, Sichuan Meishan two resort development project. The company plays an important role in Deng Hong investment territory. The above companies are complex movements of capital, after the completion of the exhibition hall and hotel building, the forks a responsible hotel operators, property management, and even advertising series. Voted to build large-scale projects in the name of Deng Hong, almost by the engineering company responsible for construction of high standard Contractor, its outward part of the package. The legal representative of the high standard now, 2010 by Ping Haishun play. He refused to Deng Hong to newspaper comments. New Century Global Centre, Asia’s largest single building of concern to the industry is currently under investigation will be opened to postpone the date due to the progress of the project and Deng hung the opinion of the people of the relevant bank is not yet will affect the bank loan. Engineering suppliers still in the normal supply. Deng Hong served as chairman of Chengdu the MICE Tourism Group, are still reluctant to investigate his involvement in a statement on the issue. Close to the company said that Deng had in the the Chuncheng last year surveyed, presided over the company meeting statement above the middle, he will not do anything illegal, do not want to mess pass his accident (rumors). Deng that the face of the company claimed that the huge investment of the project, the task is very heavy. The number of his employees in the end of December and the recent newspaper said, always believed that Deng Hong today stems from his self-confidence and to. In addition, the media also said that currently includes Deng Hong, the three Sichuan Regal in the survey, the other two are Langjiu boss Wang Junlin and Sichuan Golden Road Group chairman Ambrose.2013-04-12: Another Sichuan Businessman Investigated for Graft By He Xin and Wang Chen, (Source: english. )Head of developer specializing in exhibition centers is third billionaire to face corruption inquiry this year.158755905500(Beijing)—A Sichuan property developer is being investigated by Communist Party anti-corruption officials, a source close to the situation says, the third billionaire to come under such scrutiny in the province this year.Deng Hong, chairman of Chengdu Exhibition & Travel Group (ETG), was being investigated over corruption linked to land deals, the source said. It was unclear what specific organization was handling the inquiry.Earlier media reports had said Deng was questioned in December by anti-corruption officials in connection with an investigation into Li Chuncheng, the former mayor of Chengdu. The inquiry into Li regarded “serious violation of the law,” the party’s Central Discipline Inspection Commission said on December 6.“Last time (Deng) was asked to assist in the investigation, but this time he is the target,” the source close to the investigation said.Deng has been in custody since early March, the source said.His last public appearance was on February 19, when he met officials from Shanghai in Chengdu.Deng is a well-known businessman in Sichuan who operates a wide range of exhibition and property projects across the southwestern province.He is known to enjoy close ties to local officials. “Deng has lots of government support, but he is also very talented in doing business,” a Chengdu businessman said.Deng, who was born in 1963, spent eight years in military. In 1985, he left the military and started his own business. Caixin has learned that the property business he started in late 1990s and all of his current projects involve the local government.In 1997, Deng reached an agreement with officials in Jiniu District, in northwestern Chengdu, to build the Shawan Exhibition Center. The project was very successful, helping Deng make his first fortune.A source in the Chengdu property sector said that exhibition centers were usually government projects that turned small profit margins. However, to attract private investors, the government allows them to develop commercial and residential projects on the same land.In 2003, Deng started work on a center in suburban Chengdu that had a hotel, office building and entertainment and tourism facilities.Public information shows that the compound covers nearly 100 hectares. This helped make Chengdu No. 4 in the country in terms of exhibition facilities by area, trailing only Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.ETG also owns Jiuzhai Paradise, a resort and conference center in the Jiuzhaigou nature reserve in northern Sichuan.In December 2008, ETG started a massive project in downtown Chengdu. The project includes an exhibition center, shopping mall, hotel, office building and apartments. Sources said the land was acquired in the name of building public facilities, but all the completed portions are for commercial use.Caixin also learned that ETG’s chief executive, Liu Yang, was also being investigated.Two other Sichuan businessmen have come in for investigation by anti-corruption officials this year. The others were Wang Junlin, chairman of liquor maker Sichuan Langjiu Group, and Liu Han, chairman of Sichuan Jinlu Group Co., which makes chemicals.5181600-616585002013-04-15: Samoa PRC Ambassador Dislikes “Negative ETG Campaign”!This is funny. Hilarious, actually! If only the subject was not so serious…On April 15, 2013, I posted this to my Facebook friends:As ETG has plans for Chinese Gambling Paradise Resorts not only in Yap Islands, FSM, but also in the Maldives, and in Western Samoa, I wanted to alert the Samoan Embassy in Beijing about the possible face loss that might result from being associated with ETG chairman Deng Hong: I sent this article link (english.) to the Samoan embassy in Beijing. Believe it or not: The Main Man, his Most Honorary Excellence, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Samoa, Mr. Tapusalaia Terry Toomata himself (Wow! That is one heck of an impressive title!) took time off his many diplomatic chores, and personally sent me this eloquent (and in its own way, loudly revealing) email response:from:Terry Ttoomata <ttoomata@> to:henry.ko.norman@ date:Mon, Apr 15, 2013 at 5:43 PM subject:ETGMr Norman, I know about you and the negative campaign you are doing on ETG regarding their project in Yap. If you havent done anything to bring investment to Yap or Samoa then Just don’t poke your nose into this and don’t contact us again.Sent from my iPhone=Wow! His extraordinary plenipotentiary even has his own Apple iPhone! It is somewhat disturbing to find that an honest attempt to give fair warning about a group of people with doubtful intentions gets this kind of hostile response… I have to wonder why this happened? Could it be that someone is worried that news like this could disrupt the potential flow of inappropriate compensations? And since I indeed have done something to bring investment to Yap, I guess I have his ambassadorial highness’ permission to just keep on pokin’!And if you have not yet signed the Yap Anti-Landgrab Petition, please consider doing so! Here’s the link: ! 5017135-777875002013-04-20: Analysis: Yap/ETG “Strategic Framefork”AgreementThe following is a brief analysis of a “Strategic Framework of Cooperation,” signed between ETG (Deng Hong) and Yap State Government (as represented by Governor Sebastian Anefal) in Chengdu, PRC, on 2011-04-21 (just under two years ago!).That date is of some importance, as both ETG and Governor Anefal have repeatedly stated that “ETG learned about Yap in March of 2011”… One (1) month earlier!According to the ETG “Yap Paradise Islands” project sales presentation, the first hotel complex, convention center, casino, and entertainment center were planned to be completed by 2013… (listen to audio here) Yes, that’s right: 2013!According to this “framework,” one of ETG’s major aims with the “project” is to “raise living standards of local residents of Yap”…Today (2013-03-12), according to a report published by FSM President Emanuel Mori, ETG has agreed to “scale back” their original ideas—4,000-10,000 hotel rooms, 8-15 golf courses, casinos, convention centers, water park, a China Town, a “Native Neighborhood” (not clear what this means), Condominiums, Timeshares, Luxury Villas, and much more—to “only” construct 1,500 hotel rooms—no casinos, no golf courses, no nothing... So far, so good?In Addition to Many Eyebrows, the Following Questions May Be Raised:Question 1: How can that presentation have been made after March of 2011? The presentation, as well as all that ETG has published (so far) about their plans, has a huge amount of detail of what ETG plans for Yap State! Even on a “fast track,” ETG must originally have planned to start the construction, of this truly gargantuan Yap undertaking, around 2008 (most likely a lot earlier!), so what could be the story behind this “learned about Yap in March of 2011” fiction?Question 2: How can the daily presence of (a) ~ 3,000 Chinese hotel employees, plus (b) ~ 1,400 hotel guests—for a grand total of no less than 4,400 foreigners on Yap Islands, every day of the year!—possibly contribute to “raising the living standards” for the People of Yap State?Question 3: Where will these ~ 3,000 (in the initial ETG proposal: ~ 10,000!) hotel employees live? This has nowhere been mentioned so far (and I am a little surprised that no Yapese have yet raised this somewhat important question). Question 4: What will these ~3,000 hotel employees (in their leisure time) and these ~1,400 hotel guests (when not sleeping, eating, or hanging out at the hotel pools/bars) be doing to spend thir time while in Yap? There is no “night life” in Colonia, and I somehow doubt that the few local koyeng hangouts that exist in Yap will be frequented… Only four, fairly simple questions. Anyone? Maybe ETG’s local representative, Mr. Gang Yang (or better still, the Governor of Yap State, Sebastian Anefal) could provide some answers to the People of Yap State, enabling them to make informed decisions about this “project”?Strategic Framework of Cooperationbetween the Government of the State of Yap of the Federated States of Micronesia, and theExhibition and Travel Group, China21 April 2011, Chengdu, ChinaThe Government of the State of Yap (GSY) of the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) and The Exhibition and Travel Group, China (ETG) have reached mutual understanding and decide to sign and implement the Yap State Paradise Island International Tourism Development Project (The Project). The Project is very important for the development of GSY and its islands and ETG. The benefits and profits generated from The Project will directly benefit the people of GSY for many generations to come. This Strategic Framework of Cooperation was reached based on friendly consultations and mutual cooperation and understanding with a long term commitment on both parties. The GSY and ETG will join efforts to build the State of Yap to become a unique world renowned top grade tourism destination. The GSY and ETG will work closely to develop The Project master plan, which will include, but not limited to, planning, designing, construction, management, operations, etc., for tourism development-related projects. The master plan will take into consideration the development of tourism sites and activities on all appropriate Yap islands where feasible and viable. The Project master plan will need to be approved by the GSY.ETG will provide development funds, technical support, management, construction, construction materials, machineries and equipment to build hotels & resorts, holiday villas, service apartments, golf courses, ocean parks, convention centers & exhibition venues and other tourism related facilities as well as real estate developments. ETG will accomplish these projects within the shortest possible period with the support of the GSY.ETG will upgrade sports and cultural facilities and improve the standard of the existing hospitals for the residents of Yap State. ETG will also build and donate public parks, school(s) and hospital(s) in accordance with the development needs and business operations. Yap will make every effort to secure the necessary lands for the newly donated facilities. Once The Project is approved, ETG will build and donate a new hospital to meet the urgent medical needs of Yap. The GSY along with ETG will negotiate with relevant land owners to secure the appropriate sites to facilitate the needs of The Project. Each land lease will be executed in line with Yap State laws for 50 years with the provision of the law to extend with the intentions of securing 100 year leases for each Project site. Every land lease can then be extended every 50 years with the provision of the law to extend.The Project is aimed to improve the GSY revenue income and raise living standards of local residents of Yap. The Yap residents will enjoy and be given priority for employment opportunities offered by ETG and The Project. The residents of the other FSM States will also enjoy the same priority. The revenue generated by the GSY will be increased tremendously: the measures will partly include the collections of the admission fees from the overseas tourists, the purchasing of the locally produced goods and all other related activities.In order to ensure the success of The Project, ETG will immediately upgrade the existing airport and seaport facilities, once The Project is approved. Furthermore, ETG will also need to be critically involved in the management of the airport and seaport operations. With the concurrence of GSY, and to ensure the quality of the operations, ETG will select internationally certified operators for the operations to protect the interests of The Project and the GSY.The GSY will endeavour to encourage and allocate the FSM Governments efforts to settle the agreements with the Government of People’s Republic of China on Civil Aviation, Mobile Telecommunication and other relevant national level agreements to facilitate direct flights, ocean transportations between FSM and People’s Republic of China, and Chinese mobile roaming services in the FSM.The GSY is committed to work with the FSM National Government to amend and pass appropriate and relevant national legislations for taxation incentives for foreign direct investment, import tariff. duty free zone, immigrations, etc. GSY appreciates the importance of the approval of gaming licenses to The Project and will make every effort to pass the necessary legislations to allow gaming. GSY will also facilitate ETG’s implementation of The Project to start generating profit and realizing benefits for all parties as early as possible.The GSY and ETG will fully consider the importance of protecting the interests of local commerce as well as safeguarding the culture and traditions of the indigenous Yapese people; thus both parties will work closely to ensure that the implementation of The Project will have no negative impact, as The Project will benefit the interests of local commerce and local people in every aspect.ETG is committed to implement The Project in accordance with all HSE (Health, Safety, Environments) standards including, among others, Yap Government construction codes, environment protection law and regulations, and ocean ecology regulations and The Project employee’s safety and health requirements. In the absence of any relevant Yap or FSM laws and regulations, The Project will follow US standards.The Project’s long term cooperation between GSY and ETG is built on the foundation of mutual benefit and trust. ETG’s investments in The Project is <sic!> huge and the significant influence of The Project has breadth and depth. Upon its approval, GSY is committed to ensure the long term safety and benefits of ETG’s investments in The Project. The GSY and ETC agree to sign this Strategic Framework of Cooperation on the basis of friendly negotiations and may therefore revise the contents of this framework or supplement matters not mentioned in this framework through further discussions. This document is done in duplicate in both English and Chinese languages. The GSY and ETG will each have two copies in both languages. <signature> <signature> Mr. Deng HongMr. Sebastian L. AnefalChairmanGovernorExhibition and Travel GroupState of YapFederated States of Micronesia2013-04-18: Rolling the Dice?Marianas Variety, 2013-04-18 (Source: )WHEN we first wrote about the grandiose plan of a Chinese company to put up a mega-resort in Yap State—the most conservative and traditional of the four Federated States of Micronesia—the plan seemed overwhelming.?The Exhibition and Travel Group (ETG) out of Chengdu said it would improve the harbor and airport in Yap, about a three-and-a-half-hour flight from mainland China, and would build a 4,000 room hotel, plus other smaller hotels and golf courses to accommodate a million visitors a year, to start.Reaction was mixed.?Yap’s total population is only about 11,000 in the main islands.?There was no clear opposition to the plan, which caught most Yapese off-guard.?The traditional chief’s through the Council of Pilung indicated they would support the development.?Yap Gov.?Sebastian Anefal seemed to be on board too, pointing out that United States funding for the FSM was due to run out in 2023.?“Yap has to do something,” he said as he signed the preliminary agreement with ETG.It didn’t take long, however, for some organized opposition to surface.?Groups questioning the plan began appearing on radio in the state, while bumper stickers and posters in opposition to the development surfaced.?Individual landowners, with whom the Chinese were negotiating for long-term leases, began to drive harder bargains or refused to talk with the developers at all.Meanwhile, the high rolling ETG chairman, Deng Hong, who flew to Yap in his private corporate jet, has reportedly been in jail in China since February. However, Chinese authorities have taken pains to visit the FSM embassy in Beijing to assure Micronesian authorities that in spite of the chairman’s legal problems, the Yap development still has the backing of the Chinese government and will go forward.With all of this going on, we were interested to run across an article from the Asia Gambling Brief, which is a pretty good overview of the Yap proposal and other moves this company is making overseas.?Casino gaming, it turns out, is the real reason for not only the Yap development, but similar efforts in Western Samoa and the Maldives.2013-04-18: ETG Island Casinos to Round Out China Offer?Marianas Variety, 2013-04-18 (Source: )MACAU, China—Those ambling around the beaches of Samoa next year might expect the traditional scent of young taro leaves baked in coconut cream to waft from seaside shacks and instead be surprised to catch the fragrance of jasmine tea and boiled rice.The aroma of Chinese food is likely to become more commonplace in Samoa and its fellow Pacific island of Yap in Micronesia, as well as the Maldivian atoll of Huvadhu, as China’s Exhibitions and Travel Group pushes the development of huge resorts featuring gambling and golf.The projects represent ETG’s attempt to seize a bigger piece of the value chain that channels Chinese gamblers to casinos around the world keen for their favor. ETG’s Panda Travel agency already claims to arrange a million international trips a year for Chinese travelers, according to the Wall Street Journal.?The Micronesian, Maldivian and Samoan resorts would allow ETG to fill out those travel packages with its own hotels and casinos rather than those in Macau or Singapore—and it has told officials in Yap and the Maldives to expect a million visitors a year.However, the projects face varying degrees of local opposition.?Meanwhile, Chinese media reported this week that Deng Hong, ETG’s chairman, was under investigation by local authorities and that he had not been seen in public since mid-February.Moreover, ETG’s “desert island casino” approach has been tried without success by other operators on Tinian and Rota, two islands in the Northern Marianas group at similar distance from China as Yap.?The Tinian Dynasty Hotel & Casino, which relies largely on Chinese gamblers arriving on chartered flights, was fined nearly $200,000 last year over unpaid wages and was this week reported to have missed payroll again since January.?The casino was sold last year amid a deal that saw it also settle $30 million in local back taxes with a $6.1 million payment.?The Rota Treasure Island casino closed last year, leaving unpaid vendors and staff in the lurch after several years of trying to lure over Japanese gamblers.?It too has been sold.But if ETG’s founder resurfaces unscathed in China, the company may have the muscle to pull off its plans.?Executives from the state Export-Import Bank of China have joined ETG in meetings with officials in Samoa and Yap and senior Chinese officials have also led discussions with counterparts in the Maldives on ETG’s plans there.?The moves show the company has “some agreement or guidance from important people,” said Wolfgang Georg Arlt, founder of China Outbound Tourism Research Institute.ETG’s biggest projects to date have been at home, including large hotel and exhibition complexes in Chengdu and Jiuzhaigou centered on InterContinental-branded hotels.?ETG aims to complete two more landmark projects in the first half of the year: another InterContinental hotel that will be Lhasa’s largest, and the New Century Global Centre, a complex of hotels, offices, shops, conference halls, a water park and an artificial beach in Chengdu pitched to be the world’s largest standalone structure at 1.7 million square meters.InterContinental is also reportedly lined up to manage ETG’s planned 500-room Samoa resort, with Malaysia’s Genting Group to run a 10,000-square-foot casino.?The project appears to be proceeding apace, though the country’s opposition leader has vowed to overturn the law legalizing casinos if he comes to power, calling casinos a threat to the island’s cultural and religious heritage and likely to cause social problems. Another obstacle may be assembling land for the site as communal ownership could slow the process.?One regulator said resistance has been less than expected.?Aggie Grey’s Beach Resort, a locally owned hotel, also won a casino license.Samoa however will be a long 12-hour flight from Beijing.?The lack of existing connections meant only about 1,000 Chinese visited the country last year and even the long non-stop flight will be a deterrent.Yap will be only three-and-a-hour hours from Beijing, but starts from a lower base, with just 10 Chinese visiting in 2011.?Moreover, opposition to ETG’s plans is more fierce.?To try to win over support, ETG has offered to pay $200 to each Yap citizen if the state’s laws are reformed to allow for a casino and to pay $400 more once its casino opens.?The company has also made donations to local schools and healthcare providers and flown local officials to Chengdu to see its projects.Many islanders have been unmoved, worried that ETG’s plans for a 4,000-room resort will overwhelm their island of 11,000 people.?“The [development] will devastate everything the Yapese hold dear on Yap,” said resident Henry Norman, among those campaigning against the project.?“The [development] will mean the end of Yap culture as we know it and it would be a tragic shame.”The state legislature has passed several resolutions to try to halt the $1 billion project, demanding that ETG first get a comprehensive master plan approved. However, ETG argues it cannot produce a master plan until it secures land for its project and so is continuing to pursue leases.The depth of opposition to ETG in the Maldives is unclear but Chinese already make up the largest tourist market for the Indian Ocean nation.?The country has been politically unsettled since its elected president was forced from office last year.?A document purported to be ETG’s development master plan was subsequently uploaded on the Internet as “Maldives Leaks.” It describes grand plans for reclamation to build new urban centers and 10 million to 12 million square meters of new buildings, including more InterContinental hotels.It also said the project will include a casino to help attract tourists and urges the government to confirm this plan.?The issue could be difficult as the country is predominantly Muslim and the current government has sought Islamist support with stricter policies, with dancing and spas at resorts both coming under pressure.ETG is not discussing its projects other than to deny they involve gambling. Local media reports on its projects notably do not mention plans for casinos either.?Beijing has also blocked domestic access to the website of at least one Yap group campaigning against the resort there.But analysts believe ETG’s island casino resorts could be a winning proposition, noting the growth in travel to the Maldives and Hawaii.?Arlt also points to the rapid expansion in local travel to Hainan Island, an offshore province often marketed as “China’s Hawaii” and which attracted 33 million visits last year, up from 20.6 million in 2008. Ben Lee, managing partner of Macau gaming consultancy iGamiX Management & Consulting, said the key will be creating an integrated package of infrastructural support and other tourist attractions.?“The destination itself has to be attractive in the first place before you put gaming in.”3838575-360045002013-05-01: Chinesse Businessman Investigated For CorruptionBy He Xin & Wang Chen, 2013-05-01 (Source: )Chinesse <sic!> businessman linked to 500 room casino resort in Samoa investigated for corruption.BEIJING — The chairman of the Chengdu Exhibition and Travel Group (ETG), who signed an MOU with Samoa to build a 500 room resort, is in custody in Beijing China.Deng Hong, who has reportedly been in custody since March 2012 is being investigated over corruption linked to land deals, by the Communist Party anti- corruption officials, according to a Caixin Online report of April 14.The Prime Minister of Samoa, Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, Samoa’s Ambassador to China, Tapusalaia Toomata and officials from Samoa visited the ETG company’s Head Office in Chengdu, China in May 2012.Discussions centred on the building of a 500 room hotel resort project in Samoa to be managed by Intercontinental Hotels Inc.The Prime Minister and the Chairman of ETG, Deng Hong then signed an MOU during the visit to facilitate the implementation of the project.Ambassador To’omata visited Samoa with a team from ETG in April prior to the Prime Minister’s visit to Chengdu.In June, ETG Chairman Deng, the Chengdu Exim Bank President and officials of ETG returned to Samoa for site visits, following a visit to Yap in Micronesia, where ETG is also planning another resort.On the Samoa Embassy website in Beijing the report said “The proposed project would be a huge boost for Samoa’s tourism especially in targeting Chinas growing outbound tourism as well as nearby markets such as Australia and New Zealand.”Earlier media reports in Caixin Online had said Deng was questioned in December by anti-corruption officials in connection with an investigation into Li Chuncheng, the former mayor of Chengdu.The inquiry into Li was regarded as “a serious violation of the law,” the party’s Central Discipline Inspection Commission said on December 6.“Last time (Deng) was asked to assist in the investigation, but this time he is the target,” the source close to the investigation said.Deng has been in custody since early March, the source said.His last public appearance was on February 19, when he met officials from Shanghai in Chengdu.Deng is a well-known businessman in Sichuan who operates a wide range of exhibition and property projects across the southwestern province.3 Comments:FiasiliSamoa better watch out, the Chinese will own you someday. Might as well think of ways to pay them back lots and lots of mula they lend u, if cannot better be prepared, they don’t give out mula or things for FREE!!!LeeNever heard of “Chinesse” lol. This is a tragic though, maybe by this accusation Samoa PM will change his mind but then that’s just hopeful thinking. This PM is a joke! ugh.Osa FatuesiSo Samoa is willing to build a Casino for the sake of tourism? What happened to visit historic sites and Samoa resorts? Casino? Those Chinese tourist can go to Vegas for that. If Deng Hong is suspected of corruption, imagine what kind of deal Mr. PM did and some of the kick-backs to along with it.5391785-29908500Eighth LegislatureYap State Resolution No. 8-75State of YapThird Regular Session, 2013 A ResolutionInstructing the Yap State Foreign Investment Board pursuant to 8 YSC 304(c) to cancel the Yap State Foreign Investment Permit issued to the Exhibition and Travel Group (ETG), because the issuance of the permit violated the State Government Ethics Act and is therefore not valid to allow ETG to engage in business in the State of Yap.Whereas, the State Government Ethics Act was created “to prescribe standards of ethical conduct for all government employees, in order that the people of the State of Yap may have complete faith and confidence in the integrity of their government” (8 YSC 302); andWhereas, section 304(a) of the Act states that:“(a) Employees shall avoid any action which might result in, or create the appearance of: Using public office for private gain;Giving preferential treatment to any organization or person;Impeding government efficiency or economy;Losing complete independence or impartiality of action;Making a government decision outside official channels; orAffecting adversely the confidence of the public in the integrity of the government.”; andWhereas, section 304(c) of the Act allows the State to void any action taken by a state employee that violates the Act, as well as to hold the employee personally liable for any damage, costs, and other consequences that the State incurs as a result of voiding the employee’s unethical actions; andWhereas, section 303 of the Act defines employees as “all employees of the State Government, including those persons covered by or exempted from the State Public Service System Act.”; andWhereas, the issuance of the Yap State Foreign Investment Permit by the Director of the Department of Resources and Development (hereinafter Director) to the Exhibition and Travel Group (hereinafter ETG) on and received by ETG on April 26, 2012 violates Section 304 of the Act as follows:Pursuant to subsection (a)(2) on “giving preferential treatment to any organization or person,” the following items are evidence of how the issuance of the Permit to ETG represented and continue to represent the Director giving preferential treatment to ETG in violation of subsection (a)(2): the Director approving and issuing the Permit to ETG despite overwhelming public opposition including the adoption of Resolutions by the Legislature; and the Director approving and issuing the Permit to EFG despite ETG proposing to engage in illegal activities in the State of Yap such as gambling as indicated in their investment agreement proposal to the Governor prior to the issuance of the Permit, and as specified in the Strategic Framework Agreement signed by the Governor and ETG;Pursuant to subsection (a)(3) on “impeding government efficiency or economy,” the following items are evidence of how the issuance of the Permit to ETG represented and continue to represent the Director impeding government efficiency or economy in violation of subsection (a)(3): the Director’s instructions to his staff not to release information on the status of the ETG application for a Yap State Foreign Investment Permit; the Director’s total disregard of the overwhelming public opposition including a petition by more than 1,500 people and residents of Yap State against the ETG proposal; the Director’s complete disregard for resolutions adopted by the Legislature against the ETG proposal; the Director’s acceptance of the ETG’s initial proposal to the Governor to engage in business activities including illegal activities such as gaming and casinos; and the Director’s preferential treatment for the ETG application for a Permit resulted in the Legislature being kept in the dark while the Governor and the Council of Pilung continued to negotiate with ETG. Such actions adversely affect government efficiency by causing