“ We are called the ‘ tip of the spear .’ Not everybody feels it ’ s a good thing because it makes us a target ,” said George Chiu , president of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce . “ We are also known as ‘ America in Asia ’ and ‘ where America ’ s day begins .”

While helplessly trapped in a burgeoning regional conflict , Chiu said the Guam business sector must insulate itself from geopolitics . “ The Chinese Chamber of Commerce is basically a social organization on Guam . It was formed with the goal of putting the Chinese business community together ,” said Chiu , president and CEO of TakeCare Insurance . “ We are politics-free . We are here to help members conduct their business .”

The Chinese Chamber of Commerce is a borderless organization , comprising members representing companies owned by ethnic groups from China , Hong Kong and Taiwan . “ We don ’ t differentiate , whether you ’ re from mainland China , Taiwan or Hong Kong . But we are different from other ethnic organizations . Our organization is not exclusive to ethnic Chinese ,” Chiu said . “ We have non-ethic Chinese members , including

shipping companies , banks and companies that are doing business with Chinese companies .”

Chiu , whose parents are from Shanghai , was born in Okinawa and grew up on Guam . While holding the top position at TakeCare , he is concurrently the president of S . A . Leisure Group Company , and executive vice president of Luen Thai Enterprises and Tan Holdings . He was the recipient of the Guam Business Magazine Executive of the Year award in 2013 .

The Chinese Chamber of Commerce has approximately 100 members . “ We conduct our meetings 100 percent in English . Language is a very important unifying factor . It helps eliminate tensions ,” Chiu said , noting that the group is involved in several community engagements and charity work .

While Washington has imposed some restrictions on Chinese businesses , Chiu said Guam-based companies are cushioned . “ We are doing business on Guam and we are all U . S . citizens . We are all protected under the U . S . law ,” he said .

According to the Guam Bureau of Statistics and Plans ’ September 2020 report , China ranked fifth among the 20 countries where the territory imports products from . Guam imports food products , furniture , auto parts , electronic items and grooming products from , accounting for 3.2 percent of the island ’ s total import volume . A 2022 BSP report indicated that China accounts for 4.24 percent of Guam ’ s total exports .

Chiu said doing business with China is inevitable . “ The chamber does not get involved in politics ,” he said . “ We do not have an official position related to geopolitical tensions between the U . S . and China .”

Chiu traverses the issue with a programmatic approach . If anything , he said , the situation is bringing a windfall that Guam can take advantage of , such as the Department of Defense ’ s $ 15 billion military buildup .

“ The military buildup on Guam is happening because of the tensions . There are so many business opportunities and so much money coming into Guam . So Guam is benefiting to a certain extent ,” he said .

“ I ’ m not saying that tension is good . Tension is never good . But let ’ s look at the positive side . Not everybody feels the same way but I always look at the positive side of a bad thing . Every cloud has a silver lining ,” he said .

The “ positive side ” of the growing tensions between the U . S . and China also flows over to Palau , the Federated States of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands , Chiu said , noting the large streams of U . S . investments being poured into the Pacific nations . “ The U . S . is paying more attention to these countries that otherwise it wouldn ’ t have if not for China ,” he said .

The U . S . has been splashing economic assistance to the Pacific islands in a bid to counter China ’ s Belt and Road Initiative while building up defense resources in the region to outrace the People ’ s Liberation Army .

But the bipolar nature of the U . S . -China relations presents a complex predicament . The United States is working with allies to bar China ’ s access to advanced semiconductors while Beijing is blocking shipments from Micron Technology , a prominent U . S . chip manufacturer . At the same time , however , Washington is seeking to boost trade ties with Beijing .

During the last week of August , U . S . Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo embarked on a four-day trip to Beijing , where she trumpeted Washington ’ s security trade policies off-limits for wrangling . “ If you wanted to put a tagline to the trip and the mission , it ’ s to protect what we must and promote where we can ,” Reuter quoted Raimondo as saying .

On Aug . 10 , China lifted restrictions on group travel to the United States . In a statement , Raimondo described such a move as “ an important step forward to promote the type of people-to-people exchange that is crucial for our bilateral relationship .”

And finding another silver lining , Chiu said the weakening of China ’ s currency is advantageous to Guam . According to the South China Morning Post , the yuan is around 6.9 percent weaker against the U . S . dollar than it was a year ago .

“ Did the tensions cause the yuan to devaluate ? I don ’ t know . I am not a finance expert . But we are still importing from China and products coming from China are becoming cheaper ,” Chiu said . “ So why focus on the negative ? Let ’ s look at the positive side of the situation .”

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