Leon Guerrero wraps up ‘whirlwind tour’ trade mission to Taiwan
BY SKYLER OBISPO
Journal Staff
Gov. Lourdes A. Leon Guerrero hosted a press briefing on March 13 at Adelup to discuss the recent trade and investment mission to Taiwan.
The governor described the trip as a “whirlwind tour” that kicked off as soon as the delegation landed with meetings with China Airlines and its chairman George Cao.
The mission spanned about a week. The delegation included members from the Guam Visitors Bureau, Guam Economic Development Authority, and the Guam International Airport Authority.
According to the Office of the Governor earlier in March, the action items for the mission included airlines, hydroponic farming, culture, trade, investment, and agritourism.
Gov. Lourdes A. Leon Guerrero, along with leadership from GVB, GIAA, and GEDA delivered a press briefing on March 13. Photo by Skyler Obispo
Leon Guerrero said China Airlines was supportive of her request for more frequent travel to Guam like that prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the challenge the airline is facing is its airline fleet ability.
“[Cao] did commit that he would start looking at maybe charter flights to begin with,” Leon Guerrero said. She added the recent charter flights in November and February last year were successful in bringing Taiwanese tourists to the island. “He is getting all his team together and making sure that they support the request that we had asked.”
The delegation also met with Starlux Airlines, which told the delegation it is wary about investing in Guam, but Leon Guerrero said the airline is willing to schedule charter flights by the end of the year or by early next year to “test the waters.”
Starlux has flown charter flights to Guam in recent memory. The Journal reported in January 2025, the airline brought more than 600 Taiwanese visitors in light of that year’s Lunar New Year holiday.
“Both airlines — I came away from those meetings — they were very, very sincere, very authentic in making sure and wanting to really fly more to Guam,” Leon Guerrero said.
The delegation also met with leadership of the Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport and requested that the airport become a sister airport of the A.B. Won Pat International Airport, Guam.
“We will be sending an official letter of request [to the airport’s president] to solidify that official request,” the governor said.
During the trade mission, the Taiwanese city of Kaohsiung and Guam signed a sister-city agreement for future partnerships in the realm of tourism, trade, and cultural exchange.
Kaohsiung is located in the southernmost part of Taiwan, boasting the largest population in the island nation of about 2.7 million, roughly 200,000 more than Taipei, and is known for its active and robust commercial harbor according to the governor.
An opportunity the delegation identified was a new cruise route between the city and Guam, which is expected to bring 600 to 1,000 visitors.
Leon Guerrero said the mayor of Kaohsiung, Chen Chi-Mai, was excited about the prospect of a Kaohsiung-Guam cruise route. That route, she added, is something that she believes will happen soon.
“I made sure GEDA connected with them and also GVB, because I think that’s something that’s going to be a lot faster and more of a reality.”
The governor noted that Guam will need to work with the Port Authority to make facilities more tourist friendly. One idea that was floated was to use shipping containers to house retailers and food vendors, a practice done in Taiwan which has a fairly low overhead cost.
The sister-city agreement would also mean more collaboration in healthcare, education, and aquaculture. GEDA issued an official letter to investors in Kaohsiung, recognizing them for their continued investments into Guam’s hydroponics agriculture.
To date, there are four sister-city agreements between Guam and Taiwan with one more currently in the works for New Taipei City.
“The people from Taiwan take that relationship very seriously,” Leon Guerrero said.
These relationships span administrations and are viewed as essential for long-term partnerships. One of the longest sister-city agreements began in the 1970s between Taipei and Guam.
Leon Guerrero hopes that the next administration recognizes the value of these partnerships but affirmed that the roots of the partnerships run deep between entities like GEDA, GVB, and the University of Guam.
“The relationships will happen where it matters,” she said.
Since the governor’s 2025 visit to Taiwan, Taiwanese businesses have been showing interest in the island according to Edward S. Camacho, business and economic development manager at GEDA.
One of the businesses close to making an investment on Guam is the hydroponics company Moss Creek. He said the company is finalizing their due diligence for a possible $6 million investment.
Other interests GEDA is looking into include micro-chip manufacturing and developing an industrial park for its construction.
GEDA’s CEO and administrator, Christina D. Garcia told reporters the agency received board approval at the end of 2025.
She said GEDA is going through the procurement process to select a broker to identify properties, which she hopes will happen within this month.
In terms of the size of the property, GEDA hopes to secure a 25-acre property.
“We’re hoping it’s going to be a manufacturing-assembly type industrial park,” Camacho said. Garcia hopes to get everything completed by the end of the year.
Overall, the governor said the trade mission “ended on a pretty high note”.
“I think our leaders that came with us came back with some good action items to do; some greater connections with our Taiwan leaders over there,” she said. “We can learn a lot from Taiwan in efficiency, in advanced technology, [and] in advanced healthcare.” mbj
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