uncertainty and confusion amongst relevant government agencies, undermining continued cooperation and unity in the State Leadership, and preventing a more efficient and a more orderly review of the documents and investment proposal by ETG by the entire Yap State Government exclusive of the Judiciary Branch, and the public; andPursuant subsection (a)(6) on “adversely affecting the confidence of the public in the integrity of the government,” the following items are evidence of how the issuance of the Permit to ETG represented and continue to represent the Director adversely affecting the confidence of the public in the integrity of the government in violation of subsection (a)(6): the Director’s disregard, before issuing the Permit, of the outcry of the people of Yap State comprising of more than 1,500 petitioners against the ETG proposal, the adoption of Yap State Resolutions No. 8-29 and 8-31 by the Legislature on January 26, 2012 and April 19, 2012, respectively, against the ETG proposal, and the Governor’s specific instruction to the Director in a State Leadership meeting not to issue the Permit, the Director’s disregard of the people’s continued opposition to the ETG proposal as the people of Yap State continued to raise their concerns and oppositions to the State Leadership as follows: May 2, 2012 the State Leadership was petitioned by an additional 172 petitioners against the ETG proposal; May 21, 2012 a meeting designated as a Town Hall Meeting was held at the Colonia Community Center which supposedly to educate the general public on the proposed ETG project was limited to only two hours, and during which meeting the Acting Attorney General in the presence of the Director informed the people that the Permit had not been delivered to ETG when in fact ETG had received the Permit on April 26 2012 as noted and initialed by ETG agent on the Permit, and further at the conclusion of the meeting there were questions those in attendance still wanted to ask; July 31, 2012 the Yap Women’s Association forwarded to the State Leadership a petition by the “Bpin nu Waab” from the respective municipalities of Yap and the members of the general public of the State of Yap, stating their strong opposition to the ETG proposal that “they strongly feel that this investment is not right for the State of Yap. Therefore, we are humbly pleading to your good office to put a stop to this Proposed Development of ETG.”; August 9, 2012 more people of Yap petitioned the State Leadership “NOT to permit the Exhibition and Travel Group (ETG) to invest in the whole State of Yap. We have listened to all available information on ETG’s investment plan in Yap and we know that their investment is not good for Yap and her future generations.”; September 18, 2012, Yap State Resolution No. 8-53 was adopted by the Legislature “calling on the Governor to submit a written notice to Exhibition Travel Group (ETG) to void the Investment Agreement between the State and ETG and to disapprove any and all master plans from ETG for investment in Yap State.”; October 1, 2012, the Governor of the State of Yap wrote the Chairman of ETG to “reconsider the proposed project, if not to dissolve the Investment Agreement and any legal documents preceding it.” And in the letter the Governor made references to the letter of the Dalip Pi Nguchol “commanding my administration to ‘prohibit the Exhibition and Travel Group from proceeding with the intended project for Yap State’” and Yap State Resolution No. 8-53 requesting him to void the Investment Agreement, and that “it is my belief that the attached letter and resolution, together with other attachments herewith, are indicative of a resistance to your proposed project in the State and I feel that it is my responsibility to approach your organization before you risk any greater financial investment going forward. I fear that the prospects of ETG crafting a profit-making enterprise in Yap may be very low. It seems that ETG, if it decides to go forward with the project, will encounter a huge amount of resistance from the public and by way of laws passed by the Legislature which will all but ensure that ETG cannot do business in the State of Yap.” andWhereas, on November 12, 2012, a petition addressed to Speaker Falan was received by the Yap State Legislature from a group calling themselves the Yap Awareness Project (Y.A.P.). This petition has over one thousand signatures, and it stated in relevant parts as follows: “In lieu of recent events aired in the legislative chamber and efforts to cease economic development spearheaded by our Governor, Council of Pilung and National Government. It is our wish to let it be known that we do not join or embrace the recent resolution that came out of the legislature that call for the cessation of the current proposed foreign investment initiative and that we do not support the position of others to recall our Governor.” It went on to say that “Therefore, we feel it is in the best interest of Yap State and its people to allow all our leaders and their entities to continue their mandated responsibilities of promoting foreign investments according to our laws and policies. Furthermore, for all our leaders to come to a united front to explore and seek all and every possible way that we could benefit from the current proposed investment.”; andWhereas, petitions by the Y.A.P. group and others previously clearly showed that the confidence of the public in the government is affected adversely. 8 YSC 304 (a)(6) specifically voids any action by a State employee if his action affects adversely the confidence of the public in the government; andWhereas, on February 5, 2013, and in response to the Y.A.P. group’s petition, the whole membership of the Yap State met with the group to discuss the wishes expressed in the petition. It was in this meeting that the Y.A.P. group was informed that the Yap State Legislature Resolution No. 8-53 was adopted at the request of the Governor to support his letter to the Chairman of ETG dated October 1, 2012. The mandate that the members of the Yap State Legislature understood from this meeting is for the State leaders to come to a united front; andWhereas, on March 21, 2013, the Yap State Legislature met with the Governor to discuss the best way forward on the proposed ETG project since we have different groups with different views on the project. It was decided that the Governor should have the Foreign Investment Permit for ETG to be voided, and that the Governor should get back to the Legislature on April 16, 2013. This meeting did not take place because the Governor was to go off-island on medical purposes on that day; andWhereas, the Chief of Rumung on the Council of Pilung has informed the Council that he was given US$3,000 by Mr. Gang Yang, the ETG agent in Yap, and that as a member of the Council of Pilung it would constitute a bribe which is a state crime under our Yap Penal Code if the Chief were to receive the money as consideration to influence his decision to assist ETG by influencing the people of Yap to lease their lands to ETG; andWhereas, Mr. Deng Hong, Chairman/President of ETG has been in world news to be under investigation by the government of China for graft and has been in custody since early March of this year which supports the assumption that the payment of money to the Chief of Rumung was a bribe and consistent with the Chinese Government investigation of Deng Hong; andWhereas, the purpose of Yap State Foreign Investment Act is “to encourage foreign investment within the State of Yap in a manner which serves the economic, social, and cultural interest of the State of Yap”; andWhereas, accepting a large sum of money by a government official and traditional Chief from ETG and knowing that ETG is a Chinese entity and that the Chinese Government is investigating the Chairman of ETG for graft and that the Chairman has been in custody for corruption and illegal land grabs are factors that will clearly not serve the economic, social, and cultural interest of the State of Yap; andWhereas, the combination therefore of the Director’s violation of the State Government Ethics Act together with the criminal activity in which Mr. Deng Hong, Chairman of ETG, is involved in would clearly constitute a lack of confidence of the public in the integrity of the government if the Permit is not cancelled by the Yap State Foreign Investment Board which was created by Yap State Law No. 8-25 to review, approve, and issue a Yap State Foreign Investment Permit, among other things, in lieu of the Director; now therefore,Be It Resolved by the Eighth Legislature of the State of Yap, Third Regular Session, 2013, that on behalf of the people and government of the State of Yap, the Legislature hereby instructs the Yap State Foreign Investment Board pursuant to 8 YSC 304(c) to cancel the Yap State Foreign Investment Permit issued to the Exhibition and Travel Group (ETG), because the issuance of the Permit by the Director of the Department of Resources and Development violates the State Government Ethics Act for the reasons explained in this Resolution and is therefore not valid to allow ETG to engage in business in the State of Yap; andBe It Further Resolved that if the Yap State Foreign Investment Board fails to cancel the Permit within twenty calendar days after receipt of a certified copy of this Resolution for whatever reasons, then this Resolution shall operate to cancel the Permit pursuant to section 304(c) of the Act which allows the State to void unethical actions by a State employee; andBe It Further Resolved that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Chairman and members of the Yap State Foreign Investment Board, the Governor, the Attorney General, the Chief of Commerce and Industries, the Chief of Land Resources, the Chairman of the Council of Pilung, and the Chairman of the Council of Tamol.386143517843500Adopted: May 02, 2013___________________________Henry Falan402653530988000Speaker___________________________Date394525515621000Attested to:___________________________Dee N. LibianChief Clerk3585210-316230002013-05-03 (Samoa): What next?By Savea Sano Malifa, 2013-05-03 (Source: ftp.newzealandpacific.co.nz)Now that the Chinese businessman, Deng Hong, who signed the Memorandum of Understanding with the Samoan government to build a 500-room-resort in Samoa is reported to be in custody in Beijing, what next?We don’t know yet. So let’s just sit and wait.What we’ve been told though is that Mr Hong, the chairman of the Chinese company Chengdu Exhibition & Travel Group (ETG) whose Head Office is in Chengdu, is under investigation for alleged corruption.We’ve also been told that he has been in custody in Beijing since early March. And yet it seems that about this time last year, all was well.First, in April, Samoa’s Ambassador to China, Tapusalaia To’omata, accompanied by ETG officials, visited Samoa where they held discussions with government officials.Then in May, Prime Minister Tuilaepa, accompanied by government officials, took a trip to China. It was during that trip that they visited ETG’s Head Office — also accompanied by Ambassador Tapuasalaia — where discussions on the proposed resort in Samoa were held.It is understood that an agreement was reached there that ETG would build the resort with Intercontinental Hotels Inc. managing it, and Tuilaepa and Mr Hong then “signed the M.O.U. to facilitate the implementation of the project.”And then in June, ETG Chairman, Mr Deng, and ETG officials, along with the “Chengdu Exim Bank President” visited Samoa “for site visits, following a visit to Yap in Micronesia, where ETG is also planning another resort.”Later, the Samoa Embassy in Beijing’s website, discussing the resort project in Samoa, announced: “The proposed project would be a huge boost for Samoa’s tourism especially in targeting China’s growing outbound tourism, as well as nearby markets such as Australia and New Zealand.”Still, Deng Hong’s story is an interesting one. It is interesting since it is also the story of how the minds of those running “small governments” in China work.He is said to be “a well-known businessman in Sichuan who operates a wide range of exhibition and property projects across the southwestern province.”Known “to enjoy close ties to local officials, Deng has lots of government support,” a Chengdu businessman reportedly said, “but he is also very talented in doing business.”Born in 1963, he spent eight years in military, and in1985, he left the military and started his own business. Reports say “the property business he started in late 1990s and all of his current projects involve the local government.”In 1997, he reached an agreement with officials in Jiniu District, in northwestern Chengdu, to build the Shawan Exhibition Center. The project was very successful, helping Deng make his first fortune.A source in the Chengdu property sector said that exhibition centers were usually government projects that turned small profit margins.However, to attract private investors, the government allows them to develop commercial and residential projects on the same land.In 2003, Deng started work on a center in suburban Chengdu that had a hotel, office building and entertainment and tourism facilities.Public information shows that the compound covers nearly 100 hectares. This helped make Chengdu No. 4 in the country in terms of exhibition facilities by area, trailing only Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.ETG also owns Jiuzhai Paradise, a resort and conference center in the Jiuzhaigou nature reserve in northern Sichuan.In December 2008, ETG started a massive project in downtown Chengdu. The project includes an exhibition center, shopping mall, hotel, office building and apartments.Sources said the land was acquired in the name of building public facilities, but all the completed portions are for commercial use.And that was when Deng Hong’s problems started.They started in December 2008 when the Chinese government’s anti-corruption officials launched their inquiries into Hong’s questionable activities, so why is it that four years later in May 2012 when the M.O.U. was signed, it appears that our government did not know anything about it.And here we have a suggestion to make.Since our government has made up its mind that aid and foreign investments combined is the solution to our economic ailments, would it devise a screening system to establish who excactly we are dealing with.And so we ask one more time: Now that our government’s plan to build — once again — with investment funds a 500-room-resort that it believes will rid it and our country — and yes, once again — of our economic woes, appears to be falling apart, what next?We do not know. What we know is that in this world, there are two kinds people to be wary of. Those who are born corrupt and those who are born uncorrupt.The first is beyond help. There is no cure for their ailment.As for the second, there is hope. Although they knowingly encourage corruption to run out of control for one reason or another, they do so not for self-gain.But then in their hunger for fame they refuse to mend their ways, which is when their vanity becomes unquenched, and their fall from grace is ments Senorita, 2013-05-08Samoa should take a leaf out of the State of Yap’s book where ETG and Deng Hong are concerned, and ask questions. For a smaller nation than Samoa, I admire the courage of their people to question the transparency and integrity of the ETG’s casino deal and it’s negative impact on their people, culture, religious beliefs, lands, traditions etc Here are some of the questions they asked and I believe our people have asked but govt chose to ignore:“Was there a complete assessment done by the government on the ETG Investment Project?”“Can you name a place in the world that ETG has developed and has no problem?”“The Council of Pilung and the Governor don’t have ownership or rights to people’s land. The Chinese are given rights to take ownership of our lands after signing the Agreement.”“Do we have enough legal issue to take the Investment Agreement to court; the way paper processing has taken place, people being overstepped and others?”(permalink.php)The govt was never transparent about the casino. Deng Hong also said publicly that although he respects other businessmen, his business relies on govt & its officials so he’s not accountable to anyone! Well I think that explains why an ex-govt official forgot to tell his village that the casino will go on and will be built on their lands! 3381375-368935002013-05-08 (Samoa): No Place For Casinos: Palusalue By Niccola Hazelman-Siona, 2013-05-08 (Source: samoaobserver.ws)The leader of the Opposition Party, Palusalue Fa’apo II predicts failure for the future of casinos being built in Samoa.Casino will fail: Leader of Opposition Party, Palusalue Faapo II.News that the Chairman of the Chengdu Exhibition and Travel Group, Deng Hong is being held in custody in Beijing has also made the country appear “easy to fool.”Chengdu Exhibition and Travel Group (ETG) is one of the two companies awarded a casino license by government to operate in Samoa.“O faiva e tapuaia e a’e ma le manuia,” says Palusalue “a casino in Samoa will never be good because the people are against it and a casino will never have a place in Samoa.”“Despite all their efforts, they will fail because the country is against it; the people, members of the church are all against it.”Palusalue said that “the government should have learnt their lesson by now.”“This is not the first time bad investors have come and promised riches and the government of all people should know by now and learn from past experiences with these investors.“The Tautua party is still against casinos even though government is allowing them to be built.”Palusalue accuses government of being careless in allowing numerous bad investors to set up businesses in Samoa.“Now everyone knows about this man and this company. What happened to all the big plans and the so-called benefits to our people?”“What does that say about Samoa? What does that say about our government’s ability to make the right decisions?”“They (government) spoke on behalf of this country and its people; they decided that a casino was a good thing despite the people being against it.“There was never a question about how these investors came to be, no questions about where the money came from or who these people really were.“So here we have a man who signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with our government and he is now in prison.“The government was careless. They should have checked this company and these people thoroughly before even talking to them.“Not only does this make Samoa look bad, stupid but it makes our government look stupid as well.“To the outside world, Samoa now looks like the country that is easy to fool and manipulate. People come here show a bit of money, promise big things and then leave.”Palusalue says that “even though the resort and casino has not been set up, it is the reputation and integrity of our country that is challenged.”“We are a proud people, a proud country because we take pride in our beliefs, our customs and traditions we do don’t want to be thought of as weak and stupid or easy to fool.“But it is so easy for our government to be swayed with the ideas of flashy buildings, money, fame, riches, and in the mix we are losing what makes us who we are, what makes us Samoan, that is our Faasamoa, our Samoan way of life.“When the word casino comes to mind, often it follows with everything bad under the sun; there is nothing good about casinos.“Once a country has a casino its reputation is automatically tainted because of the negative impacts it has on a country and its people and for Samoa, there is and should never be, room for a casino, ever.“Maybe this is a sign that casino just doesn’t belong here in Samoa. Casinos have no part of Samoa, its culture, traditions and laws.“O faiva e tapuaia e a’e manuia” this is a bad start to something this country is dead set against.”2013-05-09 (Samoa): Proposed Samoa Casino in Limbo?By Kirby Garlitos, 2013-05-09 (Source: )Proposed Samoa casino in limbo after Chinese company faces corruption accusationsThe?Chengdu Exhibition and Tourism Group’s?plans to build the?first international casino in Samoa is now up in the air after Chinese media reports said that the company’s chairman, Deng Hong, and his chief executive, are being investigated by authorities over accusations of corruption stemming from previous land deals.The Chinese consortium, which has been involved in major hotel and development projects across China, signed a memorandum of understanding with the Samoan Government last year to build, develop, and operate the country’s first casino.?But apparently, Hong’s in a wee bit of trouble himself as Communist Party anti-corruption officials have kept him in custody since March, delaying visits to Samoa and leaving little updates to the Samoan government regarding the issue.At the time the deal was announced, Samoa’s casino project advisor Robbie Kearney seemed excited about the partnership with the Chengdu Exhibition and Tourism Group.?”They’ve been extremely good to deal with as they do it in a business-like manner and they are very prompt and efficient,” he told One News back in March.?”We are very happy with them as an operator.”The company’s plans for the casino would have also included a 500-room resort, a golf course, and numerous dining and retail options.?More importantly, the development would have also helped in decreasing Samoa’s unemployment rates while also kick-starting the island’s tourism industry.“It would be the first big resort for Samoa and could be the take off point for the development of our tourism industry,” said Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi.But with the issues Chengdu Exhibition and Tourism Group is facing, the project now appears to be in limbo, something Malielegaoi is understandably disappointed about.?He’s still cautiously optimistic that the everything will be ironed out and the development of the casino will still go ahead as planned.?But the man also appears to be prepared for the worst and is just opting to see how the case involving Chengdu unfolds.“What transpires at the present moment has something to do with domestic politics,” Malielegaoi said.?”So what we can do is wait and see.”2013-05-10 (Samoa): We’re Not “Fools”Samoa Observer, 2013-05-10 (Source: samoaobserver.ws)The Chief Executive Officer of the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Labour (MCIL), Auelua Samuelu Enari has strongly refuted claims Samoa is an “easy country to fool” by foreign investors.Auelua Samuelu Enari (left) and Palusalue Faapo II (right).The claim was made by the leader of the Tautua Samoa Party, Palusalue Fa’apo II, who blamed MCIL for allowing a number of investors with questionable histories to come to Samoa.Among them are Jim Gilchrist, Jack Chen and most recently Deng Hong of the Chengdu Exhibition and Travel Group (ETG). ETG has signed an agreement with the Government to build a 500 room hotel, which will also house one of two casinos being planned.But there is a problem. Whereas Mr. Gilchrist has previous sex convictions, Mr. Chen was charged in Hong Kong for corruption and the nonu venture he was backing has since disappeared.Meanwhile, Mr. Hong is in custody in Beijing for “serious violations of the law,” after being investigated for corruption, according to the Caixin Online website.Judging from these three, Palusalue says MCIL’s procedures in screening such investors have been found wanting.But Auelua disagrees.“Character checking is in my view is an immigration issue,” he said.“Any foreigner who requests a residential permit in Samoa needs to satisfy requirements of the Immigration Office which I understand include good character and good health amongst other criteria.”As for Palusalue’s suggestion that MCIL should have “stricter policies and procedures for foreign investors coming to Samoa,” Auelua had this to say.“As I mentioned before, MCIL always gives the benefit of the doubt to the business reputation of an investorwho approaches MCIL to establish a business.We have to treat them like any other local business people since they have not breached any law of the country yet (innocent until proven guilty).”Auelua said that once the business commences, that is the time when MCIL’s monitoring process starts.“This is to ensure that the business is doing well, growing and also employing our people and to see whether there are any issues that may come up on the project.“The approach MCIL takes is an optimistic and positive thinking approach. It is also in the monitoring that will be able to have an opportunity to identify issues and then we move on to address these issues, apply corrective measures or apply disciplinary actions available on legal mandates.”Palusalue also claimed there should be stricter policies and procedures for foreign investors to Samoa.Auelua did not agree.“If you start checking every single foreign investor that comes into the country, it gives an indication to the investors, we are trying to attract, that Samoa is either paranoid or always suspicious and can’t trust anyone,” he says.“Sometimes business people have their names tainted in other countries on separate matters unrelated to their investments eg Jim Gilchrist.”Mr Gilchrist, a shareholder and instigator of the Return to Paradise Reef Resort and Spa at Lefaga, was convicted in New Zealand of 25 indecency charges involving 11 young people in his care between 1978 and 1991.Auelua says others may have had their own issues with their internal governments on the differences in interpreting their domestic laws or because of internal politics.“Sometime the investors may later clear their names in their home countries but the damage has been done and the country which the investment was destined for, has lost that opportunity for its people because the people and government of that country have frowned on that investor.” However, Palusalue insisted that MCIL is the point of contact. “They should be the ones who look up these companies and people and do background checks on them to ensure our country is safeguarded; that is their job,” he said.But Auelua says Palusalue needs to look at the bigger picture.“All in all what I am saying is that one needs to look at the big picture to appreciate MCIL’s approach and yes, the check is within the monitoring,” said ments Avataute 2013-05-11 02:20“As I mentioned before, MCIL always gives the benefit of the doubt to the business reputation of an investorwho approaches MCIL to establish a business. We have to treat them like any other local business people since they have not breached any law of the country yet (innocent until proven guilty).”So a serial killer from another country can come into Samoa and setup business without any background check, and it’s just a matter of time before he starts as he hasn’t gotten the time to breech our laws.Isn’t prevention is better than cure? lol because a business will definitely bears the character of its owner. Soon rather than later Samoa will have a big problem to deal with.2013-05-13 (Samoa): Call For Investor Scrutiny RebuffedPosted 2013-05-13 (Source: )The Chief Executive Officer of Samoa’s Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Labor (MCIL), has strongly refuted claims Samoa is an “easy country to fool” by foreign investors.The leader of the Tautua Samoa Party, Palusalue Fa’apo II, blamed the ministry for allowing a number of investors with questionable histories to go to Samoa.Among them are a New Zealader convicted of sex crimes who owns a resort in Samoa, Jim Gilchrist and Chinese businessman in the nonu and hotel business Jack Chen and most recently Deng Hong of the Chengdu Exhibition and Travel Group (ETG).ETG has signed an agreement with the Samoa Government to build a 500 room hotel, near Faleolo Airport which will also house one of two casinos being planned.Its owner Mr. Deng Hong is in custody in Beijing for “serious violations of the law”, after being investigated for corruption, according to the Caixin Online website.Palusalue says based on these three cases MCIL’s procedures in screening such investors have been found wanting.But Auelua disagrees. He told the Samoa Observer that in his view character checking is an immigration issue.He says any foreigner who requests a residential permit in Samoa needs to satisfy requirements of the Immigration Office which he understands includes good character .Palusalue also suggested that the ministry should have “stricter policies and procedures” for foreign investors coming to Samoa.Auelua responds that MCIL always gives the benefit of the doubt to the business reputation of an investor and treats them like any other local business people since they have not breached any law of the country yet.Auelua said that once the business commences, that is the time when MCIL’s monitoring process starts.2013-05-16 (Samoa): Corruption Attracts Dodgy Investors?By Mata’afa Keni Lesa, 2013-05-16 (Source: samoaobserver.ws)The truth is out there for all to see.?Judging from a long line of dodgy investors the government seems to have developed a love affair with during the not too distant past, it’s hard to blame Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi for getting excited about the Taumeasina project.?If the latest development is to be believed (see story front page of Weekend Observer 04 May 2013), at least finally something is going to come from the talk we’ve heard and seen in the past.And for Tuilaepa and his government’s sake, they need it. Badly.We say this because it seems that every investor the Government has attracted – who arrived announcing grand plans for heaven and Earth—has failed.?And after years of investors disappearing for one reason or another, the Prime Minister is convinced that Papua New Guinea’s Lamana Group is the answer to our prayers.It’s perhaps why he was so excited to announcethat the group planning to build a five-star hotel at Taumeasinais finally ready to begin construction.Referring to Lamana as a “good investor,” Tuilaepa said; “We finally have a group that has actually come in, presented their ideas and have followed through with their bid.?They begin on the 8th of June 2013.”That’s only a couple of weeks away.?Come to think of it, the beginning of construction will probably be the best 51st Independence Day present for the Government in light of everything that has been happening.Take for example the latest controversy involving the Chengdu Exhibition and Travel Group (ETG).?A few months ago, the Gambling Control Authority announced that ETG was one of two companies issued with casino licenses.?At the time, grand plans about a 500-room hotel attracting planeloads of gamblers from mainland China were also announced.As if that wasn't impressive enough, the Gambling Control Authority couldn’t say enough about ETG.“ETG are a very successful Exhibition and Tourism business, head quartered in Chengdu, China but with extensive hotel and resort operations in many different geographical locations,” a statement they issued at the time said. “ETG own the third largest travel company operating in China.?Last year, 80 million Chinese nationals left China to holiday in other countries.?ETG plan to operate charter flights direct from China to Samoa and plan to build a substantial hotel and casino complex.?Numbers to be employed are still being finalised but it is expected that a large number of local people will gain employment with ETG.“ETG have secured the casino management services of the Genting Group which was founded in 1965 and has over 26 years of experience in developing, operating and marketing casinos and integrated resorts in different parts of the world, including the Americas, Australia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore and United Kingdom.It has been voted Malaysia’s leading corporation and one of Asia’s best management multinationals.”Well isn’t that interesting?Because a few months down the line, the Chief Executive of the GCA, Robbie Kearney is now keeping his mouth tight shut about the future of ETG following reports its Chairman has been detained in China.According to Chinese media reports, ETG’s Chairman Deng Hong, along with his Chief Executive, are being investigated over corruption linked to land deals in China.?As a result, Communist Party anti-corruption officials have kept Mr. Hong in custody since March.Asked if ETG still has the license to operate a casino in Samoa, Mr. Kearney said: “At this point, they (ETG) still have the casino license but as to specifics of this project at this time, we have no comment.”Why not??Didn't the Gambling Control Authority assure Samoa when the casino licenses were issued that “a due diligence assessment was done” to ensure these companies are credible?On TVNZ last week, at least Prime Minister Tuilaepa was up front.