Hawaii delegation returns to China for first time since pandemic

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – For the first time since the pandemic, the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii resumed their annual trips to China and invited Hawaii News Now’s Stephanie Lum and photojournalist Corbin Gregory to come along.

The trips are important in the Chamber’s mission to maintain and strengthen decades-long friendships with Honolulu’s sister cities, including Zhongshan, which is where the majority of the ancestors of Hawaii Chinese originated from.

China reopened to visitors last year after being closed to international travelers for three years.

All direct flights from Hawaii to China ended in 2020, so the group flew nine hours to Manila, Philippines, and then another four-hour flight to Xiamen, a bustling city in the Fujian province.

“This is a once-in-a-lifetime trip to China for many in our group. For me, it’s a chance to trace my family’s roots, and if I’m lucky, I’ll get to see the village where my ancestors once lived,” said Lum.

Many villages in China were torn down to make way for new development. Most construction is also at a standstill, with cranes sitting idle due to the country’s slowing economy and real estate market. Lum says she also noticed a common theme. From rural areas and farmlands to industrial towns, people were working hard to be successful in the communist country.

With more than 30 provinces, China is larger than the United States. China had long held the title of having the world’s largest population at more than 1.4 billion people but was just eclipsed by India last year. Of the many dialects, Mandarin is still the main language.

The Hawaii delegation’s arrival in Honolulu’s three sister cities, Fuzhou, Zhangzhou, and Zhongshan, sparked excitement and a media frenzy.

“The purpose of our Narssicus Festival is to promote Chinese heritage and culture within our local community both in Hawaii and in America and to foster the relationship between China and America,” said Narssicus Queen Laura Ho.

On the streets, there were very few international travelers, and the group from Hawaii drew many curious and friendly Chinese.

“You are the first group of Americans I met in my career,” said Xiamen resident Jasen Ye. “You make me feel so comfortable because you speak softly like me, and you are so friendly.”

During our visit, President Xi Jinping met with President Joe Biden in San Francisco and said China is ready to be a partner and friend of the United States. The world’s two largest economies have had a strained relationship for many years.

“I think the U.S. has long had questions about China’s trade practices and human rights concerns about things going on inside China,” said UH Manoa China History Professor Shana Brown. “From the other perspective, I think people in China or the Chinese government sometimes feel like the U.S. is keeping China from having a more substantial role internationally.”

Politics aside, the Chinese Chamber of Commerce of Hawaii has had a long-standing friendship with the country that sent its first group of immigrants to the islands in 1789.

“There’s about 70,000 pure Chinese here in Hawaii, but if you include the Hawaiian Chinese, we’re about 250,000 people. While we’re part of the U.S., they almost see us as a melting pot,” said Honolulu China Sister City Liason Jeffrey Lau.

The Chamber presented Chinese government officials with a custom-made aloha shirt honoring the more than 20,000 Chinese Americans who served in World War II. As allies, China and the U.S. fought together, then. The veterans and their families earned congressional gold medals in 2021.

“I think history will repeat itself and bring the United States and the People’s Republic of China together again,” said Retired Army Major General Stephen Tom.

It’s a sentiment reflected in Hawaii’s decadeslong friendship with our sister cities in China.

“We truly hope to inherit the legacy of friendship and pass it on from generation to generation,” said Zhangzhou resident Lu Meilian.

In part two of our series, Stephanie Lum takes a closer look at China’s cashless, all-digital society. It’s faster and more convenient, but she discovers that ‘Big Brother’ is always watching.

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