“I am disappointed,” he said. “What transpires at the present moment has something to do with domestic politics so what we can do is wait and see.”Wait and see? After all these years in power and all the Almighty government can say is “wait and see?” Who is kidding whom here? The question is; why does Government always attract dodgy investors?Let’s pause and think about this for a minute.If our Government officials were honest about these things, don't you think we should also then attract honest investors??Now, if all we are netting are dodgy investors, what does that tell us about the government?Which reminds us about a letter Prime Minister Tuilaepa wrote to his Cabinet Ministers in the not-too-distant past.?Let’s read this together: “I have noticed with both clarity and worry certain matters brought before Cabinet pertaining to negotiations with potential foreign investors.“They indicate that applicable laws meant to guide these negotiations are ignored so that applications are not consistent with approvals being granted.“Afterwards the government and the public earn comparatively little and all the benefits from the investments go back overseas.”General principles for negotiations to be observed at all times:Don’t rush to show we are eager to welcome any business proposal being made.When we do that more proposals are likely to pile up including requests for land, rent-free concessions, and all the other foolish things in the world; you may even disrobe yourself and pass your clothes over so that you end up standing naked.?That would be the most shameful embarrassment to us.Don’t accept invitations to wine and dine in restaurants where you drag along your wife and kids – this is what business people who are used to making corrupt deals generally do.?They depend on any corrupt opening through which to channel a proposal loaded with more corrupt proposals designed to mislead, and thus eases the granting of those proposals.?If we are stupid in dealing with such people the government becomes broke because the approval was compromised.”That was only part of a long letter from the Prime Minister.But you get our drift, don't you?The point is that—as Prime Minister Tuilaepa highlighted—if the Government wants honest and “clean” investors, it has to clean its house first.?In other words, we need officials who negotiate these deals for the benefit of the country—not just themselves.Judging from what’s been happening lately, most deals are motivated by personal gain and greed.?That’s to say that corruption exists at all levels of the Government it’s almost impossible for a “clean” investor to even begin to look at Samoa seriously.?3627755-464185002013-05-17: Samoa and Yap Split on ETG Casinos By Asia Gambling Brief reporter, May 2013-05-17 (Source: )Tuilaepa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi, prime minister of Samoa, played down reports of the detention in China of Deng Hong, the chairman of Exhibition and Travel Group, the Chinese group which earlier this year was awarded a casino license and said it would build a 500-room resort. “ETG will still have a new chairman and so as far as we are concerned, nothing has changed,” he said.Meanwhile however in Yap, where ETG is also working to develop a casino resort, the state legislature adopted a resolution instructing the state foreign investment board to cancel the investment permit issued to ETG, saying that its issuance involved improper preferential treatment and citing Deng’s detention and other circumstances.4435475-381000002013-05-27: YSL Calls For Cancellation of ETG FIP By Bill Jaynes, 2013-05-27 (Source: )May 27, 2013 Yap, FSM — Early this month the Yap State Legislature (YSL) passed a resolution instructing the Yap State Foreign Investment Board to cancel the Foreign Investment Permit (FIP) it issued to the Exhibition and Travel Group (ETG). At press time there had been no announced response to the resolution which, if it is put into force, will essentially shut down ETG’s efforts to build a massive tourism project in Yap.The Speaker of Yap State Legislature, Mr. Henry FalanThe resolution was signed by Speaker Henry Falan on May 2, 2013.It calls for the cancellation of the FIP because it says that the Director of the Department of Resources and Development “violated the State Government Ethics Act and is therefore not valid to allow ETG to engage in business in the State of Yap.”The resolution quotes the laws regarding which government employees are subject to the Government Ethic Acts. It also quotes the section of the act that allows the State to void any action taken by a State employee that violates the Act, as well as its ability to hold the employee personally liable for any damages, costs, and other consequences that the State incurs as a result of voiding the employee’s unethical actions.It accuses the R&D Director of providing preferential treatment to ETG when his department granted ETG a permit. An employee is not allowed by law to grant preferential treatment to any organization or person. As evidence of its accusation, the resolution says that the Director granted the permit despite overwhelming public opposition including the adoption of resolutions by the Legislature against ETG’s proposal. It accuses the Director of granting the permit even though ETG proposed to engage in illegal activities in the State of Yap, such as gambling, a proposal that was presented in the investment agreement proposal to the Governor prior to the issuance of the permit.On the Act’s prohibitions on actions that impede government efficiency or economy, the Legislature had much to say in terms of evidence to support its claim that the Director of R&D violated the act. “The Director’s instructions to his staff not to release information on the status of the ETG application for a Yap State Foreign Investment permit,” was one of the evidences provided.“The Director’s total disregard of the overwhelming public opposition including a petition signed by more than 1500 people and residents of Yap State against the ETG proposal,” was another.“The Director’s complete disregard of Resolutions adopted by the Legislature against the ETG proposal,” was another.It cited ETG’s “gaming and casinos” proposal, an illegal activity, as another violation of acts that impeded government efficiency or economy.“The Director’s preferential treatment for the ETG application for a Permit resulted in the Legislature being kept in the dark while the Governor and the Council of Pilung continued to negotiate with ETG,” was the Legislature last example.“Such actions adversely affect government efficiency by causing uncertainty and confusion amongst relevant government agencies, undermining continued cooperation and unity in the State Leadership, and preventing a more efficient and a more orderly review of the documents and investment proposal by ETG by the entire Yap State Government exclusive of the Judiciary Branch, and the public,” it said.The resolution says that when the Director of R&D issued the permit to ETG it violated a provision of the Ethics Act on “adversely affecting the confidence of the public in the integrity of the government.” The Yap Legislature provided similar evidence for its claims that the Director of R&D violated that legal requirement of the Ethics Act.The resolution included an additional chronological list of evidence to support its instruction for the Director or R&D to cancel the ETG application for a Foreign Investment Permit:May 3, 2012 — The State leadership received a petition with an additional 172 signatures that were against the ETG proposal.May 21, 2012 — A meeting designated as a Town Hall meeting was held at the Colonia Community Center purportedly to educate the public about the ETG proposed project. It was limited to only two hours. During the meeting the Acting Attorney General told the people, in the presence of the R&D Director that the ETG permit had not been delivered to ETG “when in fact ETG had received the Permit April 26, 2012 as noted and initialed by ETG agent on the Permit.” The resolution said that at the end of the meeting, there were questions that those in attendance still wanted to ask.July 31, 2012 — The Yap Women’s Association forwarded a petition to the State by the “Bwin nu Waab” from the municipalities of Yap stating their strong opposition to the ETG proposal.August 9, 2012 — “More people of Yap petitioned the State Leadership, ‘NOT to permit the Exhibition and Travel Group (ETG) to invest in the whole State of Yap.’”September 18, 2012 — Yap State Resolution No. 8-53 was adopted “calling on the Governor to submit a written notice to ETG to void the Investment Agreement between the State and ETG and to disapprove any and all master plans from ETG for investment in Yap State.”October 1, 2012 — Governor Anefal wrote to the Chairman of ETG suggesting that the chairman should “reconsider the proposed project, if not to dissolve the Investment Agreement and any legal documents preceding it.” The Governor made reference to the letter of the Dalip Pi Nguchol that commanded the administration to “prohibit [ETG] from proceeding with its intended project for Yap State.” The Governor also referred to resolution 8-53 requesting him to void the investment agreement.“It is my belief that the attached letter and resolution, together with other attachments herewith, are indicative of a resistance to your proposed project in the State, and I feel that it is my responsibility to approach your organization before you risk any greater financial investment going forward. I fear that the prospects of ETG crafting a profit-making enterprise in Yap may be very low. It seems that ETG, if it decides to go forward with the project, will encounter a huge amount of resistance from the public and by way of laws passed by the Legislature which will all but ensure that ETG cannot do business in the State of Yap,” Governor Anefal wrote.November 27, 2012 — A group calling themselves the Yap Awareness Project (Y.A.P.) sent a petition that included 1,000 signatures to Speaker Falan. It strongly opposed the ETG project.February 5, 2013 — In response to the Y.A.P. petition, the whole membership of the Yap State Leadership met with the group. During that meeting the legislature told the Y.A.P. membership that it had passed Y.S.L. Resolution 8-53 in order to support the Governor’s October 1, 2012 letter to ETG. The understanding that the legislature came to with Y.A.P. was that the State leaders should stand in a “united front,” apparently against the ETG proposal.March 21, 2013 — YSL (Yap State Legislature) met with the Governor to decide on the “best way forward.” The resolution says that the Governor agreed that he should have the ETG permit voided, and that the Governor should get back to the Legislature by April 16, 2013. At that time Governor Anefal was off island on a medical purpose and the agreed upon meeting did not take place.The resolution asserts that Yang Gang, the ETG agent in Yap, gave the Chief of Rumung on the Council of Pilung $3,000. It asserts that the money may have been considered to have been a bribe which would be considered to be a State crime if the money was received “as consideration to influence his decision to assist ETG by influencing the people of Yap to lease their lands to ETG.”Mr. Deng Hong, Chairman and President of ETGAs a final argument, the YSL resolution points out that Mr. Deng Hong, Chairman and President of ETG has been in the world news as being under investigation by the government of China for graft (bribery) and other allegations.Again, at press time there had been no action on the resolution of which the KPress was aware.5082540-48704500What’s Happening To Ethics In Yap State Government?By Henry Norman, Independent ResearcherViewed from afar, this is what appears to be going on in the State of Yap:Throughout this whole ETG affair, the Governor of Yap State has repeatedly made personal decisions, clearly outside official channels (witness: the People of Yap kept in total ignorance of the proceedings, “railroading” of the YSL), has repeatedly created the strong appearance of all of the following, as he:APPEARS to be using public office for private enterprises: The “agreement” is clearly between the Governor personally (together with part of his administration, and some of the Chiefs) and ETG—the People and the YSL (I don’t know how much of all this that is actually known by the Judicial Branch) has had no say in the matter—and it strongly appears as if his interest are NOT with or for the People of Yap State)… APPEARS to be giving preferential treatment to ETG (Deng Hong): The “Cooperative Investment Agreement” is a legal travesty, virtually handing Yap State to ETG on a platter… IF they can convince enough Yap Landowners to sign Lease Agreements…APPEARS to impede government efficiency/economy: The legalese in the so called “Agreement” appears to severely restrict normal Yapese Landowner’s Rights (in favor of ETG), and appears to make sure that future complaints will be very complicated, and very costly…APPEARS to completely have lost independence or impartiality of action: The “agreement” appears to be so lopsided in favor of ETG that it is laughable. After all his (the Governor’s) years of political experience, I cannot believe that this is only due to incompetence… The ETG appears to be favored for some other, albeit so far hidden reason…APPEARS to severely have degraded the confidence of the public in the integrity of the government (among other things, ignoring a petition against the ETG proposal signed by 15% of the population, refusing to release any details of what the Governor and ETG has in store for the People of Yap State, ignoring an edict from the Wa’ab Paramount Chiefs to tell ETG to leave Yap, and repeatedly ignoring pleas from the Yap State Legislature to please show some restraint, and to please inform the People of Yap State of is going on)...Now, read this (highlighted by author) and compare — a verbatim excerpt from:Yap State Code, Title 8 (Public Officers & Employment, Chapter 3 (State Government Ethics), §304 (Conflict of interest and improper influence)):(a) Employees shall avoid any action which might result in, or create the appearance of: Using public office for private gain;Giving preferential treatment to any organization or person;Impeding government efficiency or economy;Losing complete independence or impartiality of action;Making a government decision outside official channels; orAffecting adversely the confidence of the public in the integrity of the government.(b) Employees shall be disqualified from participating in any decision or taking any action which may directly or indirectly result in a benefit to them personally, or to members of their family, to friends, or to business associates. In circumstances where disqualification would be impracticable or not in the interest of the State, the employee involved shall first make a full public disclosure of any and all such benefits which may result.(c) When in the public interest, the State may at its option void any action taken by an employee in violation of the requirements of this section. The employee involved shall be personally liable for all damages, costs, and any other consequences incurred by the State in such cases, in addition to any other civil or criminal liability imposed under the law.Wow! It sure appears as if somebody got a perfect score… SIX for SIX!Fortunately, and especially now in light of the PRC investigation of ETG’s Mr. Deng Hong, it also appears as if there should be more than enough cause for the State — and in the Yap State Code, this term (“the State”) does not refer only to the Governor or solely to the Executive Branch of Yap State, it also happens to include the Legislative and the Judicial Branches of Government — to void both the FIP and that miserable so called “cooperative investment agreement”… IF in the Public Interest, that is…3468370-420370002013-06-13: Tibet Demonstration Targets British Hospitality Summit By Theodore Koumelis, 2013-06-13 (Source: traveldailynews.asia)LONDON — Attendees at the British Hospitality & Tourism Summit 2013 in London on Tuesday were greeted by campaigners, highlighting InterContinental Hotels Group’s plan to open a luxury hotel in the capital of occupied Tibet. Despite “severe repression,” “Orwellian” surveillance and intense protests throughout Tibet, which China has occupied since 1950, the hotel will be named the Lhasa Paradise. Campaigners protest at InterContinental Park Lane over company’s “paradise resort” in China-occupied Lhasa.Campaigners from Free Tibet are leading an international boycott against InterContinental hotels and demanding that InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) withdraws from Tibet.The summit was held at the InterContinental Park Lane and IHG CEO Richard Solomons was scheduled to speak at the event. Protesters unfurled a large banner reading “Intercontinental: Get out of Tibet” and distributed leaflets carrying graphic images of human rights abuses in Tibet. At IHG’s Annual General meeting at the same hotel in May, campaigners also staged a “die-in,” briefly blocking the main entrance. The security presence outside the hotel on Tuesday was substantial, with guests and visitors forced to negotiate barriers placed by hotel staff. Originally planned to open in 2012, the 1,100 room Lhasa hotel is now scheduled to open in 2014. IHG’s partner in the project is Sichuan-based Exhibition and Travel Group (ETG). ETG’s chairman Deng Hong has close links to the regime and, according to Chinese media, both he and ETG’s chief executive are being investigated for corruption. The international boycott campaign against InterContinental Hotels Group is supported by more than 30 Tibet groups and the International Tibet Network. It is being spearheaded by Free Tibet, a UK-based international campaign group that stands for the right of Tibetans to determine their own future, for an end to the Chinese occupation of Tibet and for the fundamental human rights of Tibetans to be respected.China Eyes Major Hotel Project in MicronesiaSource: , October 14, 2011 In line with its deepening engagement in the Pacific Islands region, China has announced two big-ticket hotel investments in the past two weeks—one each in Micronesia and Polynesia. This follows the opening of a super luxury hotel in Nadi, Fiji, last month.An investment company from Chengdu in China’s Sichuan Province named Exhibit & Travel Group is keen on setting up a large hotel complex on the island of Yap in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). Yap is the closest Micronesian island to Guam, which is expected to see exponential growth in the next decade or so because of the new US base being built there.The US$15 billion armed forces base will see an influx of thousands of temporary and permanent workers in Guam and surrounding region as the US base shifts there from the Japanese island of Okinawa over the next few years. Strategically, therefore, it appears to be a sound investment.The proposed plan is to develop close to a dozen hotel complexes on the island, involving the building of nearly 4 000 rooms, which if all approvals are obtained, would be ready for occupation in 2015—the original date of the completion of the Guam base (there have been considerable delays in the building of the base and is not expected to be ready by 2015).The investor group is already talking of scaling up the project to 20 000 rooms in the medium term and is even willing to invest in infrastructure—up scaling existing air and sea port facilities—and passenger aircraft to support the projected influx of tourists. If things go to plan, picturesque Yap will turn out to be one of the biggest holiday destinations in the Pacific.HYPERLINK "" \o "Permanent Link to Knocking At America’s Back Door: Chinese Investment In The Caribbean" \t "_blank"Knocking At America’s Back Door:Chinese Investment in the CaribbeanAlberto Forchielli, April 18, 2012BRICS nations have been calling for a reform of the international monetary system in recent weeks, even proposing a “BRICS bank” to support investment and transactions of the rising economies, but internal divisions have weakened the unified front. Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa all strongly oppose the status quo at the current global lending institutions, but have been unable to indicate a common preference for the next president of the World Bank. Despite the stalemate, China has taken a leading role in the quintet and has been playing actively on the international chessboard. China’s economy is larger than those of the other BRICS members combined, and the creation of any new international institution aimed at promoting development in the five nation club will undoubtedly be Sino-centric, while it continues to explore new markets for investment. For years, Chinese activities abroad were focused mainly on gathering energy and raw materials to feed its giant manufacturing sector, “the factory of the world,” but recent moves have demonstrated a more versatile attitude towards new opportunities.This last development has seen Chinese flags popping up in the Caribbean, America’s backyard. Far from being a military strategic agenda, China’s Caribbean interest is mainly in tourism, and cultivating friendships with small but important nations in a sensitive part of the world. China’s courtship of the Caribbean has seen government loans, corporate investment, and gifts of goodwill to the impoverished region. The New York Times reported with disguised alarm that China has been financing stadiums in The Bahamas, schools and roads in Dominica, and power plants in Antigua and Barbuda; even construction of the Prime Minister’s new residence in Trinidad and Tobago was contracted out to Chinese companies.In a region where the USA’s presence was once paramount, China has become the prime benefactor. Assistance to the local governments is punctual and without delay, dispensing with multilateral mediation and complicated procedure, but not without strings attached. When China is writing the checks, pragmatism prevails over ethics.Recent developments are just a perpetuation of a foreign policy that has led China to the top spot among financiers of the African continent, surpassing even the World Bank according to the most recent data from 2010. China’s Exim Bank is one of the most prolific lenders (China Development Bank being the most important), and its financing alone outstripped the World Bank in some African countries. The same kind of story is being told in Latin America and Asia. China’s aggressive, and at times unscrupulous, economic expansion has also been a de facto vehicle to internationalize its currency. Transactions are regulated in renminbi, pushing it to progressively be more widely accepted and preparing it to become fully convertible in the near future. In some cases loans have been purely figurative, with any currency figures attached only as a way to quantify the value. For example, China may agree to build a hospital in a region that cannot afford it; the capital, labor, and technology are all provided by China, in return for oil or other natural resources. In the end, the investment is paid off with energy.Using barter-trade and other complex operations, China is proving to be more effective than multilateral institutions in providing help to emerging countries. What remains unclear is if this is a case of third-world solidarity or a new target of nationalistic interest. Whatever the case may be, the World Bank should begin thinking about ways to maintain its eroding relevance in the developing world.Lhasa Hotel Boom: The Back StoryCopyright ? 2002, Gabriel Lafitte, April 12, 2011 by rukor-admin (source: )China in Fairy Land: The Backstory Behind The Hotel Construction Boom In Lhasa 2011—Huge Hotels, Property Speculators, Mass Tourism In A Remote Corner Of Tibet. This is a story about the biggest tourism destination in Tibet, bigger than the holy city of Lhasa, even though few Tibetans know this eastern edge of Tibet. Attracting one and a half million Chinese tourists a year in 2002, three million a year by 2008, the Dzitsa Degu valleys are among the last remaining homes of the giant panda.In the hope of conserving pandas, and preserving an exquisitely beautiful landscape in which Tibetans have lived and farmed for many centuries, UNESCO put Dzitsa Degu on its World Heritage list, at the urging of scientists. But this designation has been the downfall of Dzitsa Degu, rather than its salvation. Instead of saving the pandas—which have not been sighted in Dzitsa Degu now for years—Chinese bureaucratic entrepreneurs cashed in on the natural capital of the beauty of these steep valleys, and the social capital of World Heritage and Biosphere Reserve awarded by UNESCO. Chinese tourism enterprises, with patronage at the highest political level, converted natural and social capital into monetary capital, making huge profits. These profits were captured by enterprises enclosing, surrounding and now suffocating the nature reserve, driving away any remaining pandas, and now driving out the Tibetans too, all in the name of conservation.The key to this story is Dèng Hóng, who first made his fortune in remote Jiuzhaigou, in partnership with InterContinental hotel chain; and in 2011 is now using his wealth and inner connections with the Communist Party—he is now a member of the National Peoples Congress—to build the biggest hotel Lhasa has ever seen, the Lhasa InterContinental, to open end of 2012.The fairy lands of the nine stockaded Tibetan villages exist today in a Chinese hyperreality, a timeless and spaceless world cut off from history and the Tibetan world, from the surrounding grasslands, nomads and the repetitions of Han-Tibetan conflict over many centuries.Jiuzhaigou—the Nine Stockaded Village Valley—and nearby Huanglong—the Yellow Dragon—are magnetic attractors of wealth and quintessentialised Chineseness for today’s cadres and tour operators. Three hundred busloads a day disgorge an endless stream of strangers into this fairyland of crystal pools and streams, forests and snow capped mountains, and to the five star resorts, luxury villas for the new rich, karaoke bars and discos at their gates.This fantasy land serves as background for mainland Han, Taiwanese, Hong Kong and Singapore compatriots to rediscover their essential Chineseness, in a Tibetan landscape. For a day, the visitor can become an emperor strolling his private garden of exquisite nature, a jewelled landscape inspiring the cultivated gentleman to reflect on China’s 5000 year heritage, to compose elegantly understated poetry, then return to comfort and conviviality. This setting, shorn of Tibetan time and place, is the stage on which Chinese masses enact a golden age of a long-gone China, in which Confucian literati strolled amid the beauties of nature.The erasure of its Tibetan history is so insistent that even a scientific report by Chinese scientists for UNESCO in 1999 could report: “The area was an almost virgin land hidden in the high mountains of the northwestern Sichuan Plateau for thousands of years. Local Tibetan people lived a self-sufficient life, having little association with the external world, except through narrow paths for travelling by horse. Outsiders had no knowledge of the rich biological resources of Jiuzhaigou until 1975, when it was simultaneously found to be a rare beauty in the world. And so the prologue of Jiuzhaigou’s current heyday was opened.”[1]Jiuzhaigou was “discovered” much as European explorers “discovered” the Americas or Australia, immediately relegating those who had inhabited these areas for millennia to incidental natives with scant claim to priority. This landscape was too important to be left to natives, who had clearly failed to develop its’ potential.It is not Tibetan history that is celebrated in these two World Heritage areas and Biosphere Reserves; it is the imagined past of China, transposed onto a Tibetan landscape. It is a past in which Chinese poets and sages wandered in the mountains, composing elegaic verses and with spare brush strokes evoked scenes of ineffable harmony. This is what now draws in the Taiwanese, Hong Kong and Singapore tourists in such numbers. The values China has inscribed onto this Tibetan farmland are evident in the prose of Chinese writers. A glossy official book on all of China’s World Heritage sites describes Jiuzhaigou: “The mountains, lakes, natural primeval forest and unique scenes make Jiuzhaigou a fairyland…. Scenes change according to the season and the area is particularly colourful in autumn when the wind makes kilometres of tree belt along the lake undulate like a sea wave… trees grow in the water and flowers blossom in the middle of lakes… Sometimes you can see giant pandas.”[2]This is quite restrained compared to other Chinese authors. In China Pictorial, in a photo essay titled The Fairyland of Jiuzhaigou, Ren Hua writes: “Jiuzhaigou is like a bright pearl mounted in the southeast Qinghai-Tibet Plateau adjacent to the Sichuan Basin. Since few people travelled there, the mountains and valleys were not discovered and developed until the 1970s… Legend has it that Wonosmo, the goddess of the mountain, dropped a mysterious mirror, a love object given by Dag, the god of the mountain, and the broken pieces became more than 100 lakes… The Tibetans praise the Long Lake as ‘an unfilled treasure gourd.’ There is a majestic view of snowy peaks and glaciers opposite the Long Lake. In addition there are the Five-Flower Lake, calcareous tufa dyke, Twine-Dragon Lake and the Colourful Pond. The Tibetan girls often praise the mountains and lakes in pleasant folk songs.”[3]The fairies of what Chinese writers frequently describe as a fairyland are Tibetan fairies, with recognisably Tibetan names, yet when made to serve Chinese arcadian idylls their stories are reduced to sentimental fragments. Timeless mythology abides, while specific Tibetan times and spaces are dehistoricised. Thus Tibetan ancestor myths become legends of China, for Chinese tourists, marking Chinese sites.Long Lake (Tsoring in Tibetan) is at the farthest point in the tourist circuit, where the sealed road and bus service end, 18 km from the tourist entrance. A recent guidebook, written by an Edinburgh Tibetan, says: “Another steep stone staircase leads down to the lake shore, where local Tibetans are waiting with their docile yaks to dress eager Chinese tourists in Tibetan garb for their personal yak photographs.”[4] Where the road ends and Tibet begins is a liminal zone in which Chinese tourists can briefly enact fantasies of role reversal, becoming cowboys and peasants, embodying the fantasy of a golden age when life was simple. The photo taken, what was donned is doffed, and normal life is resumed.This experience caps the visitor’s immersion in Jiuzhaigou’s “World of Fairy Tales.”[5] This is the modern cathedral of nature, the sublime experience of communion with the normally elusive world beyond the human, the dissolution of separateness, the overcoming of the distance between man and nature. As a Chinese online guidebook says: “The scenic delights of the Sword Cliff region [of Jiuzhaigou] is of more simplicity, more wild nature and more primeval tranquility. It seems that you have suddenly passed through the time-space continuum, and stepped into the time immemorial.”[6]This is a world outside time, in which anything is briefly possible. It is a sacred world, but the sacred lies in the “primeval” forest, the limpid lakes, the pristine peaks, the profusion of flowers and colours. No longer is the sacred grounded in the sacred traditions of the historic population of the valley, although a few Tibetan names linger on. The mountain god Dag whose gift of a mirror to the goddess Wonosmo creates the chains of lakes seems to be the nearby 4 200 m mountain Tibetans call Dege. The goddess whose mirror shattered is more often simply named in Chinese texts as Semo, a Chinese goddess of ancient Chinese legends. Ctrip, which advertises itself as “the leading China hotel reservation network” introduces Jiuzhaigou thus: “Ancient Chinese legend has it that the goddess Semo accidentally smashed her mirror here and the pieces which fell down the mountain formed beautiful lakes, streams and waterfalls.”[7] Semo’s origin is appropriated and blurred, her status as a mountain deity forgotten, as the focus is no longer on the mountains, except as a picturesque backdrop to the narcissistic views to be found in the many small lakes. However, the anthropologist Charles Ramble says, “se-mo, in the Bon demonology, designates a class of female spirits who initially manifest as beautiful women and subsequently turn into dangerous hags.”[8] The semo, and the places named for the many semo of Tibet, are usually local protectors who beguile strangers, then turn on them, often poisoning those who do not belong. They are indeed dangerous to interlopers. Clearly this is not a story contemporary China, fixated on boosting tourism, wishes to tell. The tourism industry finds it far preferable that Semo or Wonosmo be a cipher, a colourful factoid, a decorative artifact of ancient Chinese legend.However, Semo’s peak is not as readily marginalised as the other peaks that frame the views in Jiuzhaigou. Semo is central. In all representations of Jiuzhaigou the basic layout is given as a Y shape, in which the visitor enters at the base and gradually ascends to the fork, then continues up either branch. The streams, the roads and the buses all part at the fork, because Semo is in the middle. Semo lives on in tourist maps as a mount of Venus.The first view of Semo comes at a lake named for an animal long extinct in China, the rhino (Xiniu Hai in Chinese, Seru Tso in Tibetan). In the words of a current online guidebook: “Rhino Lake is broad and dark blue. The volume of water keeps the same all year round. It was said that the peaceful Rhino Lake was endowed with mysterious power. In the southern bushes, there is a landing stage, where visitors can see to the north Mount Ce Mo (Goddess Mountain)”[9]The appropriation and trivialisation of the gods mirrors the fate of the Tibetans, whose home is Dzitsa Degu, the gully of nine stockaded villages fenced with the plentiful timbers of the forest to guard against quarrelsome neighbours, perhaps to also protect against the semo.From a Tibetan point of view, the Nine Stockaded Villages and their 800 Tibetan inhabitants were integral to a culture strongly grounded in connections to Lhasa, to pilgrimage, the sacredness of the mountains, and the ongoing life of the oldest forms of Tibetan spirituality, the pre-Buddhist Bon tradition. Until China’s quest for essentialised Chinese beauty occurred the Nine Villages were also integral to a regional economy of seasonal trading between animal product producers and grain growers. This Tibetan world, a complex of cultural, economic and spiritual connections is not only invisible to tourists, but it has been replaced by an alternative Chinese narrative which now explains the unspoiled beauty of Jiuzhaigou prior to the 1970s.The story told to tourists is somewhat magical, with almost all human presence erased: “Since few people travelled there, the mountains and valleys were not discovered and developed until the 1970s.”[10] This erases not only the Tibetan rebellions against Chinese power in this area in the1740s, 1860s and 1920s, but the entire history of Tibetan stewardship of these steep valleys, in the highest rainfall zone of Tibet, in easily eroded limestone country. Tibetan indigenous knowledge is denied, Tibetan traditions of both hunting and biodiversity conservation expunged. Sichuan’s “northwestern part, however, cut off by high mountains and special topography, was rarely penetrated. Not until half a century ago, after the Chinese Workers and Peasants’ Red Army had marched a long way, only to confront its grim visage, did it become widely known.”[11] This view from the plains below is an utterly Sinocentric conception.Few Tibetans have ever heard of Jiuzhaigou, a Chinese name which can be translated as Nine Stockade Gully, a reference to the nine Tibetan walled villages of this picturesque area. In 1984 Premier Zhao Ziyang drew attention to this remote area by declaring that the famous iconic scenery of Guilin is number one in the world, yet the scenery of Jiuzhaigou ranks even higher than Guilin. This edict by a top leader had the force of law, permitting local county governments to become entrepreneurial without fear of being labelled capitalist roaders, as they would have been only a few years earlier. The officials of Nanping county saw their moment had come. The natural capital of this limestone ravine on a tributary of the Min Jiang, a river feeding into the Yangtze, was ideal for exploitation. While surrounding forests had been heavily logged, the ravine was too steep for commercial logging access, and the nine Tibetan villages in it lived a largely self-sufficient existence with little connection to lowland China. What had seemed a picturesque backwater became a major asset that could for the first time generate considerable wealth for the county cadres.This coincided with the quintessential landscapes of Guilin, long famed for their beauty, rapidly approaching saturation. It was in China’s national interest, at a time when overseas Chinese were responding to invitations to return, to visit ancestral sites and areas of iconic Chineseness, were starting to arrive in such numbers that more destination needed to be created. Guilin was already getting bad press: “Most Westerners find it a big disappointment. The stunning limestone peaks are not much in evidence on Guilin’s polluted and congested streets… A combination of heat, hazy skies, industry, congested streets, enormous crowds and tourism hype make Guilin one of China’s most overrated travel experiences.”[12]Dzitsa Degu—known in Chinese as Jiuzhaigou—was ideal. The long walks up the valleys offered vistas at every turn that seemed to express in harmonious balance the elements of classical Chinese landscape compositions. Framed by snow mountains and clear skies above, and travertine pools of clear water in many colours below, the vistas offer sharp crags, dense rhododendron forest, dramatic limestone karst landforms, waterfalls, spring flowers and autumn colours. This was a landscape representing China’s past, when poets and painters sat with brush in hand, ready for the few strokes that make nature art, that express the balance of yin and yang. The nine stockaded Tibetan villages of Dzitsa Degu were ideal to recreate Chinese tradition most Chinese see only in movies. The name Dzitsa Degu was heard no more. Instead the area was retrofitted with a Chinese lineage: “Formerly ‘Ciu Hai’ (Green Lake), or ‘Yang Tong’, Jiuzhaigou was later named for the nine (Jiu in Chinese) Tibetan villages in the gullies.”[13] Even with Zhao Ziyang’s official endorsement, it took many years for Jiuzhaigou to become a major destination. A decade after Zhao’s blessing, the 1994 Lonely Planet guidebook to China lists Jiuzhaigou as a destination only for hardy backpackers willing to brave chaotic transport, abysmal food, dangerous roads, outbreaks of the plague and sightings of UFOs. Visitors are urged to allow a week to 10 days for the round trip by road, as it takes two to three days on overcrowded local buses to get there. Other guidebooks make no mention of Jiuzhaigou at all, or, as the 1989 Fodor’s says: “it is isolated and difficult to reach.”Gearing Jiuzhaigou to meet the needs and desires of local, then national and eventually international tourists took much time and money. The wealth needed to steadily upgrade facilities at the entrance to the heritage area was largely generated by retained profits of earlier stages in the resort destination life cycle.No longer. Jiuzhaigou now receives 500 000 paying visitors a year and is promoted as a major destination for foreign as well as domestic tour package buyers. Such numbers have required it to be energetically promoted globally for values represented in lush colour sections of magazines, and in equally colourful prose.For visitors too important to put on buses, there is now a heliport and an airport to lift premium payers out of Chengdu and deliver them at the gates of Jiuzhaigou in an hour. Sichuan province spent 900 million yuan ($109 million) upgrading the highway to Jiuzhaigou, although the road’s sharp turns and commercial turnaround pressure on drivers still means many accidents. In September 2001 several tourists from Hong Kong were killed in a bus crash, which was reported widely in China’s official media.Growth in worldwide promotion of Jiuzhaigou as a destination continues to intensify. A steady upward trend in visitor numbers is expected to continue its exponential growth. This is not only a commercial success, attracting the masses in sufficient numbers to steadily increase hotel construction and marketing budgets, it is also a triumph for a Communist Party whose claim to legitimacy is in part its opening of imperial elite treasure places to mass access.A major factor in the promotion of Jiuzhaigou is that quite early in the trajectory of its destination life cycle it was accorded official world heritage status by UNESCO. The United Nations has now doubly inscribed Jiuzhaigou, having granted it a listing on the register of World Heritage Sites in 1992, then in 1997 UNESCO’s Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB) added Jiuzhaigou to its list of the world’s biosphere reserves. Nearby Huanglong is likewise doubly honoured by UNESCO.It is the genius of contemporary Chinese bureaucratic entrepreneurialism to parlay such intellectual capital, and the natural capital of the landscape into a rapidly growing rate of return on financial capital.These seals of global approval have enormous value in attracting tourists, but they also mean considerable scientific scrutiny of China’s management of these destinations. There are few other parts of Tibet under such intense scientific gaze. Many of the scientific assessments and plans for future management are publicly available. Thus it is possible to see both through Chinese official eyes and the eyes of scientists how the future of Jiuzhaigou is mapped, and what part the Tibetans of the nine villages play in it.All available documentation on Jiuzhaigou—from glossy tourist brochures to dry scientific reports—are all predicated on the assumption that Jiuzhaigou is one of the rare places where the split between man and the biosphere, culture and nature can be overcome. The pre-existing reality of this separation is taken for granted as self-evident, and is deeply inscribed in the actual title of the UNESCO program. Only a few special places on Earth are so wonderful that this gulf can be dissolved, and man can feel at one with nature, and at one with himself, to use the masculine usage adopted by UNESCO.Given this axiomatic assumption, the existence of humans, both resident and passing, in such a place is bound to be problematic. There are inevitable tensions and contradictions, which all those concerned with management, both Chinese and international, frequently acknowledge. Yet the sheer weight of numbers, as mass tourism intensifies, pushes this site and its Tibetan inhabitants inexorably in one direction. From the moment China discovered Jiuzhaigou in 1975, in the final throes of the Cultural Revolution, the fate of the Tibetans was in question, because Jiuzhaigou was no longer a people-place, in which people and place are together, inseparable, compatible, mutually sustaining, interdependent. Whether Tibetans have a place in paradise, whether they are to be seen as intrusions into the wilderness, compromising the integrity of fairy land, was questionable from the moment modern China first discovered the area. Now those questions have hardened into answers, rigidly excluding Tibetans from their gardens and farms, in the name of science, wilderness and beauty.This is a story worth telling from the start. China started campaigning for World Heritage listing of Jiuzhaigou in 1982, only three years after intensive logging of the Minshan range, in which Jiuzhaigou is located, was exhausted. An anthropologist, Hill Gates, in her 1988 field diary recorded her impressions on the road approaching Jiuzhaigou: “Many of the hills we now drive through are logged off, stripped and eroding… The valley we ascend is dotted with logging towns interspersed with Tibetan villages in which the houses are all now made of stone, fortresslike… The little van cruises along an astonishingly good road, the main route to Tibet, carrying timber from the interior and military convoys back.”[14]It took a decade to achieve the World Heritage status, a further five years to attain Biosphere Reserve inscription. Initially, when Jiuzhaigou was first brought to China’s national gaze the Tibetan villages were seen as intrinsic, part of the colour and exotic variety of the landscape. They were not a major part of the attractions, nor were they seen as problematic or contradictory to the purposes of creating a tourist spectacle. On the sliding scale of nature and culture as polar opposites, the Tibetans were clearly closer to the nature end, almost part of the fauna. There was no question of including them as stakeholders in the planning and management of the tourism enterprise, nor was there any suggestion that they should be expelled. This is not an uncommon fate for indigenous communities when metropolitan capital chooses to locate major enterprises in indigenous homelands.A ravine too steep for logging, a chain of Tibetan villages too backward to be worth bothering about, became the key to Nanping’s wealth. What had been peripheral, useless, best left too its own devices, was suddenly central. Jiuzhaigou was a remote part of Nanping county, and it was the overwhelmingly Chinese county seat that officially spoke for all, including the Tibetans. The interests of the largely urban cadres, based in Nanping town, not only predominated but were the only voices permissible in public. In Nanping county in 1994, the population was already over 70% Chinese, with under 30% being Tibetan.[15] Official Chinese figures for 1994 list the Chinese population as 38 700, and Tibetans as 14 500. Local cadres could plan careers for their children involving glamourous contact with Chinese compatriots from wealthy areas. This was a new world.Much the same was true in the neighbouring county of Zungchu (in Tibetan) or Songpan in Chinese, which administers Huanglong World Heritage area (meaning Yellow Dragon in Chinese). The scenery was similarly evocative of classic Chinese landscapes, and from a scientific point of view, the two areas, if administered as a unit, had potential as areas of bamboo forest in which dwindling panda numbers could be restored, after the devastation caused by recent logging. The World Conservation Monitoring Centre states: “Extensive logging took place between 1972 and 1979 and concern about this prompted the proposal of the area as an area of scenic beauty and historic interest by the State Council of the People’s Republic of China in 1982.”[16] The deforestation was so severe that the Min river, which drains the Min Shan range, dropped its streamflow discharge by 11.5% permanently.[17] The destruction of the forests was due not only to logging but subsequent fires, which have left the sunnier and drier southern slopes bare of forest regrowth, even fifty years after initial clearing and fire. A professional forester Daniel Winkler observed during fieldwork that: “In Zitsa Degu traces of forest fires were abundant everywhere except on moist north-facing slopes. Wide areas of forest were burned out completely in the late 1950s or early 1960s, leaving behind only a few old trees within young pine stands.”[18]The drop in rainfall and runoff to the river as a result of deforestation remain major threats to the habitat of the pandas. When the UNESCO World Heritage Committee (WHC) assented to the inscription of both Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong in 1992, the decision of the Committee noted that both: “belong to the same ecological unit, despite being under different county administrations.”[19] UNESCO asked China to make them one site, “and consider submitting a revised nomination for inscription as a unified site.” China’s official delegate promised to give this due consideration. Nothing happened.Songpan county cadres had as much interest in keeping the sites separate as did Nanping. Rent seeking opportunities for controlling wealth creation would only be diluted by sharing a single site. In 1998 UNESCO again: “urged the Chinese authorities to implement the recommendations of the Committee, made at the time of inscription of this site [Huanglong] and Jiuzhaigou in 1992, to link the two sites into a single Minshan Mountain World Heritage Area… The mission also urged the Chinese authorities to explore possibilities for linking Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong World Heritage sites and other giant panda reserves as appropriate.”[20] Again, nothing further happened.The situation of the pandas was becoming critical. In Jiuzhaigou in 1983, American zoologist George Schaller noted: “Bamboo is scarce, and pandas are only rare visitors.”[21] By 1996 there were only 17 pandas left in Jiuzhaigou, and a 1989 survey by China’s Ministry of Forests and the World Wildlife Fund “describes the population as being small and totally isolated.”[22] That is why scientists recommended connecting nearby panda reserves, which “gives potential for maintaining or restoring the links between these populations and maintaining gene flow.”By then much had been invested in establishing Jiuzhaigou as a known brandname, while Minshan remained obscure and unknown. The two counties, and their networks of patrons at higher levels were in competition, and were evenly matched. Jiuzhaigou had an advantage in the race to become the brand name recognised as the identifier of a world of meaning, signifying the experience of quintessential Chinese landscape beauty in western China. Jiuzhaigou’s name was better known, and Nanping county capitalised on this by changing its name to Jiuzhaigou county to drive home the brand name message. Songpan county’s advantage is that it is closer to Chengdu, and a shorter bus ride. Songpan county has other major tourist destinations, starting with the county town and its town walls and bridges, some of which are hundreds of years old. The Songpan Grasslands have been promoted to Chinese domestic tourists as a verdant upland in which Chinese can be cowboys for the day in a controlled Tibetan environment, almost the only Tibetan pastoral area marketed to Chinese as a tourist attraction. Yellow Dragon is more evocative of quintessentialised Chineseness than Nine Village ravine, but Jiuzhaigou has emerged as the iconic destination.The motivations of local power elites were not the same as the scientists who, from the outset wanted the area to serve as a local instance of a global concern to conserve biodiversity, and were primarily focused on mammals, especially nonhuman ones. By the time UNESCO proposed, for the sake of maintaining the flow of the panda gene pool, that the two areas become a single Minshan Mountain Range World Heritage Area, Jiuzhaigou was well on the way to becoming a brand name known all over China, with Huanglong not far behind. To erase these names for the locally inclusive, geographically correct but utterly unknown Minshan, would have been to throw away a decade of brand building.For global science, species conservation was a top priority, for China iconic beauty and a UNESCO classification of any sort came first. The scientists’ reports as to the merits of both sites always used remarkably different language to the lyrical prose of the Chinese promoters. Of the various criteria UNESCO uses to classify World Heritage sites, both are classified as Scenic and Historic Interest Areas, with a suggestion: “that the Chinese authorities prepare a species conservation report in order to investigate the possibility that the site may also qualify for inscription under natural heritage criterion (iv).”[23]In the United Nations Environment Program’s World Conservation Monitoring Centre listing of these sites, they are categorised as IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) Management Category III, which is as “natural monuments.”These different agendas have persisted, and the contradictions have intensified. The core is the number of humans in these protected biosphere reserves, especially the paying visitors. From the outset, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee “expressed concern over the question of growing human impact in the reserve.” By 1998: “the mission team found the site to be congested with tourists; the management has made it too easy for the visitors to enter the site en-masse and in vehicles that drive through the core area. Increasing visitation appears to be leading to mushrooming of several new hotels immediately outside the boundaries of the site.”Tourist numbers continued to grow. The contradictions intensified. Global science, represented by bodies such as UNESCO, UNEP and WWF persisted in wanting animal conservation and biosphere protection uppermost, but they were stuck with the fact that they themselves had classified these areas as natural monuments and areas of scenic and historic interest, all designations suggesting a human perspective. A natural area can be a monument only through human eyes, likewise the judgement that an area is scenic. To label an area of historic interest makes explicit the privileging of the human perspective, making all other mind-possessors part of the objects of the human gaze.The human gaze is the foreground, the pandas, takin and other rare species are part of the background. But, in an area accorded special status because of its human historic interest, which humans and whose history is celebrated? Until quite recently, the number of Chinese living in this area of nine Tibetan villages was few. The only human history of any depth in the inscribed area is Tibetan history. Not only were both areas Tibetan farming villages, but there is a long history of Sino-Tibetan relations in this frontier zone, that has been airbrushed from contemporary discourse. Tibetans rose in revolt against Chinese metropolitan taxes and control, between 1858 and 1865, and again between 1924 and 1926.[24] Tibetan uprisings against Chinese incursions and full-scale invasions, both military and commercial are both centuries old, and as recent as the 1970s. It is this history that contemporary China denies. To concede that Jiuzhaigou did not miraculously manifest out of nowhere is to risk situating it firmly in Tibet, contiguous with the vast Tibetan grassland, and temporally connected with a long history of conflict and contest with China over hegemony.Further down the Min river there are old Chinese frontier towns, especially Songpan (Zungchu in Tibetan) town, which housed a Chinese garrison for centuries. But the countryside, especially in the upper valleys and sidestreams of the Min river, which are now the World Heritage areas, were Tibetan, remote and with little Chinese presence until recently. The Qiang, one of China’s larger minority ethnicities, live nearby, their stone homes and tall stone watchtowers testimony to their determined resistance to Chinese invasions from the central Sichuan lowlands over the centuries.Fortunately these efforts at erasure and amnesia are not met by silence from other sources, as might be the case if these Tibetan villagers were truly timeless, primitive, feudal and incapable of documenting their own culture and history. In fact, Tibetan historians give us a rich picture of the way of life of these valleys over the centuries, right up to and past the conquests of the Chinese Communist Party. Further independent testimony comes from a few anthropologists who have in recent years managed to do fieldwork in Jiuzhaigou.The picture Tibetan sources give is of a district densely settled by Tibetan standards, of small villages grouped together in co-operative federations, highly self-sufficient, ploughing the gentle slopes of valley floors with yaks crossed with cattle, a gentle breed know to Tibetans as dzo. They cultivated not only oats and buckwheat but also many vegetables including turnips, beans and cabbages, which grow well in a wet, cool climate. After threshing by village men, and winnowing by the women, the grain was ground to flour to make noodles, and the straw stored on rooftops for use as bedding, kindling and winter feed for domestic animals. The villages also grew flax, which was spun and woven into clothing. Rather than wearing their chuba robes long, as in colder parts, they preferred to hitch them at the knee, and wear leggings of cloth, to keep out the damp and cold. They wore broad brimmed felt hats, often with feathers in them. This picture of daily life comes from the work of Tibetan historians in the 1980s, working to record a Tibetan past and present under intense pressure from official attempts at erasure and appropriation.The district receives 700 mm of rain a year, and unlike most of Tibet there are reliable rains in early spring, enabling early planting and a long growing season by Tibetan standards. New World crops including maize, potatoes and amaranth were introduced centuries ago.Richer landholders hired poorer ones as wage labourers, rather than owning workers as property. Beyond the fields, control over forests and the upland pastures was collective, decisions being made by the entire settlement.In a district where most land was steep and the forest dense, communities were isolated and intensely local in their social life. As in the Himalayas, local loyalties were strong, and central authority weak. The area was proud of owing loyalty neither to far distant Lhasa nor to even farther distant Beijing. The local rulers frequently cemented alliances through marriage.This intense localism bred a quarrelsome attitude to outsiders, and to shifting alliances within the village confederations. The wooden stockades around each village were a protection against raiders. There were well-developed institutions of conflict resolution to ensure that local fights ended quickly. Elders in each village were empowered to negotiate settlements to disputes, and were invested with ritual wooden staffs that signified their authority to intervene, and impose compensation payments in reparation for damage.A major factor enhancing Tibetan solidarity was the encroachment by Chinese armies, sometimes with massive force. In the 1740s, the Manchu Qing dynasty, after a series of reverses along its long frontier with Tibet, decided to mount a major military expedition, and this area was its target. The fighting lasted many years and was ruinously expensive to the Qing court. At first the Manchu rulers of china hoped to use the classic Chinese strategy of “using barbarians against barbarians” by creating alliances with local Tibetan rulers, enlisting thousands of men in the imperial army. However, the Tibetan who guided the Chinese troops through the mountains “was in fact an informant for [Tibetan defender] sLob-dpon and betrayed [Chinese governor] Zhang continuously.”[25] These two wars, of 1747 to 1749 and 1771 to 1776 cost the imperial court over 61 million silver taels, because loyal Manchurian soldiers had to be sent right across China to do the fighting. By comparison, China’s conquest of what is now Xinjiang, north of Tibet, and far into what is now Kazakhstan cost the court only 23 million, although that campaign also took several years.[26] This campaign was the point in which Qing China overreached itself, initiating the long slow decline of the Qing, burdened with debt and the weight of undigested empire. The resistance of the Tibetan and Qiang people was a major turning point in Chinese history.The consequences were immediately ruinous for the Tibetans. Before the wars, according to Chinese historians of the imperial court, the local Tibetan population was over 100 000, but by the time Manchu military power had finally prevailed, this was reduced to a fraction. “The extent of the depopulation that resulted from the two Jinchuan Wars may be gauged from the fact that the registered population in the early 1820s for the entire region of Rab-drtan and bTsan-la, including not only Tibetan farmers but also the families of troops garrisoned there, only amounted to seven thousand two hundred families.”[27]One of the most detailed accounts of this area is also one of the most recent, by the courageous scholar Muge Samten (1914-1993), who spoke up against Communist Party nationalities policy as early as 1981, in defence of Tibetan identity. In writing of the Tibetan villages he begins by going back to when Tibetans first arrived, in the armies recruited from central Tibet who were demobilised in this area over 1 300 years ago when the Tibetan empire made peace here with the Tang dynasty of China. To this day, Muge Samten writes, the Tibetans to the east of Jiuzhaigou, at the very edge of the Tibetan Plateau and of Tibetan settlement, in what is now called Pingwu county, call themselves Dagpo, after the district east of Lhasa where their ancestors were recruited to become soldiers. Around Jiuzhaigou, Tibetans often call themselves Khonpo, after Kongpo, in the south east of central Tibet. Around Hongyuan they are known as Sharba, signifying descent from soldiers recruited from far western Tibet.[28]Muge Samten describes daily life vividly: “In terms of mutual respect between old and young and mutual respect between men and women, Dwags po people are identical to other Tibetans. Such customs as sitting cross-legged, men cutting the meat, and women kneading the dough for noodles are also pan-Tibetan customs. Houses are square and made of stone, and have a south-facing enclosed yard. They have a wooden ladder-like staircase. The livestock live downstairs, the people live upstairs. Offerings are arranged on top of a cupboard and such things as porcelain bowls and brass platters are arranged in the cupboard. In the centre of the house there is a metal brazier with three legs, and the head of the household sits at the head of the hearth or toward the north. There is a room for religious offerings on the top floor, and grass and straw are stored above that. With the exception of officials and rich people, no-one has stools or tables—this is also like other Tibetans.”[29]From a Tibetan viewpoint, the steep but glacially rounded valleys of Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong are not up in the mountains but down below the pasture lands. The two valleys are connected by the sacred mountain Shar Dungri, a major regional pilgrimage site and power place associated with the oldest of Tibetan religions, the pre-Buddhist Bon. As with many of Tibet’s most sacred mountains, Shar Dungri is on Tibet’s borders, a guardian looking down onto the lowlands beyond Tibet.Bon is central to the identity of the Sharba Tibetans. Within Jiuzhaigou World Heritage area there is a Bon monastery which in the late 1990s had survived the Cultural Revolution, and a recent fire, and rebuilt itself to a strength of 67 monks. Before visitors reach Jiuzhaigou their tour buses pass another Bon monastery, Dartse Gonpa, where “currently there are 91 monks, studying under a khenpo [scholar and teacher] from Menri near Zhigatse.”[30] Other Bon monasteries are nearby: “Just before reaching the source of the Zung-chu, the road passes through the village of Shadri, below the sacred Mount Jadur. The largest Bon monastery of the region, known as Gamil Gonchen or Pal Shenten Dechenling, is located by the roadside, and has an enormous prayer wheel at its entrance. The monastery was founded some 600 years ago. Currently there are 450 monks and one tulku [reincarnate lama] in residence. The complex has an Assembly Hall and three colleges. In the main hall of the Dukhang there are images of [Bon founder] Shenrab Miwoche. Since it is beside the main road to Dzitsa Degu National Park (Ch: Jiuzhaigou), Gamil Gonpa receives many Chinese tour buses, although most visitors only stay a short while.”[31]Bon, with its earthy approach to the spirits of waters and mountains, survives in this frontier district despite all obstacles, because of the loyalty of the Sharba Tibetan communities. The obstacles are not just Communist Party hostility to religion but also the historic dominance within Tibet of a variety of Buddhism that found Bon unacceptable, even though Bon over the centuries took on a Buddhist outlook and the practices of Buddhism. After the Manchu armies finally defeated the Sharba and Khonpo Tibetans of this area in the 1770s, the Chinese emperor agreed to a request from Lhasa to declare orthodox Buddhism the chief tradition of Tibet. Bon worshippers were discriminated against, flourishing only in remote and rugged peripheries.[32] Now among the worldwide Tibetan diaspora there is a growing appreciation that Bon is the deepest extant facet of Tibetan culture, and a fresh approach to Bon as the door to the thousands of years of pre-Buddhist Tibetan civilisation. This makes Bon, and those areas where it has survived persecution by both Chinese and Tibetan state power somewhat special.State penetration of Tibetan civil society in recent times has fractured the economic, cultural and linguistic links of the Sharba Tibetans. The Sharba (or Sharwa, which is closer to actual pronunciation) are part of the Tibetan province of Amdo, the northernmost part of Tibet. A contemporary authority on Bonpo Tibet, Samten Karmay wrote, after visiting the Sharwa in 1985: “The people of this region are known locally as Sharwa, a term derived from the local name of the region, Sharkhog. Our historian Gedun Choepel has suggested that most of these Amdo people are descendants of the royal army from Central Tibet who came to the area in the 7th century, an idea which seems to fit the Dunhuang records. The population of the region, who are sedentary, number around 24 000, according to the local administrative authority. The predominant religion of the Sharwa is Bon, but small pockets of Gelugpa and Sakyapa followers are also found in the area. Villages used to be grouped according to a political federation system in which from four to seven villages, with a sacred mountain and a monastery for education and religious gathering, comprised a federation. Each federation had its own leaders as well as social and political institutions: elected council, militia for self-defence (each family needed to have a good horse and a gun ready whenever required) and a general assembly of adult men. Like most parts of Amdo, the region of Sharkhog was a semi-independent principality before 1950; it paid no kind of tax either to central Tibet or to the local Chinese authorities. The historic relationship between this Tibetan region and the local Chinese town is one of conflict.”[33]The chronic tension between Chinese urban garrisons and Tibetan farmers erupted into open war in the 1740s, 1770s, 1860s and 1920s. This is documented in detail by historical sources from all parties. What is less openly admitted is that there was energetic resistance to the Chinese Communist Party, initially when the Long March passed through in 1935, then in the 1950s when the Party returned with the full force of the Chinese state behind it. This is still a taboo subject, contradicting the official insistence that the red Army came as liberators and were welcomed as such by Tibetans.One response of Chinese state power has been to fragment this fractious area, which is split between three of China’s provinces. Jiuzhaigou and Hongyuan are in the far north of Sichuan, nearly 400 km from the provincial capital, while nearby areas of Amdo are in Gansu province, further north, and in Qinghai province to the north west. Political power over this area is exercised by three distant provincial capitals: Chengdu, Lanzhou and Xining, and by farther distant Beijing. For all these cities Sharkhog and areas nearby are peripheral. Yet all are of concern because of their record of rebellion, and because they are major Tibetan tourist attractions these provincial capitals can use to attract visitors to metropolitan airports and city hotels. They are en route to major monasteries such as Labrang in Gansu, and Rebkong in Qinghai, famous for its applique artists and sculptors. The combination of historic monastery and ahistoric natural beauty makes for a profitable tourist circuit that starts and ends in a Chinese metropolis.The resistance in Jiuzhaigou to Chinese hegemony was evident in the 1980s to an American ethnographer, Hill Gates. In 1988, as her bus approached Jiuzhaigou, she asked to get out and walk, so as to appreciate the beauty. But the Chinese cadre responsible for her said: “We couldn’t let you go alone on this road especially, you see. Some of the Tibetans are not very happy about the changes, and there have been incidents. One of them tried to throw a rock at me this morning, did you see?”[34] The cadre “had visited the valley before the new road opened it to the public, and knew some horror stories about local Han being attacked by Tibetans resenting the intrusion of tourism. It is he who insists that I ride. They really would be terribly worried about me if I were unescorted.”[35]As she goes deeper into Jiuzhaigou, Hill Gates discovers why, even in 1988, long before today’s torrent of visitors, Tibetans might feel alienated. She passes a Tibetan village “not two hundred yards from the park entrance” but her Chinese minders tell her no Tibetan houses are available to be visited, even though the Tibetans live there are employed as hotel attendants.[36] She walks past, then climbs: “Up a substantial mountain, badly logged off, through a valley with bright wood-fronted houses, up a big mountain, with snow enough to remind us to hurry-and we break into the grassland. Yak heaven.” On the grassland Tibetan life appears intact. Both herds and nomadic black tents are plentiful. But she also discovers fences laboriously constructed of cut sod, a legacy of the Cultural revolution when, all over Tibet, in the name of civilization and higher yields, nomads were made to divide and fence land, and compulsorily settle. There was no money for wire fences, but compulsory labour was at the disposal of the state, able to mobilise at command. This sod fence: “stands about a meter high, eighteen inches thick, and runs for miles, sometimes on both sides of the road. Why would herders who normally move freely over an undivided plain build a huge stretch of fencing and then abandon it? My guess at an answer is later confirmed by cautious questions. During the Cultural Revolution, the authorities made great efforts to settle nomads such as these Tibetans. Along this road, the land was divided and put under commune ownership. The Han made the Tibetans build walls to mark boundaries and restrict the cattle’s movements. This experiment failed. The herders hated it… Animals were not properly cared for, their products went to waste. Production fell and resentment grew… In the region of the useless walls, we pass several villages of nomads who had been forcefully settled during rthe Cultural Revolution. These Tibetans are filthy squatters, growing a few young apple trees, keeping some horses, making do. The scruffy villages are full of poor, ill-clad, and fierce-looking young men (they elicit the nervous description ‘savages’ from my [Chinese] companions).”[37] Later, she comes upon the ruins of a monastery destroyed by revolutionary zealots, whose remaining carved mantra stones are carefully piled under a protective array of wind horse prayer flags, awaiting the day the monastery might be rebuilt. She wonders who “collected the pieces, stored them until it was safe to make them public, and in a ceremony that must have involved many working hands, a good deal of money, and much prayer, deposited them on the green grass to await better times… The gauzy temple, no barrier to wind, rain, or the passage of beasts, is the finest metaphor I have ever seen for the strength of the weak.”[38]This Tibetan grassland above the Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong valleys is never mentioned in Jiuzhaigou tourist brochures. The interdependence of Tibetan farming valleys and upland herding areas is excised. Jiuzhaigou stands alone, no longer integrated into Tibetan life, identity and economy. It exists exceptionally, outside time and space, connected by bus, highway, helicopter and airport to metropolitan Chengdu and contemporary China’s tourism industry. It has been re-oriented.Chinese state intervention in Jiuzhaigou Tibetan life and identity did not end with the collapse of the Cultural Revolution in 1976. Soon there began an official inquiry into whether the Sharwa and Dagpo are really Tibetans at all. The proposed alternative was to redesignate them as a separate nationality to be known as the Baima.In China for almost 50 years ethnicity has been decided not by individuals but the state, which classifies peoples according to materialist principles defined by the ethnographer Joseph Stalin. The process whereby the Chinese state decides which minority ethnicities to recognise is conducted by Chinese ethnographers, historians and other experts, not by the minorities. The subjective sense of identity that peoples have is only one factor in making this legislative, prescriptive decision. The main criteria are material, such as dress, house design, clothing, language differences, anything amenable to measurement. When Chinese authorities first assessed the hundreds of applications for minority nationality status in the 1950s, the official list reduced China’s diversity to 55 officially recognised nationalities. The Tibetans, including the Dagpo and Sharwa were, for obvious reasons, classified as one people. But in the 1970s Chinese authorities in Sichuan moved to reopen the question as to whether the Tibetans of Jiuzhaigou, Huanglong and surrounding districts were in fact Tibetan.As China struggled to recover from the ravages of the Cultural Revolution, an all-Chinese investigating team was assembled in Chengdu, the provincial capital, to determine the objective truth. Old imperial annals were consulted, to decide if their vague references to barbarian tribes beyond China’s frontiers referred specifically to these people. Much was made of the wearing of felt hats, and the putting of feathers in them, by the locals of Nanping county. Likewise their Bon religion, their dialect, their use of yak-cow cross breeds as draft animals, their weaving of flax into cloth and wrapping the legs in cloth leggings were all taken as objective evidence, in accordance with Marxist materialism, that these people were unlike Tibetans. There were suggestions that these people were gentler, and their traditional economy more co-operative than the feudal serfdom of the Tibetans. This was a vital distinction. The savage class warfare of the Cultural Revolution was fresh in everyone’s mind, and in minority areas the savagery of the class war depended crucially on whether the ethnic minority was classified as feudal or prefeudal, meaning a more collective attitude to material goods, almost a natural inclination towards communism. Prefeudal societies did not require an attack on the core beliefs and practices of the society, while feudal Tibet required that everything old be smashed before socialism could begin. Not surprisingly, “in the eyes of many Tibetans the official reopening of these cases represented yet another attack by the Chinese state on a Tibetan identity that had been severely fractured by the social and political upheavals of the previous 20 years.”[39]The Chinese experts were strongly of the opinion that the objects of their scrutiny were not really Tibetans, although there was no agreement on what an alternative designation ought to be. Muge Samten, a learned geshe before the arrival of the Chinese Communist Party was one of a few Tibetan scholars to publicly contradict and vigorously ridicule this one-month investigation. He wrote bluntly of the Chinese legislative gaze: “Now as for this method research, what sort of dialectical materialism is this? Pretending to have totally mastered everything by means of a little more than a month of research, they sit there determined, sit there without even looking at or coming to know the customs and habits of those Tibetans who are so close to the Dwags po such as those of Nanping [Jiuzhaigou] and Zung chu [Songpan and Huanglong], and, after trotting out those customs and habits which are one and the same as those of the Tibetans of Nanping and Zung chu they sit there postulating that the Dwags po are not Tibetan! They sit there placidly in their blind, ignorant way.”[40]China under Deng Xiaoping had little interest in reclassifying minorities, and wanted to get on with getting rich. The official outcome was an awkward compromise. It is now Chinese practice to call these people Baima Tibetans, “thus marking them as both Tibetan and not quite Tibetan (since they require an adjective to qualify their identity)… There exists the perceived danger that the qualifiers will eventually become more important than the root noun, thereby leading to ever greater factional- and fractionalization (both social and political) of the Tibetan population within the PRC.”[41]From the 1740s through to the present, the Tibetans of Jiuzhaigou have resisted Chinese hegemony whenever they could. As that hegemony became overwhelming, in the tide of tourist colonialism, Tibetans also sought to make use of official Chinese policy for their own purposes, and find employment and business opportunities in the World Heritage/Biosphere Reserves. The Tibetans were never passive victims.Ethnographers doing fieldwork in Jiuzhaigou in the 1990s report that tourism has also provided opportunities for Tibetans. Lawrence Epstein and Peng Wenbin, of the University of Washington Anthropology Department, find that in Tibetan villages, “one member of each household has been employed by the Tourist Bureau during the tourist season (April-October) as workers to protect the forest, construct roads or clean up garbage. Tourist services run by local villagers themselves range from renting horses or native costumes for photography to tourists, the handicrafts and souvenir trade, folkloric entertainment, to running inns.”[42] Monetized incomes have risen as tourists pay to witness an antiquated Tibetanness at odds with the lived reality of contemporary employment as garbage collectors, maintenance workers and in staged displays of authentic Tibetan culture. Epstein and Peng focus on three of the most senior Tibetans, and their skilful use of the official line to rework concepts of Tibetan identity. The abbot of Rabwen monastery, the teacher of Tibetan dance and the director of an “ethnic culture village” set up within a Tibetan village, all adopt different strategies.The abbot uses official policy to reconnect Jiuzhaigou with the Tibetan heartland to the west, emphasizing lineage and genealogy. “Through his cooperation with the Tourist Bureau, Rab dben [Rabwen] monastery, once a haven for rebels in the 1950s and still unofficially rehabilitated by the government, has become prosperous (mostly through tourism) and once again acts an important focal point for the revival of local religious activities. By manipulating state policy, which focused on delinking small local monasteries to larger ones within an area to prevent alliances among them, he has managed to make Rad dben (and Jiuzhaigou) into a central and autonomous focal point. His relative authority and advocacy of local autonomy, has caused other officials in bureaus like the United Front, to accuse him of using his position as a local religious leader and a government official for self-aggrandizement.”The dance teacher is an expert in the one aspect of Tibetan identity that is most marketable to tourists and to Chinese tourism enterprises hiring Tibetans. However, Jiuzhaigou is in Amdo, and he is from another of Tibet’s three great provinces, Kham. Although Kham and Amdo are adjacent, the Amdowa and Khampa dialects of Tibetan are almost mutually unintelligible, and differences are many. From a Chinese viewpoint the entire area is part of Kanze prefecture in Sichuan province, and the fact that the prefecture includes parts of both Kham and Amdo is invisible to Chinese officials. The dance teacher “is an outsider, a sort of missionary of high Tibetan culture,” who has persuaded Chinese authorities that the dances he stages at Jiuzhaigou are of the highest standard, in an area where local authorities are keen to tell tourists they are being “introduced to an elevated and cultured minority.” However the Amdowa young women of Jiuzhaigou “were not willing to join the troupe because they could make more money doing other things.” As a result, the troupe of ten dancers are mostly Han Chinese, for whom the director “has composed several songs and dances based on local themes, the rest being standard Khamba repertoire and Chinese songs, since tourists are encouraged to ‘sing-along’.”The director of the Ethnic Culture Village-within-a-village adopts another strategy, emphasizing both the genuine and unique local culture and at the same time appropriating the anti Chinese revolts of the past as patriotic stirrings of revolutionary sentiment. The brochure in his name given to tourists proclaims Jiuzhaigou an “ancient and typical Tibetan village… exhibiting the material and spiritual culture of Jiuzhaigou Tibetans, a site to propagate Marxist nationalities policy.”[43] He boldly rewrites the rebellion of the 1860s as a precursor to the Chinese revolution: “One cannot help but burst into tears on reading and reflecting how they died for their country, an encouragement to future generations.” Epstein and Peng comment on his ability to elicit “state support to complete his project, and thus had to counch things in the state idiom… meant to satisfy the state’s agenda of turning tourist sites into a means of instilling historical pride and patriotic education.” The brochure even claims that men of Jiuzhaigou fought the British during the opium war of the 1840s.Each of these local leaders attempts to maintain and enhance local autonomy for Tibetan communities. Each uses weapons of the weak, piling up their mani stones, remnants of an overwhelmed civilization, until the day agency is regained.But meanwhile the resort life cycle follows its inexorable logic. In the short life of Jiuzhaigou as a tourist destination, the financial foundation was laid by ordinary Chinese holidaymakers travelling not very far. Chinese and Canadian geographers have carefully quantified who the visitors to Jiuzhaigou were, what were their occupations, and how far they travelled to reach Jiuzhaigou, in the years between 1988 and 1994.[44] This survey found most tourists were employed by Chinese schools, factories and government departments, few had travelled more than 1 000 kilkmometres and they mostly considered themselves to be of less than average Chinese income.This has now changed. Jiuzhaigou has steadily repositioned itself upmarket, attracting arrivals from greater distances, with greater discretionary spending power, willing to pay for higher standard accommodation. It is no longer a destination but a resort. The attraction of Jiuzhaigou is no longer just its landscape beauty and the ethnic dances of the Tibetans, but a combination of such spectacle with luxury accommodation in five star hotels and luxury villas owned privately by the new rich to entertain friends and clients.Retained profits have been reinvested in this gradual move upmarket, to the point where Jiuzhaigou is now marketed internationally, as well as among Chinese expatriates and domestic tourists. The resort life cycle has moved on. As saturation approaches, Jiuzhaigou is able to switch to premium payers rather than a constant escalation of visitor numbers. At the urging of Sichuan province, Jiuzhaigou was one of ten top tourist destinations in 2000 to be freed from state price controls that made admission to the World Heritage/Biosphere Reserves affordable for all.[45]As the areas surrounding this “wilderness” intensify their resource use, energy consumption, waste generation, greenhouse gas emissions and total ecological footprint, the time has come to ask whether UNESCO and global science have failed. The concept of both the UNESCO MAB Biosphere reserves and World heritage List sites is that agreed management plans be adhered to, for the purpose of limiting human impacts and conserving biodiversity. The opposite is happening. It could well be argued that UNESCO’s inscription of these areas as both World Heritage and as Biosphere Reserves was the kiss of death, that these labels gave the areas such cachet that Chinese marketers have cashed in heavily, to the detriment of the values inscription was meant to enhance.This is especially evident if one looks at the nearby Wanglang nature reserve, which borders on both Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong. Wanglang, of 323 km2, limits tourists overnighting in the reserve to a maximum of fifty, requires them to carry away all garbage, and even requests visitors to dress in natural colours, avoid bright clothing, not make loud noises, play music or honk horns.[46] Without much publicity, this reserve quietly gets on with doing the very things World Heritage and Biosphere Reserves are supposed to do.Meanwhile there seems to be no end to how intensively Jiuzhaigou and Huanglong can be and will be overdeveloped. In February 2002 the Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development announced it was investing US$20.5 million “for the construction of the Huanglong Airport in Jiuzhaigou in Southwest China’s Sichuan Province. The Chinese and Kuwait ministries of finance signed an agreement in Beijing yesterday. The Huanglong Airport, which demands a total investment of 777 million yuan (US$93.6 million) is expected to handle 600 000 passengers annually by 2010.”[47] This will make it by far the busiest airport on the Tibetan Plateau. The Kuwaitis agreed to a grace period of four years in which neither interest nor capital will have to be paid on the loan, so the debt can be serviced by revenues generated once the airport is operational. The agreement establishing the loan is government-to-government, signalling the extent to which Jiuzhaigou is seen as a national project. The Kuwaiti finance provides 21.9 % of the total cost of construction, with the rest financed by the Sichuan and national governments, including allocation of monies raised through sale of bonds.[48]Some wealthy visitors already fly in. There is presently a small airfield at Jiuzhaigou and in late 2000 the first flights began.[49] A helipad was constructed some years ago.Airports are not the only official investment in upgrading public infrastructure for easier access and heavier visitor inflows. The highway to Jiuzhaigou from Sichuan’s capital, Chengdu, is again to be upgraded. Construction work is on such a scale that China’s truck industry announced the project as a key reason why it expects “the need for heavy and middle-size trucks will keep growing.”[50]Jiuzhaigou has attained such a high level of brand recognition that Gansu, the province to the north of Sichuan, now plans tour itineraries that include Jiuzhaigou as well as the major attractions of the Tibetan southern prefecture of Gansu.[51]The 5 000 hotel rooms at Jiuzhaigou already attract China’s new rich, some of whom are investing further in the move further upmarket. A Washington Post article, In China, the rich seek to become the ‘big rich’, names Dèng Hóng as the latest real estate developer to create wealth in Jiuzhaigou. Deng migrated to the US, bought property in Hawaii and Silicon Valley before returning to China because, as he told the Washington Post, “becoming ‘big rich’ in China was easier than in the United States. He was right: At last count he owned 35 cars, including a Ferrari, a Lamborghini, some jeeps, a Corvette, several 600 series Mercedes-Benzes and a fat Lincoln Continental. He recently purchased the rights to develop 100 square miles of land next door to one of China’s national parks [Jiuzhaigou]”[52] How did Dèng Hóng get so rich, and how will Jiuzhaigou make him richer? “Many of China’s wealthiest people are members of the Communist Party or are relatives or friends of party members and have parlayed their connections into cash. Deng is an example. His father was an officer in China’s air force. Deng, in addition to his military background, has assiduously cultivated ties with the city government of Chengdu. Ask him which is more important, his relationship to other businessmen or to the government, and he does not hesitate: ‘I really don’t have anything to do with my fellow businessmen,’ he said, echoing other well-off Chinese. ‘My business depends on the government.’ So much so that last year Deng surrendered 30 per cent of his stake in the convention centre to the Chengdu city government, for nothing. One of his senior executives is the former deputy mayor of Chengdu. For his development project next to the national park in western Sichuan, he has hired retired government officials. Deng had to rely on government ties to win approval to develop that site, 260 km2 of land next to one of China’s last remaining wilderness areas, Jiu Zhai Gou. Deng plans to build 100 vacation homes, a five-star hotel and a golf course. Each vacation home will sell for at least $300,000, he said.”[53]What could induce such a wealthy man to give away his stake in a lucrative convention centre in a major metropolis, unless the deal gave him access to an even greater profit opportunity?The destination cycle is about to climax. Jiuzhaigou is to become a playground for the super rich, a privatised space in which business and pleasure can be mixed, and conducted away from any public gaze, on golf courses, in luxury villas, in five-star hotel suites, and against a backdrop of stunning landscape beauty in a World Heritage Biosphere Reserve. The combination is irresistible. In this latest incarnation Jiuzhaigou is losing altogether its last moorings to space and place, to a long local history, and to its locatedness in the Tibetan world.It requires a local beauty spot to become first a mass market destination for holidays, rewards, banquets, payoffs, then to become a resort for the global rich, a suitably exotic backdrop for elaborate rituals of chineseness in which Tibetans remain less then fully human exotica, dancing and clearing away the garbage, their lives highly regulated by global science and money power.As JZG becomes a full resort, with lux hotels, brothels, disco, nightclubs, Tibetan dancers in a package, the locals are more marginalised as big money takes over.The paradox is remarkable. Heavily-promoted sites of Chinese nostalgia for a lost world of harmony with nature, to be found in Jiuzhaigou and nearby Huanglong are case studies in the new post industrial economy likely to shape Tibet. These areas were first to drop conventional plans for industrialisation, and invest heavily in a post industrial future instead, for several reasons: SYMBOL 183 \f "Symbol" \s 14 \h Part of China’s campaign to foster patriotic identification with China among Taiwanese and Chinese living in SE Asia was to advertise destinations of quintessential Chineseness, places to commune with the ancestors, be renewed by classic Chinese landscapes and experience a oneness with nature not readily found in Taiwanese factory belts or Hong Kong sweatshops. Jiuzhigou had all the elements that compose a classical Chinese landscape painting. SYMBOL 183 \f "Symbol" \s 14 \h The promotion of Jiuzhaigou gradually accelerated, first attracting Chinese from abroad and large numbers of Chinese domestic tourists, finally being marketed at foreign tourists generally SYMBOL 183 \f "Symbol" \s 14 \h The local counties and prefecture had few other prospects for wealth creation and in fact, not long after tourism promotion began, the national government abruptly banned the other major source of revenue and employment, in the logging industry. Conventional primary and secondary industries—logging and the processing of sawlogs—were suddenly ended, and new sources of income were urgently needed. SYMBOL 183 \f "Symbol" \s 14 \h A major pool of newly rich urban wealth is nearby in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan. In order to add value to Sichuan as a tour destination, Jiuzhaigou slotted in well to tour itineraries that also took tourists to the Songpan Tibetan grasslands nearby.In telling the story of the postindustrial transformation of the Nine Stockaded Villages so far, the focus has been on the contradictions between international scientific bureaucracies seeking to conserve non-human mammals, and Chinese state bureaucracies at national and local levels seeking to maximise economic gain for non-Tibetan Chinese human mammals. All along, these divergent agendas have impacted on the one mammal population none of these authorities considered primary—the Tibetans.From the outset, the Tibetan farmers of Dzitsa Degu were considered to be intrinsic to the charms of the area. For example, Beijing’s Foreign Languages Press in 1990 published a handsome volume of colour photos of the Tibetan and Qiang ethnic communities, not only in Jiuzhaigou but throughout the prefecture in which Jiuzhaigou is located, Aba Tibetan-Qiang Autonomous Prefecture (Ngawa in Tibetan). The foreword states: “In this album the author tells us that outside the place in which we work and live there are boundless horizons and countless people with different lifestyles who are happily creating and developing according to the laws of nature. Mother Nature bestows her love and favours impartially upon all earthlings. As far as happiness goes, a multimillionaire sitting in his luxurious office and dealing with information computed in milliseconds does not necessarily squeeze more joy from life than a girl of the prairies milking cows to the strains of herdsmen’s songs.”[54] This situates the reader firmly in the contemporary urban world, and the Tibetans as children of nature. On the nature-culture spectrum, they are very much at the nature end.UNESCO’s formal criteria for inscribing an area as World Heritage includes Clause 14: “Participation of local people in the nomination process is essential to make them feel a shared responsibility with the State Party in the maintenance of the site.”[55] Local Tibetans did not participate in the formalities of the nomination process. How could simple children of nature possibly do so? From the outset China defined local participation to be the involvement of the lower levels of the Chinese state itself, namely the senior cadres of Nanping and Songpan county administrations. According to the Party line, they represented the will of the masses, as does the Chinese state at the centre in Beijing. There neither were, nor are, any organisations of Tibetans, for any purpose, outside the organs of state power.Thus it was entirely at the discretion of the state, especially at county level, to decide where the Tibetans slotted in. Another online guide to Jiuzhaigou captures the role of the Tibetans in the wider context: “Jiuzhaigou is located in Aba Tibet and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture in Sichuan province in China. Its beautiful scenery makes it a fantastic fairyland. The majestic and unrivalled emerald lakes, layers of waterfalls, colourful forest, snow peaks and Tibetan folkways form a perfection of itself, which is called ‘A Wonderland.’”[56] This inclusion of the Tibetans, not as stakeholders with prior claim to local power, but as part of the list of natural colour, accords with the attitude of global science. UNESCO, as its name states, administers science and culture as separate domains. That separation is formalised in UNESCO’s criteria Operational Guidelines for World Heritage listing, requiring that areas nominated by governments for listing be classified either as cultural properties (Guidelines 23 to 42) or as natural properties (Guidelines 43 to 45). Jiuzhaigou is a natural heritage property, as per Guideline 44, section (a), subsection (iii), which is defined as containing: “superlative natural phenomena or areas of exceptional beauty and aesthetic importance.” Under these criteria, the traditional owners, cultivators and curators of that landscape can only be incidental, their presence in no way acknowledged in the definition.Neither Jiuzhaigou nor nearby Huanglong were nominated as cultural landscapes, a separate UNESCO category (Guidelines 36 to 39) for “combined works of nature and of man… illustrative of the evolution of human society and settlement over time… [that] embraces a diversity of manifestations of the interaction between humankind and its natural environment. Cultural landscapes often reflect specific techniques of sustainable land-use… and a specific spiritual relation to nature… The continued existence of traditional forms of land-use supports biological diversity in many regions of the world… A continuing landscape is one which retains an active social role in contemporary society closely associated with the traditional way of life.” If China had nominated Jiuzhaigou as a cultural landscape, the Tibetan villagers would have been central, and remained central. There is no evidence that such a nomination was ever considered. From the outset Jiuzhaigou was nature, not culture.As culture, the Nine Stockaded Villages were part of the classic Tibetan pattern of upland nomadic pasturage and valley cultivation of grain, existing interdependently. The alpine meadow pastures of the Tibetan yak herders are so close by Jiuzhaigou that American zoologist George Schaller in a morning walked up from what is now the last bus stop at Ritse (Rize in Chinese), “up a well-worn livestock path to the west of the Rizegou until forest gives way to alpine grassland. Five blue eared pheasants, plump blue-gray birds, flush from a thicket with a clatter of wings and nasal cackles. Herdsmen use these pastures heavily in summer and still [1983] burn forest to increase grazing land, but this early in the season [May] we have the uplands to ourselves.”[57] This grassland, as a few Chinese authors acknowledge, stretches continuously westward to Hungary, and north east to Manchuria.That Jiuzhaigou is situated in, and surrounded by Tibetan yak pasture does not at all fit with Chinese conceptions of Jiuzhaigou’s exceptionalism, its standing outside of time and space. The deeply structured relationships of valley farmers and upland nomads are edited out of all accounts of Jiuzhaigou, enabling it to be situated instead as an instance of World Heritage, and a place for the multimillionaire in a luxurious office dealing in information broken into milliseconds to find peace of mind.Yet another fragmentation is imposed on these people by their inclusion, at the subprovincial level, in a prefecture that is otherwise almost entirely in Kham, the great province of eastern Tibet now split between no less than four Chinese provinces: TAR, Sichuan, Qinghai and Yunnan. By placing the Amdowa Tibetans of Sharkhog in the Aba Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture, the Sharwa are a minority within the Khampa Tibetan minority within Sichuan. Khampa and Amdowa dialects of Tibetan are almost mutually incomprehensible. Tibetans see this official fragmentation as part of an Chinese response to their long history of objection to Chinese power.Jiuzhaigou is well on the way to becoming a global brand. It has transcended the origins embedded in its name—the nine stockaded Tibetan villages—and Chinese official media now mention in passing that: “The region, formerly the site of nine Tibetan villages, has become well known in recent years for its network of alpine lakes, spectacular waterfalls and impressive vegetation.”[58]While UNESCO has inscribed heritage and conservation meanings onto Jiuzhaigou, fresh inscriptions add new meanings. Jiuzhaigou is now weighted with national and international agendas, as it comes more and more to be the quintessentialised Chinese landscape. It is little wonder the Tibetans are being extruded, with no place in such elaborate state projects. Jiuzhaigou has become the ideal site in which to soften the deep seated popular ill-will between Japan and China. In 2000, in a cooperative venture between Japan’s NHK television network and Sichuan TV, a soap opera serial was filmed in Jiuzhaigou for broadcast both in Japan and China on nationwide CCTV. The plot of this improbable soapie “tells about how a Japanese businessman has developed friendly business ties with a young Chinese of ethnic Qiang group. The viewers will be able to have a better understanding about the Chinese people and enjoy beautiful landscapes.”[59] Its’ title is A Valley Reddens under the Shine of Cherry.Despite all of these obstacles, the 930 Tibetans who currently live within the Jiuzhaigou World Heritage area are in no way a defeated people, or victims.References[1]UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Programme, Life in Green Kingdoms: Biosphere Reserves in China, 1999, reprinted in Jiuzhaigou Biosphere Reserve Field Evaluation, unesco.or.id/prog/science/envir/EABRN/BR-Review-Jiuzhaigou.pdf (hereafter cited as Field Evaluation)[2]China New Millennium: China’s World Heritages, China National Tourism Administration, 1999, 39[3]Ren Hua, The Fairyland at Jiuzhaigou, China Pictorial, September 1994, 38-41[4]Gyurme Dorje, Tibet Handbook, Footprint, 2nd ed., 1999, 660[5]China Travel Manual, China National Tourism Administration, n.d. 149[6]attraction/sichuan/jiuzhaigou/page4.htm [7] [8]Charles Ramble, The creation myth of the Bon mountain of Kongpo, 133-232 in A. W. Macdonald ed., Mandala and landscape, DK Printworld, Delhi, 1997, 156[9]attraction/sichuan/jiuzhaigou/page3.htm [10]Ren Hua, The Fairyland of Jiuzhaigou, China Pictorial, Sept 1994, 40[11]Snowy Mountains and Grasslands: Travels in northwestern Sichuan, Foreign Languages Publishing, Beijing 1990, 2[12]China, Lonely Planet, 4th edition 1994, 761-2[13]Field Evaluation op cit[14]Hill Gates, Looking for Chengdu: A woman’s adventures in China, Cornell University Press, 1999, 117, 136[15]Tibet Outside TAR, [CD-ROM] 1997, 987[16]Protected Areas Programme, World Heritage Sites: Jiuzhaigou Valley, .uk/protected_areas/data/wh/jiuzhaig.html (page not found)[17]Yang Yuexian, Impacts and effectiveness of logging bans in natural forests: the People’s Republic of China, 81-102 in Patrick R. Durst ed., Forests out of bounds: Impacts and effectiveness of logging bans in natural forests in Asia-Pacific, FAO, Bangkok, 2001, 98[18]Daniel Winkler, Deforestation in eastern Tibet: Human impact past and present, 79-96 in Graham E. Clarke ed., Development, society and environment in Tibet, Verlag der Osterreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Vienna, 1998, 84[19]whc/archive/repcom92.htm (page not found)[20]whc/archive/repcom98a4.htm (page not found)[21]George Schaller, The Last Panda, Chicago University Press, 1993, 140[22]Protected Areas Programme, World Heritage Sites: Jiuzhaigou Valley, .uk/protected_areas/data/wh/jiuzhaig.html (page not found)[23]whc/archive/repcom92.htm (page not found)[24]Tibet outside TAR, 1997, 1223-4, based on official Chinese histories in Aba tonglan (Overview of Ngawa)[25]Roger Greatrex, A brief introduction to the first Jinchuan War 1747-1749, 247-63 in Tibetan Studies: Proceedings of the 6th seminar of the International Association for Tibetan Studies, Oslo, 1994, 252[26]ibid, 247[27]ibid, 249[28]Janet L. Upton, Notes towards a native Tibetan ethnology: An introduction to and annotated translation of dMu dge bSam gtan’s Essay on Dwags po (Baima Zangzu), Tibet Journal, 25 #1, 2000, 3-26, 7[29]ibid, 11[30]Gyurme Dorje, Tibet Handbook, Footprint, 2nd edition, 1999, 658[31]ibid, 655[32]Dan Martin, Bonpo canons and Jesuit cannons, Tibet Journal, 15 #2 1990, 3-28, 12[33]Samten G. Karmay, Mountain cults and national identity in Tibet, 112-120 in Robert Barnett ed., Resistance and reform in Tibet, Indiana University Press, 1994, 116[34]Hill Gates, Looking for Chengdu: A woman’s adventures in China, Cornell University Press, 1999, 121[35]ibid, 122[36]ibid, 125[37]ibid, 128-30[38]ibid, 131-2[39]Upton, op cit 5[40]Upton, op cit 13-14[41]Upton op cit 17[42]Lawrence Epstein and Peng Wenbin, Changing times at Jiuzhaigou, paper presented to the first Amdo Studies Conference, Harvard University, April 1997[43]quoted in Changing times at Jiuzhaigou op cit[44]Zhang Jie, Geoffrey wall, J-K Du et al., Distance traits of the spatial behaviour of tourists to natural sightseeing destinations—a case study on Jiuzhaigou conservation area and comparison with some national parks, China, in Vincent C. S. Heung ed., Tourism 2000: Asia-Pacific’s role in the new millennium, Proceedings of the Asia Pacific Tourism Association Fifth Annual conference, Hong Kong, 1999[45]Price reforms pushed in west, China Daily, 1 Sept 2000[46]Wanglang, paradise of wildlife, China Daily, 3 March 2001[47]Kuwait loan assists airport, China Daily 28 Feb 2002[48]Sichuan sets 112 key projects this year, People’s Daily, 10 Mar 2001[49]Maiden flight from Chengdu to Jiuzhaigou successful, China Daily 8 Dec 2000[50]Chinese car industry targets western areas, People’s Daily 9 July 2001[51]More overseas tourists visit Gansu, People’s Daily 14 Jan 2000[52]John Pomfret, In China, the rich seek to become the ‘big rich’, Washington Post 17 March 2002[53]ibid[54]Snowy Mountains and Grasslands: Travels in northwestern Sichuan, Foreign Languages Publishing, Beijing 1990[55]UNESCO Operational Guidelines: Establishment of the World Heritage List, whc/opgulist.htm[56]JiuZhaiGou, a_city_of_sadness/jiuzhaigou.html (page not found)[57]George B. Schaller, The Last Panda, University of Chicago Press, 1993, 140-1[58]Jiuzhaigou tickets sell out ahead of National Day week, People’s Daily 27 Sept 2001[59]China, Japan jointly shoot tv serial, People’s Daily 18 April 2000China’s Golden Moment: Making It Last ForeverBy Gabriel Lafitte, 2010-11-25 (Source: )This paper is presented by noted Tibetologist and expert on Tibet Gabriel Lafitte, an Australian academic and development policy consultant to the environment & development desk (EDD) of the Tibetan Government-in-Exile, at a talk series organised by the Tibetan Women’s Association.The Rise of the HelicoptersChina is emerging as a regional power and even as a global power. Yet China’s leaders constantly refer to the threat of chaos which will erupt if they loosen their tight grip, not only on ethnic minorities but on the poor, the urban migrants and the peasants. Why is China so successful, yet so fragile? What is it about the combination of party-state and the capitalist entrepreneurs that makes this moment in China’s rise so dynamic yet so unstable? Why are there so few voices in China calling for democracy, or for the rights of ethnic minorities? Tibetans looking at Beijing from afar are missing something, which has been silenced, excluded from the public sphere, which China’s leaders fear. International observers too, fascinated by China’s wealth and success, are also missing any focus on the reality that China is still poor, there are many hundreds of millions who are excluded, held down, exploited, and increasingly resentful of the growing gap between rich and poor. If we understand China’s golden moment is a pact between the wealth creators and the social controllers, the corporations and the party-state, to monopolise both wealth and power, to the exclusion of all others, then China’s rise and Chinese leaders fears fit together.What do today’s Chinese really care about, cherish, seek to protect at all costs? What is the main purpose of their life?“China’s new super-rich have developed a penchant for flying in their own newly-bought helicopters and small airplanes—thereby avoiding the chronic delays and terrible service on commercial airlines, while gaining an impressive status symbol. The difficulty is that all private flights must first be approved by military and civil aviation authorities, a process that can take weeks or even longer. For wealthy businessmen who live or work outside major cities (where their light planes and helicopters are liable to get shot down), the temptation to flaunt the rules is just too great.“So, the nouveaux riches don’t let their helicopters rust in the hangar while they wait for approval. Instead, they take to the skies without permission, spooking the locals and air-traffic controllers who spot these unidentified flying objects on their radar screens. Such rule-bending is not uncommon in China.” (Jamil Anderlini, China: that’s no UFO, that’s my Cessna, November 17, 2010 Financial Times)China’s fast rise requires concentration of wealth and power. Concentration of wealth requires a mind focused exclusively on wealth creation, and its conspicuous enjoyment. Wealth creation requires state protection to suppress the ignorant masses, to prevent them from mobilising to ask for a fair share of the wealth they create, as miners underground in dangerous coal mines, as low paid factory workers, as peasants without social security. China’s wealth created today must be ploughed back into creating greater wealth tomorrow, and not dissipated by the demands of the excluded, for a fair price for their farmland gobbled up for new factories, or for basic health insurance, or decent schools in poor areas. To an extraordinary and unsustainable degree China’s wealth comes not from consumption, not from the buying power of newly prosperous masses, as in mature capitalist countries. China’s wealth comes to a remarkable extent from investment, by the state, and the big state owned corporations, and the private entrepreneurs who enjoy favours from the party-state. China’s wealth is in its infrastructure, not in its homes. This is unsustainable.Watching China’s Rise Through Indian EyesWhat does China’s rise and rise mean for Tibet?We could easily be overawed, which is what China wants. We could sink into feeling powerless, as if China is able, on command, to achieve anything it turns its attention to. We could feel a whole range of emotions, from fear to the envy and jealousy many Indians feel when they look at China today, perhaps even a yearning to be free of the weight of all those poor people in all the villages of India, who manage to hold politicians democratically accountable and hold back the shining India of Bangalore, Hyderabad and Gurgaon from becoming the only India that matters.Tibetans in exile have little opportunity to experience China’s golden moment directly, except through watching Xizang TV, which is a distorting mirror. But exiled Tibetans do have every opportunity to observe India, where an elite also strives for that golden moment, when a young start-up entrepreneur with a good app software can become a crorepati overnight.In India too, there is the same vanity and selfish self-centredness among the elite, the same palpable sense of urgency and destiny, that riches are just around the corner. There is a similar disdain for the poor, the adivasi and dalits, even frequent talk of “unleashing the Air Force” to bomb adivasi who protest the loss of their land and forests and livelihoods to industrial projects and mines. In India, as in China, the state has withdrawn largely from providing social security, enforcing minimum pay, cleaning up corruption, ensuring rule of law, even maintaining public hospitals that serve the needs of the masses. In India, this is called “liberalisation,” a deliberately vague term that masks the intention to abandon responsibility for the hard work of poverty alleviation, cutting across caste lines that are as rigid as ever.In India, as in China, there is much talk of the knowledge economy, celebrating India as the planetary hub of business process outsourcing, not only by staffing customer call centres for corporate customers living in London or New York, but also relocating many aspects of the modern corporation to the Indian back office. Those who see an even shinier India rising, now predict that the demand for Indians fluent in English an d other European languages will be so great that the Indian university system needs and urgent shake up and expansion to produce all the graduates needed to do not only the work of responding to the complaints of angry American customers, but a wide range of other back room tasks that can be standardised and relocated in India.Now it is not only IT (information technology) that is outsourced to India, in future it will be engineering, design, biotechnology, animation, medical and legal back room data processing, interpretation of tests results, routine computerised modelling of building design, and much more. (KPO the next big thing for India, Economic Times, 27 October 2010) These will become the new glamour occupations, tempting many educated Tibetans perhaps.Underlying all of this, whether in India or in China, is the narrow assumption that only certain kinds of knowledge matter, and other knowledges are irrelevant, or trivial, or outdated or simply invisible. The knowledge of how to care for a sick buffalo or yak, or irrigate a field, is at best taken for granted by urban elites only too glad to have left behind their rural roots. Only knowledge that makes big profits is worthwhile knowledge. In China such knowledge is accessible through a single portal, grandly called the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) which you will readily find online (n English as well as Chinese), but to go through the portal and get to the data on which modernity thrives, you must pay a commercial subscription. The concentration of wealth in China, and its obscene flaunting in public, are now so extreme that the super-rich are running out of things to spend money on. Geremie Barme, of Australian national University, a close observer, and friend, of many in China’s super-cool fashionable elite, says the best job in China these days is to be an interior designer specialising in turning the interior of billionaire Chinese businessmen’s private jets, so they look on the inside like the court of a Qing dynasty emperor. It used to be that the princelings, the sons and daughters of the party elite, rose so fast they were called the helicopters. Now a helicopter is not enough; one must have a private jet.“There are only so many diamond iPads and Louis Vuitton Mah Jong sets a Chinese billionaire can buy in a lifetime. So now wealthy Chinese are looking for other ways to splurge, and discovering a passion for that richest of rich men’s toys: the thoroughbred racehorse.“Mao Zedong banned horseracing in 1949 as an immoral capitalist pursuit, but now China’s nouveaux capitalists are taking to it with a vengeance. Rich people in China are focusing more and more attention on this industry,” says Felix Wang, author of the China Horse Racing Bible. The China National Horse Industry Association expects horse imports to double this year over last. “The Chinese entrepreneur is trying to turn his new money into old money... and one of the shortcuts is an understanding of horses,” says Rupert Hoogewerf, publisher of the China Rich List. Steve Wyatt, of the Nine Dragons Hill Polo Club near Shanghai, says China has a deep cultural affiliation with horses, “deeper even than America and the cowboys.” Rich Chinese enjoy the sense of power that comes from “having a horse that wins in front of other guys. People don’t want to watch you play golf but they will come to watch your horse race,” he says. (Financial Times, 19 November 2010, by Patti Waldmeir)A Tale of Two Hotels in LhasaWe could illustrate the transformation of China, by the past decade or more of concentrated wealth accumulation, by telling the story of two hotels, in Lhasa, the old Holiday Inn which closed several years ago, and the new InterContinental hotel with a massive 2000 rooms, due to open at the end of 2012.Actually, these two hotels are the same company, using different brand names. Holiday Inn is for budget travellers, InterContinental is more luxurious and expensive. The Holiday Inn was a classic of the socialist era, with Chinese and Tibetan staff who had no interest at all in serving guests, in fact they regarded guests as an interruption to their work unit, and their real life, of sitting around with endless cups of tea. Hotel guests were an annoyance, to be gotten rid of. Likewise the newly appointed manager Alec le Sueur, who wanted to bring in modern management methods, and staff accountability for their actual work performance, also faced entrenched resistance from the “iron rice bowl” mentality of the socialist work unit, with its guarantee of lifelong employment in one fixed place. Le Sueur wrote a very funny book, The Hotel on the Roof of the World, published in 1998, telling marvellous stories of his frustration as the staff blocked every reform he attempted.That was the 1980s, this is now. Tibet and especially Lhasa are in the grip of a property price boom as urban construction fuelled by Beijing money forces up real estate prices in an urban market where property can now be bought and sold. The InterContinental Lhasa Resort, with its initial 1 200 rooms then 2 000 rooms, is the fruit of the new Lhasa and the new China of the super-rich. It is the child of entrepreneur Dèng Hóng, whose personal wealth is estimated by the Hurun Rich List at $660 million. Dèng Hóng made his money by turning a remote corner of easternmost Tibet into a tourist paradise that now receives four million tourists a year, overwhelmingly from China.His luxury resort at Dzitsa Degu in Ngaba (Sichuan Aba Jiuzhaigou in Chinese) is also a partnership with the world’s biggest hotel chain, InterContinental as the actual operator. It made him a millionaire, by catering to the desire of China’s new rich for exotic, pristine locations where wealthy Chinese can stroll the forests, admire the crystalline pools of many colours, enjoy the UNESCO World Heritage listed landscape, be photographed on a yak with a rosy cheeked Tibetan girl, and at night enjoy Khampa dancers brought in to provide spectacle. Above all, this mix of luxury and exotic spectacle is the setting for what wealthy Chinese like most: to talk and network with each other, to build up guanxinetworks, to strengthen connections and mutual obligations, to enable new deals to be struck, and foster ties with officials whose permissions are essential to business success. This is the environment in which Dèng Hóng has thrived.Disappearing Pandas, Disappearing Tibetans? What visitors don’t see at Jiuzhaigou is that the pandas originally at home in this valley of nine stockaded Tibetan villages have long disappeared. They don’t see the alarm expressed by the UNESCO scientists at how UNESCO’s official protection of this area for its natural capital has been turned into monetary capital by shrewd entrepreneurs who know how to leverage the UNESCO brand into profit. The millions of Chinese visitors also don’t see how the Tibetans, for centuries sustainable farmers of this beautiful valley are now forbidden to farm any more, because their farming was declared to be inconsistent with preservation of an area surrounded by huge hotels and luxury resorts. The visitors may not notice that the Tibetan villagers are also forbidden to house tourists in their homes any longer. And they may not notice that few Tibetans are employed or trained as hotel staff and managers, and work only casually, as entertainers.The luxury hotel boom at Jiuzhaigou was not good for pandas or Tibetans; will it be good for Lhasa now that the same people are bringing their business model from the extreme edge of Tibet to its heart? Why is InterContinental, a company that boasts on its website of high human rights standards and local employment training standards, doing deals with Dèng Hóng, a man who openly boasts of his excellent connections at all levels of the party-state, who is now even a member of National Peoples Congress, ready to rubber stamp China’s 12th Five-Year-Plan in March 2011, which will accelerate the hydropower damming of Tibetan rivers.Will Tibetans be excluded from managing and staffing and tour guiding in the new InterContinental Resort Lhasa? Technically, InterContinental, as hotel operator, does the hiring and staffing and human relations and training; and is proud of its investment in training schools in China for new hotel staff who do understand how to make guests feel not only welcome, but special, even pampered, which is what tourism for the rich is all about. This is the complete opposite of the surly attitude of the Lhasa Holiday inn story, as told by Alec le Sueur in his funny book.Yet, paradoxically, in the old Holiday inn, many staff were Tibetan, not just the cleaners. In the new InterContinental, there is a real likelihood Dèng Hóng will pack the staff with the sons and daughters of his cronies, his party-state connections, and almost the entire staff will be Chinese, graduates of a training academy, able to speak to guests in English, while Tibetan applicants will be told they are unqualified. Only if InterContinental vigorously lives up to its many public policies on human rights and local employment will there be Tibetans staff trained to manage a big hotel. ()Big it is. Two thousand new luxury beds seems a lot for a city the size of Lhasa. It all makes sense if you look not just at bed numbers, but the overall plan for many exhibition halls, conference centres, business hubs and shopping malls, all inside the InterContinental Resort Lhasa. This is designed, from the outset, to be a playground for he new rich, for their discreet networking, done in private, away from Lhasa’s gaze. The hotel will be a world unto itself, where the Nagchu elite of Party faithful, the few Tibetans who embraced the Party, can banquet with their Chinese bosses and collectively celebrate everything China has done for Tibet. The big exhibition halls will be suitable for display after display of how benevolently China has assisted Tibet, providing stages for spectacle proclaiming China’s successes. The Lhasa InterContinental will be a showcase for a repressive regime that keeps Tibet in fear and lockdown, but the rich will neither notice nor care, since they will venture from the hotel only for a staged visit to the Potala or other iconic piece of exotica.Deep Inside the Party-State Structure This is the new China, so different to the Holiday Inn era. Technically, Dèng Hóng’s Chengdu Exhibition and Travel Group () is the builder and owner of the physical hotel, and InterContinental the operator, with distinct and separate roles. Technically the Communist Party and the Chinese state are distinct and separate. In reality, in China’s unique mix of wealth creation and party control, the property developers, even if privately owned, rely for their business success on intimate party connections, and even copy the internal structure and culture of state-owned enterprises as their operating model.This is revealed in a new book taking us deep into the world of China’s property speculators, In Search of Paradise: Middle Class Living in a Chinese Metropolis. The author, Li Zhang is a professor of anthropology at University of California Davis, and she did her fieldwork inside the world of Kunming property developers (Cornell Press 2010).She writes about the boss of a property development company that remains nominally state-owned: “When I met Mr. Lu he was only in his mid-thirties and was already considered highly successful. He owned a black luxury Buick and two upscale condominiums. In order to take advantage of both the existing state sector and the expanding private sector, many entrepreneurs, as he did, used flexible, hybrid ownership forms to maximise their competitiveness and profit-making. The operational model of the two sectors increasingly resemble each other. It has become more and more difficult to speak of a purely state enterprise due to the existence of a diversified form of capital.”When she interviewed Mr Lu, he said he felt no need to be free of state control: “No, because the company I am managing now is almost like my own company. Moreover I have all the advantages of being attached to a large, government-supported corporation-accessing start-up funds, getting otherwise competitive projects, and enjoying local government protection in any bureaucratically related matter.”Li Zheng also interviewed the boss of a privately owned property development company, Mr Dong. She was surprised to find that his company has at its heart a Communist Party cell and that it closely monitors its employees not only for their professional skills and performance but also for their ideological conformity to Party norms and slogans. He writes: “Like state enterprises, Dong’s corporation has maintained a personnel file system (dangan) to keep track of employees’ backgrounds and behaviour. To my surprise it also has a Communist Party organisation branch of one hundred members, with Dong acting as its top leader. Party members gather periodically to to study relevant government policies and conduct moral education. They are expected to take a leading role in reinforcing disciplinary rules in the company.” Dong himself told her: “The party organisation helps the company to oversee and regulate workers better. It also teaches self-discipline. Party leadership is the mainstream politics in Chinese society. I do not want my company to exist outside the mainstream or far away from society. My enterprise is a cell of society and should stay within the mainstream. We are also conducting the propaganda of ‘building a harmonious society’ within our enterprise as promoted by President Hu.” (pp 55-58)Property Developer Dèng HóngThe property developer who made his fortune at Jiuzhaigou and is now the spearhead of global capitalism in Lhasa, is in the same mould, as he cheerfully explained in 2002 to the Washington Post. Dèng Hóng, son of a Peoples Liberation Air Force officer, told a Washington Post reporter how he achieves everything through his connections to officials. Deng migrated to the US, bought property in Hawaii and Silicon Valley before returning to China because, as he told the Washington Post, “becoming ‘big rich’ in China was easier than in the United States.” He was right: At last count he owned 35 cars, including a Ferrari, a Lamborghini, some jeeps, a Corvette, several 600 series Mercedes-Benzes and a fat Lincoln Continental. He recently purchased the rights to develop 100 square miles of land next door to one of China’s national parks [Jiuzhaigou]” (John Pomfret, In China, the rich seek to become the ‘big rich’, Washington Post 17 March 2002How did Dèng Hóng get so rich, and how did Jiuzhaigou make him richer? The Washington Post explained: “Many of China’s wealthiest people are members of the Communist Party or are relatives or friends of party members and have parlayed their connections into cash. Deng is an example. His father was an officer in China’s air force. Deng, in addition to his military background, has assiduously cultivated ties with the city government of Chengdu. Ask him which is more important, his relationship to other businessmen or to the government, and he does not hesitate: ‘I really don’t have anything to do with my fellow businessmen,’ he said, echoing other well-off Chinese. ‘My business depends on the government.’ For his development project next to the national park in western Sichuan, he has hired retired government officials. Deng had to rely on government ties to win approval to develop that site, 100 square miles of land next to one of China’s last remaining wilderness areas, Jiu Zhai Gou. Deng plans to build 100 vacation homes, a five-star hotel and a golf course. Each vacation home will sell for at least $300,000, he said.”Tibetans In China’s Golden MomentWhat place is there for Tibetans in such an economy, where wealth is all that counts, where the poor, the ethnic minorities, and all who lack connections are regarded as ignorant, stupid and worthless? Is there a place for Tibetans in such enterprises where there is hardly any distinction between party and state, public or private, where Chinese characteristics are so pervasive? Is it possible that Tibetans can succeed in conquering such a system, and find individual niches by proving they are as good, or twice as good as their better-connected Chinese competitors?Being a Tibetan, in Tibet, in Lhasa, is now hard work, whether you are a pilgrim prostrating under the gaze of tourist cameras, or a young man or woman hoping for a career in hotel management, or a chance to meet educated tourists-from China and internationally—who take a real interest in Tibetan culture. Life is hard because Tibetans are not the mainstream, because Tibetans lack guanxiconnections, are treated as outsiders in their own land, as objects of curiosity or, even worse, with incurious dislike by Chinese whose only focus is on making money, in the Chinese mainstream, in Chinese hotels and banquet halls, doing deals with party bosses and property developers for whom Tibet is just an exotic backdrop for the real business of China, which is business.Let us hope that inside the new InterContinental Resort Lhasa there is not a Communist Party cell that exists to hold down the workers and impose discipline. Let us hope that InterContinental and its major shareholders Barclays and Lloyds, on London Stock Exchange, insist that the new hotel really does train and employ Tibetans at all levels: management, tour guides, maids and all.The irony of comparing Indian and Chinese urban modernities is that it is easier for Tibetans to find a niche in corporate India than in corporate China, including the corporations now rapidly coming up in Tibet. The only Tibetans likely to succeed in China’s golden moment are those who have learned, perhaps in China’s inland province schools for Tibetans, to be as greedy and selfish as China’s new elite, who shamelessly grab resources for their private enrichment, at everyone else’s expense. Fortunately such Tibetans are few.In a speech he gave in Shenzhen in August 2010 grandfatherly Premier Wen Jiabao said: “If there is no guarantee of reform of the political system, then results obtained from the reform of the economic system may be lost, and the goal of modernisation cannot be achieved.” There is much talk in China of the need for deep reform, and the danger that the pace of economic growth will inevitably slow, that the demands of workers and the rural masses for a fairer deal will finally begin to succeed, that striking workers will win better pay, even though the Communist Party cell in each factory exists to prevent strikes.It is equally possible that the voices of the newly rich, the entrepreneurial class so closely connected to the party, will continue to dominate, but always fearing that China’s golden moment is fragile and must be protected by state violence against any challenge.China’s Missing Voices: The Silenced MajoritySomething is missing in the Chinese voices we can listen to. What is missing is the voice of the peasants, the minorities, the exploited factory workers. Only rarely do we get a glimpse of their stories, their exclusion, their deepening mistrust of the party-state, the growing gulf of inequality. They are the majority, but are voiceless, their protests and petitions for justice ruthlessly crushed. The Chinese critic Yu Jie, whose work is banned in China but available in Hong Kong and online, openly compares today’s authoritarian Chinese propaganda state with Nazi Germany. His recent book From Berlin to Tiananmen (in Geshe Lhagdor-la’s library) is well worth reading, if you read Chinese.The party leaders know they are on borrowed time, that they cannot rely solely on nationalism, repression and vague promises of reform, for ever. Yet they are determined to maintain China’s golden moment, the best opportunity for elite wealth formation in 5 000 years. If only they can control the chaos threatened by the unhappy masses, China’s momentum can be maintained. This is why China’s leaders routinely refer to the danger of chaos, if their tight control is relaxed. It serves their interests to activate the fears of westerners and China’s neighbours that chaos is always just below the surface, unless the party reinvigorates its dictatorship. A modernised dictatorship for the benefit of the wealthy and powerful, to the detriment of all others, is in many ways similar to the mass mobilisation persuading German public opinion to support the Nazi Reich, Yu Jie tells us.China’s leaders know they are the verge of becoming a world power, and only popular democracy, with its fairer distribution of wealth, could slow China’s rise. Soon Hong Kong will eclipse both New York and London as a global centre of finance. China’s rise to technological parity with western hi-tech manufacturers is now so fast, the west is no longer confident it can always stay ahead and set the pace. Instead, western companies wanting to sell to markets in developing countries must now do so in partnership with their Chinese competitors, or risk losing out altogether, because Chinese products are not only competitive on price but also quality. It may not be long before the Chinese currency becomes a global reserve currency, just as the US dollar today is the currency of last resort. To China’s leaders, the biggest threats to China’s rise are internal. The Tibetans are just one of many internal forces calling for decentralisation, autonomy, fairness, basic rights and opportunity to participate in making policy. Tibet is just one of China’s intractable problems, which are slowly coalescing, coming together in ways that generate common causes, that unite elite figures and the masses, Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo with the groundswell of popular demand for fairness, a share of the wealth created by factory workers who cannot afford to buy the products they make.Such forces are growing and must inevitably succeed, because they are steadily growing in legitimacy even within the elite, and are harder than before to ignore. Within the elite, in Beijing, where official policy is openly questioned, there is increasing support for greater democracy, and for letting different regions take different directions.The Dalai Lama foresaw all this long ago, when he said repeatedly that the best hope for Tibet is China’s prosperity and confidence in itself. China’s prosperity and confidence are still superficial, not deep. Golden Moment, Heavy ContradictionsChina’s combination of full-speed capitalism and Leninist authoritarianism is unique, though some political scientists do liken it to the fascist regimes of Italy and Germany in the 1930s. The key to China’s success is the partnership between a directive, powerfully interventionist state, with its ruling party driving every move, and the dynamic capitalists who make China the world’s factory. To anyone who witnessed the rise of Japan, or Korea or Taiwan, this is familiar, yet the scale, ambition, momentum of China’s determination to attain hegemony, dominating most of Asia, has now accelerated even further. A new, bold, confident China is arising, but at present is held back by much fearfulness, at the top, inside the isolated elite, surrounded by luxury, insulated from the masses.China’s golden moment can also be called the capitalist phase of primitive accumulation, the phase in which the rich grab and hold whatever they can, unchecked by popular demand for fairer distribution of the wealth created by the labour of all, but monopolised by a few.In England, this phase was in the mid 19th century, in the US in the late 19th century, in Japan in the early 20th century. The wealthy are well organised and vigorously pursue their wealth-creating opportunities, shielded by oppressive laws that favour the rich and discriminate against the poor. But eventually those who have missed out, for decade after decade, organise themselves, often with help from those inside the elite who accept the moral necessity of fairness. Workers strike for higher pay and win. Intellectuals call for redistribution of wealth and wider democracy and a rule of law in which no group is above the law. All of this is now happening in China. The phase of primitive accumulation gradually gives way to mature capitalism, in which the state accepts its obligation to ensure all have access to opportunity, and to income support and social welfare, decent health care and schooling, whether rich or poor. All these reforms happened in Europe, the US and Japan, and are starting to happen in China. Even Russian President Medvedev says one party rule is unsustainable, leading only to stagnation.At the same time there are many reasons, inherent in the logic of global capitalism, to suggest China’s growth rate will slow, not just temporarily but over a long period, and the regime will no longer be able to hold out the glittering golden promise that as long as everyone remains patient, everyone will get rich. Ever since Deng Xiaoping announced that to get rich is glorious but some must be allowed to get rich first, hundreds of millions of poor Chinese have wondered when it will be their turn. Their patience is wearing out, their trust in the benevolence of the party is nil. When a regime loses the trust of the people, and is widely known only for its greed, selfishness and corruption, the party-state is on thin ice, on borrowed time.China today is full of contradictions. The moment is golden but the elite feel more insecure and fearful than ever. The richer you are, the more you have to protect your wealth from a thousand enemies, real or imagined, as the Buddha told us 2 500 years ago. The children of the elite grow up taking for granted they have both wealth and power, but still are restless, unhappy, seeking something more authentic than their father’s private jet and helicopter, something better suited to ensure lasting happiness than mere luxury. Some of them, in increasing numbers, come to Tibet, seeking authentic insight into the nature of reality, beyond appearances. Just as earlier generations of angresi/inji sought in Tibet a mirror to find themselves, so now do the children of China’s elite.The last resort for the party-state is nationalism, for emotionally stirring spectaculars such as the 2008 Olympics, Chinese astronauts landing on the moon, etc. The propaganda machine is vast, and good at such nationalist chauvinism which often excludes Tibetans, rather than including them in the Chinese family.The Golden Sun Begins To Set China’s leaders themselves say chaos will occur if China’s growth rate drops to six per cent, because that rate is needed simply to absorb the surplus leaving poor farms each year seeking work in urban factories. There are many reasons to suppose China will be unable to maintain a growth rate which looks amazing, but is actually driven by state-financed investment in infrastructure, and is not shared much by the masses, whose ability to buy and consume has not risen at anything like the spectacular rate the usually quoted figures suggest. At the same time, workers are increasingly flouting the Communist Party’s Mass organ for keeping workers under control, the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, and go on strike, and win pay rises.China’s golden moment may be coming to an inevitable end, gradually maturing into a capitalist system in which the state does have to be more benevolent, becoming a genuinely kind parent actively taking care of everyone, not just their property developer cronies whose wealth comes from seizing peasant land for next to nothing, and making millions by building luxury hotels for the elite.Golden moments are just moments. This moment has lasted two decades, plenty of time for the rich to entrench their power. Yet a more inclusive China is emerging, and it may find itself able to include Tibet and the Tibetans, as they are, with their quite different Tibetan values, which don’t assume material wealth is the only path to steady inner contentment and equanimity.In all these shifts, Tibetans are far from passive observers waiting on the sidelines for history to shift in a more favourable direction. Inside Tibet, the slow work of taming Chinese minds continues, as ever, despite far greater obstacles since 2008. Tibetan protests in 1987 heralded the Tiananmen protests two years later. It is now clear that, no matter how repressively China tries to silence Tibetans, protests will continue, carefully calibrated to go right to the limit of a repressive machine’s boundaries, but without crossing that invisible line. The Rebkong mother tongue protests of 2010, if closely observed, show a skilful willingness to push back against a party-state that foolishly, in just one prefecture, dares to attempt to undo all the progress of decades, in gaining the mother tongue as medium of instruction, the medium of the curriculum and all the textbooks, and the language spoken by the teachers. Even the strongest state cannot prevail when faced with a strong society, and Tibetan society remains strong. When Gyalwa Rinpoche reminds us that the spirit of the Tibetans in Tibet remains strong, we should believe him.In exile, the Tibetan campaign of 2011 to push global hotel operators to live up to their stated human rights and local employment policies will also show the strength of a strong society to shape history. Such campaigns inside and outside Tibet help rein in the elite and their crony capitalism, their golden moment of primitive accumulation. The language campaign inside, the hotels campaign outside, are examples of helping history along, helping China make the transition from a fearful, suspicious elite seeking to monopolise wealth, to a more relaxed and inclusive China that is less obsessed with export markets, and more willing to share wealth throughout the population, as its capitalism with Chinese characteristics matures.The views expressed in this piece are that of the author and the publication of the piece on this website does not necessarily reflect their endorsement by the website. World’s Highest-Altitude InterContinental Hotel to Open in TibetSource: China Travel NewsInterContinental Hotels Group recently celebrated the ground-breaking of the InterContinental Resort Lhasa Paradise in Tibet, which will be the brand’s largest and highest-altitude hotel.Owned by the Chengdu Exhibition and Travel Group the scenic InterContinental Resort Lhasa Paradise will open in the first quarter of 2012. Situated in Lhasa’s newly developed business center and only a few kilometers away from the Potala Palace, the 2 000-room property will be the largest hotel in Tibet.According to Keith Barr, the managing director of IHG Greater China, this is an important milestone in IHG’s plans to expand in western China. He added that their co-operation with ETG is long-term and involves multiple brands and locations.Due to its unique location and expansive meeting facilities InterContinental Resort Lhasa Paradise is being positioned as a destination for both leisure travelers and for the meeting, incentive travel, conference, and exhibition market.InterContinental Hotel in Lhasa Helps Entrench OccupationSource: Chinese occupation, Tibetans’ right to the control of their land and resources are violated. InterContinental Hotels Group’s presence in Lhasa further entrenches China’s occupation.Projects like InterContinental Resort Lhasa are only feasible through connections to the Chinese Communist Party.The entrepreneur driving this project, Dèng Hóng , owner of Chengdu based Exhibition & Travel Group (ETG), told the Washington Post that he achieves everything through his connections to government officials. “My business depends on the government.”For the joint Jiuzhai Paradise International Resort and Convention Centre in Ngaba Autonomous Prefecture, eastern Tibet, he hired retired government officials and had to rely on government ties to win approval of the site, 100 square miles of land next to one of the last remaining wilderness areas.The sheer scale of the InterContinental Hotel resort in Lhasa—2,000 rooms—means occupancy rates will be dependent upon connections to the Chinese Communist Party which can direct conferences, work groups and official meetings to venues it prefers. According to independent academic Professor Andrew Fischer, growth in Tibet is “ethnically exclusionary.”In the Tibetan Autonomous Region, a massive injection of Chinese government subsidies of over 310 billion Yuan (approximately ?30 billion) has funded building and infrastructure programmes, doubling the economy in the first half of the decade.Despite Chinese government claims, this money has not in fact benefitted the Tibetan people. Contracts are mostly awarded to Chinese state-owned companies so that the income generated from projects in Tibet goes straight back into Chinese companies and Chinese pockets. The money goes into Tibet, but the money then goes straight back out before it can touch Tibetan lives.Contracts are used as a means of rewarding those close to the Chinese regime, giving them good reason not to criticize the regime as they continue to gain financially from the system.In interviews with Tibetans in Lhasa, some have expressed their concern that middle and higher positions will only be offered to those who show allegiance to the Chinese Communist Party.Others have expressed concern that the hotel developments are acting as an incentive for Chinese graduates to move to Tibet—a serious concern given that young Tibetans cannot compete for jobs on an equal footing.Western Hotels Invade ChinaBy Matthew Goodman, Feb 12, 2008The Chinese property and travel tycoon Dèng Hóng likes to leave his personal stamp on his ventures.Take his new InterContinental hotel in Chengdu, in the heart of China’s Sichuan province. Deng’s watercolors, the results of an earlier artistic career, adorn the walls. He designed the old-style teahouse on the hotel’s fifth floor, where guests can sip jasmine tea and savor dim sum. And parked outside the front entrance are a Lamborghini, a Bentley, a Maybach and a Rolls-Royce—from his personal collection of luxury cars.Ten days ago, amid indoor fireworks and displays by dancing girls, hundreds of guests tucked into catfish stew, double-boiled shark’s fin and other local specialties at a 12-course banquet to mark the opening of the 560-room hotel, part of a huge new leisure and residential development.The appetite for new hotels in China is in keeping with the country’s rapid economic development and urbanization. IHG, the British company behind InterContinental and Holiday Inn, expects to open a new hotel there every week this year, for example, and the country has become a key battleground for all its main rivals.The expansion is not confined to the main urban hubs of Shanghai and Beijing, but is also happening in second-tier cities, such as Chengdu.Deng, who controls and chairs the Chengdu Exhibition & Travel Group (CET), is laying the groundwork for what he expects to be a big influx of overseas visitors to a city that boasts a population of 10m.“I am confident that a lot of international visitors will come to Chengdu,” he said. “If they aren’t here today, they will be here tomorrow or the day after. Hotel development is a strong, long-term investment.”CET is building two Holiday Inns and a Crowne Plaza close by, flats to house 50 000 people are awaiting their new residents and, at the gala dinner, Deng promised guests that he would build an opera house and museum.In all, about 10 000 star-rated hotels are expected to be built in the country by 2015, according to the China National Tourism Administration. It said that the number of five-star properties is likely to rise to 500 from about 360 today.The growth is being fuelled by a huge investment in transport infrastructure that will lead to the government building 97 new airports in the next 12 years.IHG, which also owns the Crowne Plaza chain, has more hotels in China than any other overseas operator, and continues to lead the growth charge.The region is already the company’s third-biggest market by number of hotels, behind America and Britain; but it will quickly move up the pecking order. Andrew Cosslett, IHG’s chief executive, who was in Chengdu for the gala opening, said: “China will be our second-biggest market within three or four years. It took us 23 years to get to 81 hotels there. We’ll open 50 this year.”Critics argue that this is expansion for its own sake. They claim IHG is planting flags to build a network across the region but that many of its new hotels will be loss-leaders.This is denied by Cosslett, who said: “China provides a significant revenue stream for IHG. The business model is focused on management contracts. We do not have to invest our capital in developing and building the hotels themselves; this is done by our third-party owners, so we make money from day one when we open a hotel in the country.”IHG is not alone in harboring big expansion plans for the country. Starwood, owner of brands that include Sheraton, Westin and Le Meridien, plans to open 29 hotels over the next two years, while Hilton is aiming to open 33 sites, including 25 of its Hilton Garden Inn brand.In almost every case, the western chains are in the business of operating hotels in China rather than owning them. Management contracts involve supplying a hotel with a general manager and, in some cases, other senior personnel such as somebody to run the front desk. The operating company will take a percentage of the hotel’s total revenue and a cut of the profits.In exchange, the site’s owner benefits from having a well-known brand above the door and from being part of the chain’s “system”—the central-reservations service, the loyalty scheme, and so on.The game, then, for operators is to secure as wide a distribution for their brand as possible, to create scale.IHG’s success in establishing such a foothold in China was aided in no small part by being the first western chain to have a presence in the country. The Holiday Inn Beijing Lido opened in 1984, so many Chinese became familiar with the brand and the way the company behind it operated. “It gave us a good platform,” said Edmond Ip, chief operating officer for IHG in China.He argues that later, when the market began to open up and Chinese government officials encouraged domestic property developers to build hotels, landowners were often encouraged to talk to IHG.More recently, many other international chains have entered the market. Accor, the French group behind Ibis and Sofitel, has the biggest presence after IHG, and is followed by several American players, including Starwood, Marriott, Hyatt and Hilton.The competition among them is tough. “If it’s a prominent project, there is a lot of competition to get the site,” said Stephen Ho, senior vice-president for acquisitions and development in Asia for Starwood.One of the biggest problems for western operators is not securing the locations, but finding the staff to work in completed hotels. The general manager at one branded hotel described the situation as “war,” and said demand had taken its toll on costs, with wage inflation on the rise. One hotelier suggested pay rates could climb 6% or 7% this year.Operators are having to go to ever greater extremes to attract staff. IHG and Hilton have both aligned themselves with local universities to produce bespoke, hospitality-related courses to ensure they get a crop of suitable talent.Both companies think this is a policy that will yield great rewards in the longer term. As the number of Chinese travelling internationally increases, the big hotel chains recognize they will need Mandarin speakers and Chinese staff at their properties around the world to cater for this market.In the meantime, most of the western operators find they are having to tweak their brands to make them more acceptable to the local market.Some of the differences are minor. Holiday Inn Express hotels in China have ditched the cinnamon rolls American guests might be accustomed to eating for breakfast in favor of “congee,” a Chinese porridge-like dish. Crowne Plaza offers a “pillow menu” with a bewildering array of stuffings—wheat cereal, lavender and chrysanthemum are among those on offer—to help guests sleep.Chinese hotels also offer far more private-dining space than would be normal in their western counterparts, often replete with mahjong tables and other amenities.James Dai, director of the Shanghai Wai Gao Qiao Keep-grand Hotel Co, owner of a number of hotels in China, said it was vital for international groups to have a “combined western and eastern culture” if they are to succeed.It is a formula that is already proving successful, and with franchising about to take off in the hotel sector, foreign executives such as Cosslett, who visits the country three or four times a year, will have to get used to many more lavish opening parties.Source: Times OnlineThe Gemini of the South: World’s Biggest Standalone ComplexSource: Go ChengdooURL for more Pictures and architect blueprints!Chengdu’s Exhibition and Travel Group (ETG/会展旅游集团) announced plans to build the “world’s largest standalone structure,” to be unveiled next year.The complex will be built adjacent to ETG’s Century City and will house commercial offices, shopping centers, cultural and tourism venues, and leisure and entertainment complexes and feature design by renowned Iraqi architect Zaha Hadid.With 1 500 000 m2 of floor plans—more than that of the world’s tallest building, the Burj Khalifa in Dubai—the structure will comprise three elements: the New Century City World Center, the Central Plaza, and the New Century Contemporary Art Center.Within will be two 1 000-room five-star hotels and 300 000 m2 of shopping centers encompassing an ice-skating rink, a luxury IMAX theater, game arcades, and a 20 000-capacity marine park with 400 m of “coastline” and 5 000 m2 of “beach” replete with a “coastal town,” a fisherman’s wharf, and hot springs.The oceanic getaway for landlocked Chengdu residents doesn’t end there. The complex will be designed with a Mediterranean, seaside theme: The pathway leading up the Central Square will be lined with 44 fountains, at the end of which visitors will be greeted by a 150-meter-diameter musical water fountain spraying water up to 60 meter high. With its precise controls, LED underwater lights, and digital technology, ETG executive president Liu Yang hopes that the fountain will compare with those in Dubai, Macau, and Las Vegas.The Hadid-designed Contemporary Art Center is projected to be the largest and most comprehensive arts and cultural center in West China, with a 30 000 m2 museum of contemporary art, a 12 000 m2 exhibition hall, and an 1 800-seat grand theatre.The Exhibition and Travel Group is one of West China’s largest property developers. Its projects include seven four- and five-star hotels, commercial property districts, both the Shawan International and the Century City New Convention and Exhibition Centers in Chengdu, and the Jiuzhai Paradise International Resort and Convention Center in Jiuzhaigou.The project is slated for completion in 2012.At that time, it will join its twin, the Century City Conference and Exhibition Center, and the landmark will be dubbed “the Gemini of the South.”Other buildings designed by Zaha Hadid: SYMBOL 183 \f "Symbol" \s 14 \h Dongdaemun Design Plaza & Park, Seoul SYMBOL 183 \f "Symbol" \s 14 \h The Burnham Plan Centennial Chicago: Eco-Pavilion SYMBOL 183 \f "Symbol" \s 14 \h Video:The Stone Towers SYMBOL 183 \f "Symbol" \s 14 \h The Dubai Opera House SYMBOL 183 \f "Symbol" \s 14 \h Saadiyat Island: Island of Happiness Educational, Cultural and Tourism Center in Abu Dhabi SYMBOL 183 \f "Symbol" \s 14 \h The King Abudullah Petroleum Studies and Research CenterHYPERLINK ""Students for a Free Tibet UKOccupation is no HolidayPosted May 27, 2011 We are opposing the building of a new hotel in Lhasa; a project which will sideline Tibetans and help the Chinese state to assert their control over the Tibetan people and their national identity.SFT and Free Tibet gave a letter to shareholders of the UK company Intercontinental Hotels Group in London on May 27th, calling on them to abandon the project.Students for a Free Tibet and Free Tibet are concerned about the Lhasa hotel project and its impact on the local Tibetan population. Intercontinental Hotels Group has a commitment to undertake an assessment of the social impact of the project, but tight controls on what Tibetans can say and do in Lhasa, coupled with the fear and self-censorship which exists in Tibet makes it difficult for any such assessment to be carried out effectively, if at all. Intercontinental Hotels Group cannot know whether Tibetans approve of the building of this significant new hotel in their capital.— Tibet is being flooded with both Chinese businesses and language (photo: Jim McGill) but also with troopsTibetans who applied for jobs on the hotel site have reported being concerned about the fact that most of these jobs are going to Chinese immigrants rather than local people, and that Tibetans who have been employed on the project are being paid less than Chinese immigrants for the same jobs. Furthermore, since management positions at the resort are likely to require fluency in Mandarin Chinese, Tibetans will be at a major disadvantage, It is Chinese government policy to educate Tibetans in Mandarin from age 13, where they must compete with native Mandarin speakers. Inevitably, this leads to many Tibetans failing to secure higher education places, and when Mandarin proficiency is a requirement of well paid jobs, their employment opportunities suffer another setback.The other major concern is that for any business venture like the Lhasa hotel to be successful in China, connections with the Chinese Communist Party are essential. Intercontinental are working with Chinese businessman Dèng Hóng on this project. He is the owner of Exhibition and Travel Group, and has openly stated that he maintains good relations with the CCP to secure such projects. So by taking part in this project, Intercontinental Hotels Group are complicit in the Chinese occupation of Tibet; an occupation in which Tibetans are denied basic human rights and freedoms in their own land, where they are discriminated against in education and employment, where their religion and culture is brutally repressed, their unique environment destroyed and Tibetans who take part in non-violent protests against the Chinese state imprisoned, torture or killed. By pursuing this project now, Intercontinental Hotels Group is legitimizing China’s occupation of Tibet and contributing to the oppression of the Tibetan people. But it isn’t too late for them to change their minds.— The typical scene in militarized Lhasa and Tibetans protest in 2008.SFT and Free Tibet are calling on Intercontinental Hotels Group to deliver on their social responsibilities and consider the opinions of the Tibetan people on this matter. Hotel companies have pulled out of Tibet for these reasons before, such as the Holiday Inn in 1997. Moves like this send a firm message to the Chinese government; that if it wants foreign companies to invest in Tibet, it must respect the rights and wishes of the Tibetan people.— Tibetan Students demand language rights in 2010 and troops in Ngaba during current tensions in 2011On May 27, SFT and Free Tibet attended a meeting of Intercontinental Hotels Group shareholders and gave them leaflets about the true situation in Tibet today. We asked them to pull out of Tibet, ensuring both the integrity of the company and that no Tibetans would be exploited due to their actions. We hope that Intercontinental will make the right decision and pull out of Tibet.Text Of The Letter Handed to Shareholders:27 May 2011We represent a network of tens of thousands of Tibetans and their supporters from across the globe who are concerned about the planned construction and opening of the 2 000 room InterContinental Resort Lhasa, in partnership with Sichuan entrepreneur Dèng Hóng ‘s company, Exhibition & Travel Group.The presence of InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG) legitimizes China’s occupation of Tibet and sends a misleading message to the world that the situation in Tibet is ‘normal’.The attraction of the hotel will be the destination itself—Tibet. The ‘product’ is Tibetan culture, identity, religion and environment—none of which Tibetans themselves control.WE ARE HERE TODAY TO URGE YOU TO WITHDRAW FROM YOUR AGREEMENT TO OPERATE THE HOTEL, CURRENTLY UNDER CONSTRUCTION AND SCHEDULED TO OPEN IN 2012.TIBET: OCCUPATION IS NO HOLIDAYFar from being normal, the situation in Tibet is, in the words of the Dalai Lama, “hell on earth”: outward signs of a thriving religion such as monasteries, nuns, monks give the illusion of freedom of religion (but conceal strict government control); according to the United Nations, torture is widespread and routine in Tibet; Tibetans can be charged and face lengthy prison sentences for so-called acts of ‘splittism’, undefined in law, but which have included acts as simple as flying the banned Tibetan flag.Under Chinese occupation Tibetans are denied the internationally recognized right to determine the use of their own land and resources. Since 1999, the Chinese government has supported the large-scale migration of Chinese settlers into Tibet; billions of Yuan have been pumped into the country to build infrastructure programmes, doubling the economy in the first half of the last decade. But contracts are mostly awarded to Chinese state-owned companies or to those close to the regime, giving them good reason not to criticize as they gain financially from the system that privileges some while exploiting the basic human rights of others. In an interview with The Washington Post, Dèng Hóng said “My business depends on the government.” Money goes into Tibet, but most of the money goes straight back out before it can touch Tibetan lives.If InterContinental Resort Lhasa is completed it will further entrench China’s occupation of Tibet.Tourism in Tibet—like in any conflict situation—threatens the reputation of investors.IHG’s own corporate responsibility commitments are virtually impossible to implement or monitor in Tibet. IHG’s presence in Tibet would violate the organization’s principle of ‘do no harm’. Given that “most Tibetans are too frightened to voice any criticism of China openly” (the words of the BBC’s Beijing Correspondent on his last visit to Lhasa), how will IHG be able to carry out, for example, a social impact assessment? How will it be able to speak to local leaders to identify and resolve rights issues when the very people IHG should be speaking to are not free to express their opinions?In 1997, the Holiday Inn, now part of InterContinental Hotel Group, pulled out of Lhasa after facing an intense campaign from Tibetan rights organizationsStudents for a Free Tibet:Free Tibet:SFT UK is run by volunteers who use our own resources. You can help us grow by becoming an SFT UK Guardian for a political prisoner of your choice and help us campaign not just now but all year, every year until Tibet is free.The more people who join, the more prisoners we can campaign for!Chengdu Motor Show Cooperation Agreement Signing Ceremony2008年07月11日 No author listed (source: hmf-) On the afternoon of July 10, Hannover Fairs China Ltd and Exhibition & Travel Group (ETG) officially signed the cooperative project of Chengdu Motor Show (CDMS) at Shu Feng Room of Pride International Convention Center, Century City Chengdu. Mr. Deng Gongli, Vice Secretary General of Chengdu Municipality and Deputy Director General of CDMS Organizing Committee; Mr. Wu Jian, Director of Chengdu Exhibition Office; Mr. Dèng Hóng , Chairman of ETG; Mr. Li Yong, Vice President of ETG; Mr. Wolfgang Lenarz, Senior Vice President of Deutsche Messe; and Mr. James Fu, General Manager of Hannover Fairs China Ltd. attended the ceremony. Hanover Fairs China (left), ETG (right) Mr. Wolfgang Lenarz, Senior VP of Deutsche MesseChengdu Motor Show, the most important professional motor exhibition in West China, has been successfully held 10 years since its launch. Hannover Fairs China joined hands with ETG to co-organize the show from the year of 2006. The facts prove that the successful cooperation is generating CDMS to a higher level. CDMS 2008, staged in this September, will further expand with the exhibition area reaching 90 000 m2. Numerous world famous auto brands will get together as exhibitors. The show will accommodate more than 160 exhibitors with visitors expected to exceed 300 000.Mr. Lenarz noted in the ceremony, “Looking back on the collaboration between us during the past three years, it has always been a smooth and win-win one. We all witnessed the achievement of Chengdu Motor Show which has grown into the motor show boasting largest scale and influence in West China. The exhibition receives the recognition and praise from all circles of government, associations, exhibitors, media and visitors.” He added, Chengdu Motor Show will keep growing year by year and Chengdu remains an ideal host city for exhibition.Maldivian VP Returns Following Trip to ChinaSource: Vice President Dr Mohamed Waheed has yesterday [24 October] returned from Chengdu City, China after attending the 12th Western China International Fair (WCIF). The Vice President was accompanied by Madam Ilham Hussain.The Vice President inaugurated the 12th Western China International Fair, as part of his visit to China. The WCIF is a fair organized by the Sichuan Provincial Government of China, with the purpose of attracting investors from abroad as well as showcasing Chinese exports.During his visit, the Vice President met with Deputy Speaker of Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, State Leader Wang Zhaoguo. During discussions held in this visit the Vice President highlighted on increasing the number of opportunities for Maldivian students to study in China. The Vice President further discussed on harnessing China’s position as a leader in renewable energy, and achieving carbon neutrality in the Maldives.The Vice President also met with the Chairman of China’s Exhibition and Travel Group (ETG). ETG is currently in discussions with the government of Maldives to develop a mega-tourist project in Huvadhu Atoll.The Vice President also met with the Governor of Sichuan Province Jiang Jufeng. At this meeting the Governor thanked the Vice President for assistance given by the Maldives to Sichuan Province during the earthquake of 2008. The Vice President held discussions with regard to improving relations between the two countries.The Vice President addressed the Sichuan Province University during his visit to China.Source: Paradise Atolls Project2011-10-22 (Source: .mv)“Maldives Paradise Atolls Project is aimed to develop the residential area and infrastructure of Huvadhu Atoll for the betterment of its 35,000 residents,” says Special Envoy to the President Ibrahim Hussain Zaki.38011102286000The Special Envoy made this statement during a call with the Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and Vice President of Chinese Association for International Understanding (CAFIU) Li Jinhua.The meeting was held following the exchange of a Strategic Framework of Cooperation between the government of the Republic of Maldives and Chengdu Century City New International Convention and Exhibition Centre Co. which endeavors to implement the Maldives Paradise Atolls Project.The Special Envoy expressed gratitude to Li Jinhua and the Chinese government for their contributions towards the development of Maldivian socio-economy. In addition, the Special Envoy stated that objectives of the Maldives Paradise Atolls Project are to establish a world class centre for tourism alongside real estate development of the residential area and associated infrastructure of Huvadhu Atoll.Further the Special Envoy underscored on advances made on promotion of mutual understandings between the countries through exchange of the Strategic Framework of Cooperation.Li Jinhua reiterated that the Chinese government hopes to further consolidate its engagement in the development of the Maldivian socio-economy as well as the well-being of its people. He further enlightened the Special Envoy on preparations underway for development of the Maldives Paradise Atolls Development Project.Maldivian Atolls From The Sky on June 23, 2011 It’s often been described as pearls iridescent on the Indian Ocean, and one glimpse from the archipelago’s renown Maldivian air taxi, clearly and easily illustrates this awe-inspiring image. Breathtakingly beautiful, the Maldives are the true definition of a tropical paradise, with few other places on Earth able to closely compete. It is a diamond in the rough. With literally hundreds of resorts and retreats laid out longitudinally across the equatorial indian ocean, it seems you’ll never have a shortage of your own slice of paradise.Vihamanafushi island, North Malé AtollView of the Maldivian capital, MaléThe Maldives are in political upheaval. Why do we care?By Emily Alpert in Los Angeles, February 10, 2012 (Source: latimesblogs.)Google “Maldives” and you’ll get glimpses of impossibly blue seas and gorgeous white beaches. The string of islands is best known as a tourist paradise. It has fewer people than the city of Anaheim.Now Maldives is making headlines for political upheaval; the president says he was forced to resign at gunpoint in a de facto coup d’etat. Why should we care about this tiny chain of islands?Photo: An antigovernment protester throws back a tear gas canister in the Maldives’ capital, Male, on Wednesday. Several thousand supporters of former President Mohamed Nasheed clashed with police and troops a day after his resignation. Credit: Ishara S. Kodikara / Agence France-PresseThough the Maldives is tiny, it is located in a prime spot in the Indian Ocean. Ships carrying billions of dollars of oil pass on their way to China and the rest of Asia. That has made the Maldives a closely watched spot for Asian rivals China and India.“Depending on who would be in charge, there could be possible disruptions of commerce and transit,” said Karl Inderfurth, who was U.S. assistant secretary of State for South Asian affairs from 1997 to 2001.Some in India fear that the Chinese will use a “string of pearls” strategy to establish bases in the Maldives archipelago, giving them more strategic and economic power over India. China, in turn, wants to make sure that India can’t interfere with its supply chain if the two nations clash in the future.The ouster of the Maldives’ president, Mohamed Nasheed, could open the door for China to make a play for more influence there. Last year, Nasheed called India a “friend” and told journalists that “there is not enough room in the Indian Ocean for other nontraditional friends.” Now that he’s out, that could change.India has also fretted that the Maldives could become a stomping ground for Islamic extremists. Terrorists bombed a popular tourist destination five years ago, which led to the arrests of about 50 extremists, according to Maldives researcher Ahmed Niyaz.The islands are dispersed and difficult to govern, which raises concerns that radical groups could use them for training or even as a staging area for an attack on India, said Richard Ellings, president of the Seattle-based National Bureau of Asian Research. Depending on who leads the country, that could become more or less of a threat.Drug trafficking is another worry for India. “No one would want to see the Maldives become major players in the drug trafficking that goes through the region,” Inderfurth said.All of those things make the Maldives important to India. Things that are important to India, in turn, are important to the United States, Ellings said. India is a democracy with a booming economy in a region that is often not so welcoming to the West. It cooperates with the U.S. on nuclear issues.Beyond the geopolitical wrangling, the Maldivian crisis could also be a blow to democracy if Nasheed was forced out of office by the military, as he now claims. The country became a democracy only four years ago after decades of autocracy. A novelist once dubbed it “a beach dictatorship.”The toppling of Nasheed could be seen as part of “the ongoing disillusionment with democracy,” said Don Emmerson, director of the Southeast Asia Forum at Stanford University. Decades ago, it seemed like the world was heading inevitably toward democracy, but now “it’s clear there are second thoughts,” he said.Related:Maldives: Paradise threatened?Maldives president resigns after weeks of protestsArrest warrant issued for former president of MaldivesChina’s Hawaii to Face Hotel Slump as Supply TriplesBy Qilai Shen, Bloomberg News, Apr 6, 2012 (Source: )China’s resort city of Sanya is expected to face a “huge correction” in its hotel market in the next two years as the supply of luxury accommodation triples by early 2013, the head of its tourism association said.The average hotel occupancy rate in Sanya, located on the tropical island known as China’s Hawaii, will drop about 10 % from last year’s 65 to 70 %, Michel Goget, Ritz-Carlton Sanya’s general manager and chairman of the city’s Tourism Association, said in an interview yesterday.“There’s going to be a huge correction between now and 2014 because there’s an oversupply,” said Goget, citing new additions by international chains in the city. “The demand is still not there. And the airport is almost saturated, so we are going to be all looking for the same business.”The number of luxury hotel rooms will reach 21 000 in early 2013, he said, compared with 7 000 last year. China unveiled a plan in December 2009 to develop the southern Hainan province, where Sanya is the second-largest city, into an international tourism destination.St. Regis Sanya and MGM Grand Sanya opened in December last year, adding a total of 1 384 rooms to the city’s hotel market, which will have an additional 14 000 rooms by 2015, according to Horwath Asia Pacific, which tracks the hospitality industry.Hotel chains such as Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. and Marriott International Inc. already have properties lined along Yalong Bay with private beach access in a location with a similar climate as Hawaii and Miami.The island’s tropical weather has drawn travelers with an average winter temperature of 19.2℃ (66.6℉), compared with cities such as the capital Beijing, which falls below the freezing point.Hainan also hosts the Boao Forum for Asia, a gathering of government and business leaders modeled after the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. It’s also home to Hainan Airlines Co., backed by billionaire George Soros.Ritz-Carlton is optimistic about longer-term prospects in Sanya and the outlook for its business in China. The Ritz-Carlton Sanya, opened about four years ago, is the brand’s most profitable hotel worldwide, Victor Clavell, Hong Kong-based vice president for the chain in the Asia-Pacific region, said in an interview in November.In the next decade, China will account for 25 % of hotels managed by Ritz-Carlton, the brand owned by Bethesda, Maryland-based Marriott, up from 10 % last year, he said.The number of internationally branded hotel rooms is expected to surge 52 percent by 2013 after rising 62 % in the past five years, according to Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels, which tracks data in 30 Chinese cities.“We have 300 million people in China, the size of America or Europe basically, that have the ability to buy for themselves a nice weekend,” Goget said. “People come to Sanya today at the Ritz-Carlton like they’re buying a Louis Vuitton bag. They’re spending like $400 or $500 to spend a night in here and then go back to Shanghai or Beijing to be able to have bragging rights.”Bloomberg contacts: Bonnie Cao (Shanghai): bcao4@; Stephen Engle (Beijing): sengle1@Editor responsible for this story: Andreea Papuc at apapuc1@Appendix 1: China-FSM Aid & Development Projects, wp-content/uploads/2011/12/ChinaPowerPlayMicronesia.pdfThis document is a shortened and corrected verson of the information posted on web site , documenting a partial timeline of various Chinese foreign aid and development projects directed towards the Federated States of Micronesia, from year 2000 up to the 2011 announcement of the Chinese interest, via ETG, in turning Yap into a new and improved “Macau Gambling and Golf Resort for wealthy Chinese” and Ethnic Zoo.Please note: In the original document, the hyperlinks to Kaselehlie Press are invalid (missing hyphen). Adding the numbers given in the source documents (but omitting the value of several large ships, a new Pohnpei administration building, writing off huge loans, and personal residences built for the President, Vice President, Speaker and Chief Justice in Pohnpei) for the years 2000 through 2011, adds up to the rather respectable sum of US$ 176,276,000 ($0.176 billion) in cash advances. Very nice!Begin Partial Timeline:March 2000 (): 600 ton ship; a firm commitment to build another ship for the FSM later; another $150,000 in further economic grants.March 2002 (): $5 million; FSM-China Friendship Sports Center stadium in Pohnpei (ground broke in 1999).August 2002 (): $30,000; tropical storm relief for Chuuk.January 2004 (): Memorandum of fisheries cooperation; Chinese expressed interest in “expanding its fishing fleet in the Pacific subject to existing regional arrangements..”January 2004 (): $1.8 million; economic and technical projects; visiting Chinese Government delegation, headed by He Yafei, Director-General of the Department of American and Oceania Affairs under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.April 2004 (): $4.8 million; economic and technical cooperation; FSM President Urusemal visits Chinese President Hu Jintao.2004 (): M/S Chief Mailo; passenger cargo vessel for Chuuk.March 2005 (): $300,000; vehicles for the Department of Foreign Affairs for Protocol.September 2005 (): $3.75 million; “Agreement on Economic and Technical Cooperation” announced during a working visit to China.April 2006 (): $2.5 million; grant assistance and assessment for Pohnpei State Administrative Building; will be the largest structure in the FSM; courtesy meetings in China with national Fishery Corp, Civil Aviation Bureau, Export-Import Bank.April 2006 (): Chinese announce plans to forgive debts of Pacific Nations including Micronesia.May 2006 (): $2 million; loan for Kosrae High School Project; FSM President Urusemal speaks at Bo’ao Forum for Asia 2006 in Hainan Province; meeting Premier Wen Jiabao in Beijing; Urusemal describes opportunity “window being accessing the U.S. markets through the Federated States of Micronesia as provided under our Compact...”; received by Premier Wen at the Great Hall of the People followed by a banquet in honor of President Urusemal.August 2006 (): $1 million; economic and technical cooperation; Minister Li Zhaoxing of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs visits FSM.September 2006 (): Personal residences for President, Vice President, Speaker and Chief Justice in Pohnpei; Jiangsu Construction and Engineering Company.May 2007 (): FSM Government opens embassy in China.July 2007 (): $4 million; $3.5 million to bail out Chuuk State Government.November 2007: Pohnpei State Admin Building Project ground breaking.December 2007 (): ($ undisclosed) FSM President Emanuel Mori visits President Hu Jintoa, His Excellence Wen Jiabao; visit to Shenzhen City, Zhejiang Province, Shanghai; FSM delegation includes Foreign Affairs officials, Legislative leaders; National Legislature.December 2007 (Kaselehlie Press): Vice Speaker Resio Moses reports participants each received an envelope from the Chinese Government containing thousands of dollars and implied that the money was a bribe).January 2008 (): $550,000; grant to construct Embassy Compound in Beijing.January 2008 () $4.1 million; $1 million for FSM Trust Fund and $3.1 for other projects (See also ) and this article in Kaselehlie Press).May 2008 (Kaselehlie Press): Biogas pilot projects for Pohnpei and Chuuk; experts visit proposed sites.June 2008 (Kaselehlie Press): FSM government report names China as second largest aid donor in 2007.June 2008 (Kashelelie Press): $80 million; planned fish processing facility in Pohnpei; follows Governor’s visit to China.July 2008 (Wikileaks): China extended a concession loan offer to rebuild oil storage tanks throughout the FSM; Ambassador Liu said she believed the offer remained on the table for approximately $15 million.July 2008 (Wikileaks): Ambassador Liu confirmed that China has offered a concession loan in the amount of $9 million for the purchase of two Harbin Y-12 airplanes, which would enable the FSM to start a new intra-island air company, through preferential loan; existing Caroline Islands Air shuts down.August 2008 (): $36,000; expenses for support and survey engineering team for stranded M/S Chief Mailo in Chuuk.September 2008 (Wikileaks): FSM President floating plans for “foreign” loan for nationwide submarine internet cables, shut down of local airline to be replace with new government carrier flying Chinese planes; hiring of a foreign company to manage FSM airspace (replacing the US FAA).December 2008 (): $2 million; team of medical doctors for two-year stay on Chuuk (See also this Wikileaks cable!).December 2008 (Wikileaks): $1.1 million; follows high tide disaster declaration.December 2008 (Wikileaks): China announced it will bid major U.S. Compact funded infrastructure projects in the FSM; in many cases China may be the sole or the most competitive bidder; By drawing upon Chinese workers who are already based in country, Ambassador Liu opined that China was likely to be the most competitive bidder, particularly on a USD $30 million Chuuk road repair project.December 2008 (Wikileaks): China wins a U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Airport Improvement Project (AIP) USD $5 million contract to construct buildings to shelter two airport rescue and fire fighting vehicles that the FAA had donated. (Note: The FAA advised the Embassy that China was the sole bidder on this project in a formidable environment that is not attractive to competitors).December 2008 (Wikileaks): Chief Police of Pohnpei State in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM) described to Ambassador a ten-day trip that China recently sponsored for the national police chief and corresponding police chiefs from the four FSM states, along with their wives. Each couple received an envelope with USD $1,000 cash upon arrival in Nanjing, he said.January 2009 (Wikileaks): Proposed fish processing plants in Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei and Kosrae; soft loans offered to state governments for plants and other shore-based infrastructure; consolidate contract sent to FSM National President.January 2009 (Wikileaks): training of eight sailors manning FSM National Patrol Vessels in China.March 2009 (): Scholarship program for college students from FSM to attend universities in China; 14 scholarships awarded for 2009, additional 38 students already studying in China.March 2009 (Wikileaks): Biogas project in Pohnpei; technicians sent from, and trip for Pohnepeans to, China; Amb Liu is arranging visit of the Governor and state legislators to tour a hydroelectric facility in south China on the Yangtze River, with a view to initiating a hydroelectric power project in Kitti, Pohnpei.April 2009 (Wikileaks): Chinese funds political trips and offers far-ranging concession loans to buy former Mobil Petroleum facilities and sites from FSM Government during Mobile’s divestiture; proposed “entangling” terms in exchange for low interest loans.May 2009 (): FSM Diplomats meet with Mr. Lin Zuoping, Deputy Secretary General of the China Education Association for International Exchange.June 2009 (): 46 trainings of FSM National officials at Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation in Beijing; additional FSM officials trained in Food Safety Inspection Technology for Developing Countries, Marine Organism Culture Technology and Trade & Investment.July 2009 (): FSM Vice President Alik Alik visit China, China’s top political advisor, Mr. Jia Qinglin, Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), China’s top political advisory body.September 2009 (Wikileaks): Luen Thai, a quasi-state company of China within Tan Holdings, is currently negotiating for fishing rights and fish processing facilities in all four FSM states. The potential deal would in effect lock in a Tan vertical monopoly to include fishing, fish processing, transshipment, marketing and sales; deal depends upon FSMNG acceptance of a loan from China’s Export-Import Bank that reportedly now exceeds $25 million. The FSMNG would use these funds to refurbish processing plants and purchase 11 ships, three of which could be super long liners for frozen fish transshipment. The sale of airplanes from China is also allegedly part of the proposal; Luen Thai has offered to guarantee repayment of the loan from China based upon its profits from this commercial venture.September 2009 (Wikileaks): US Amb reports “China has blanketed the FSM at every level with all-expense paid trips that include daily emoluments. National leaders clearly enjoy lavish multiple-city tours. Municipal leaders, clan chieftans, students, and local police have in many cases accepted repeated trips. A traditional leader of Netts municipality in Pohnpei, where the new U.S. Embassy is located, told the Ambassador during a farewell call that he and his wife each received $1,500 when they arrived in Beijing, with supplemental cash for when they arrived in Beijing, with supplemental cash for shopping every day. At a certain point, he said the Chinese hosts asked to separate the men from their wives.”September 2009 (Wikileaks): In Kosrae, US Ambassador found that employees of Luen Thai company were living in a house owned by Vice President Alik Alik, who has publicly supported China’s repression of the Uighurs. Kosrae’s Director of Education, an American who has resided in the FSM for 17 years, commented, “For the first time, I am truly concerned about Chinese intentions..”November 2009 (): FSM VP visits China; celebration of 20 years of Sino-FSM relations; tours Great Wall at Badaling of China and the Forbidden City; addresses Chinese Government Officials, the Diplomatic Corp, Foreign Investors, Friends of the FSM in China.December 2009 (): Secretary of the FSM Dept. of Transportation, Communications & Infrastructure, visits the Province of Jiangzu in Nanjing, People’s Republic of China; meets with company that was awarded the construction of the Chuuk airport’s Aircraft Rescue & Fire Fighting (ARFF) Facility; additional US $2 million provide to speed up project.January 2010 (): $2.1 million for repair of cargo passenger vessel M/S Chief Mailo in Chuuk.January 2010 (): rehabilitation of generators at the Nan Pil Hydro Electric Plant in Pohnpei; unique contract with the Universal Power Alliance Company (UPAC), Limited (Beijing).April 2010 (): Chinese Special Envoy for the China-Pacific Islands Forum Dialogue, H.E. Du Qiwen visits FSM President Mori in Palikir.April 2010 (): FSM Diplomats attend Environmental Tech conference in Beijing.May 2010 (): FSM President Mori’s meets with President Hu Jintao, at the opening ceremony of the Shanghai World Expo.June 2010 (): $3.1 million for Technical and Economic Cooperation.June 2010 (): final $260,000 for 2008 Kosrae High School project.June 2010 (): Commitment to pay for ongoing maintenance of Yap Vessel (M/V Hapilmohol 1); donated by the People’s Republic of China; committed to training crew members.July 2010 (): $1 million; FSM trust Fund.July 2010 (): Delegation from Guangdong Province visits Chuuk and Pohnpei; Memorandum of Understanding had been signed between Chuuk and Guangdong Province.July 2010 (): FSM Diplomats meet with China Education Association for International Exchange (CEAIE) to discuss plans for the College of Micronesia.August 2010 (): FSM President Mori discusses need for connection of all States to the submarine fiber-optic cable for internet accessibility, to upgrade the country’s sports facilities for the upcoming Micronesian Games being held in Pohnpei in 2014. Kai confirmed China’s willingness to provide additional assistance in these areas and welcomed FSM’s submission of concrete project requests.September 2010 (): FSM Congress urged the President of the FSM to restrict access to the Exclusive Economic Zone of the FSM, and to bid out fishing rights on an exclusive basis to one foreign country (China).November 2010 (): FSM Tourism Officials to attend China Travel Mart in Shanghai.November 2010 (Wikileaks): Secretary Christian advocates for Chinese flights to the FSM to bypass U.S. border controls by flying through the Philippines. In June, Christian signed a memorandum of understanding with China that establishes the FSM as an official tourist destination for Chinese citizens.November 2010 (Wikileaks): Negotiations in progress for Luen Thai to open a large ‘super frozen’ fish processing plant in Kosrae; contract is contingent upon a package deal in which Kosrae would have to accept a $3 million loan from China in order to upgrade an existing fish plant.January 2011 (): Micronesia-China Friendship Association (MCFA) established in Pohnpei.February 2011 (): FSM Speaker met with Director General Xie Fen of the North America and Oceania Affairs in China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing; expressed his appreciation for the two passenger cargo vessels along with the many infrastructure projects and technical assistance; registered his deep satisfaction towards the Chinese scholarship program extended to FSM students; Fisheries is among the areas of cooperation suggested by Speaker Figir.Feb 2011 (Kaselehlie Press): $1.5 million; unspecified (later agreed to purchase a Y-12 airplane and for upgrading and maintenance of the airfields in the outer islands).July 2011 (Kaselehlie Press): $3.1 million; economic and technical cooperation.August 2011 (): $3.1 million; unspecified.August 2011 (Kaselehlie Press): Alternative energy systems in Pohnpei; trainees from Pohnpei travel to China to train on the installation, use, and maintenance of biogas systems.October 2011 (Kaselehlie Press): Huge tourism development plan for Yap; 8-10 hotels; concurrent infrastructure projects for road, airport and port facilities. Appendix 2: U.S. & FSM Compact Contact InformationUnited States Department of the Interior, Office of Insular Affairs 1849 C Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20240 tel: 202.208.6816; fax: 202.501.7759Nikolao Pula, Director, 202.208.4736Thomas Bussanich, Director, Budget and Grants Management, 202.208.6971Tiffany Taylor, Budget Analyst, Budget and Grants Management, 202.208.6971United States Department of the Interior 733 Bishop Street Suite 2530 Honolulu, HI 96813 tel: 808.525.5088; fax: 808.525.5399Stephen Savage:steve@Gerald Shea:geraldshea@Joann Morris:joann@Roylinne Wada:roylinne@Tim Donahue:tim@FSM Field RepresentativeJ. Victor Hobson:hobsonvj@, 691-320-2187 ext 234RMI Field RepresentativeAlan Fowler:fowlerae@, 692-247-4011 ext 234Federated States of MicronesiaOffice of SBOC P.O. Box PS-253 Palikir, Pohnpei, FM 96941Telephone: (691) 320-6260, Fax: (691) 320-1626Director: Fabian Nimea, fnimea@sboc.fmRepublic of the Marshall IslandsOffice of Compact Implementation Ministry of Foreign AffairsMajuro, MH 96960Telephone: (692) 625-3181, Fax: (692) 625-4979Director: Gee Leong Bing ocidirector@Links to COFA Information:(USA, FSM, RMI)(Wikipedia)(FSM Law)(U.S. DOI (Office of Insular Affairs))(U.S. Embassy, Kolonia)Other Links of InterestYap Sails (Blog) Pacific Islands Report Oceania TV Network Topix Micronesia Pacific News Center The Five Dollar Beach (See also video link below!)YouTube and Other Video LinksChina/Yap Yap Military Island of Yap of Yap of Stone Money Reefs in Danger Five Dollar Beach New Century City Global Center (Youku video, Chinese website, English). Interesting example of “megalomania,” very impressive architecture. Same narrator as in the ETG “Yap Paradise Islands Resort” PowerPoint presentation. ................
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