ARRANGING for direct flights from Guangxi to Cebu and Nanning to Manila was one of the suggestions Gov. Ma Biao of China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region raised last night to Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia.

Ma said opening up these flights will enhance the cooperation of Cebu and Guangxi in a “comprehensive way” that will include ports, logistics, tourism and other economic activities.

During his visit, his first in the Philippines, he also promised to make Cebu a sister-city of Guangxi.

Sun.Star accepts donations for victims of Typhoon Ondoy

“Let’s work together to promote economic cooperation for Guangxi and Cebu. We’ll sign the sisterhood agreement very soon,” Ma assured Garcia during their meeting at the Capitol’s Session Hall.

Nanning is Guangxi’s capital city, and direct flights can “boost our tourism industries,” said Ma. He pointed out his province is “one of China’s tourism centers” and that by inviting more countries to it, its economic gains can be spread further.

His province, Ma said, is linked to Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) member-countries by air or by sea and serves as “the forefront and the window of cooperation” between China and Asean.

In 2008, Ma said their province recorded an increase in its gross domestic product (GDP) by 12.8 percent. This year so far, its GDP has increased by 13.7 percent. Its investment assets have also increased by 52.1 percent, said Ma.

Ma said he attributed these developments to “opening up economic zones” of the province.

Guangxi has three ports, which Ma said is a way of boosting the province’s trading with local and foreign investors.

Sisterhood

He also invited the governor to the launching of the China-Asean Free Trade Area (FTA) that will be realized by Jan. 1, 2010, as well as next year’s 5th Economic Cooperation Forum.

He also promised to send more people from his province to “visit and know Cebu.”

For her part, Garcia said Cebu Province is “willing to sign a sisterhood agreement with Guangxi” and assured to visit it for the second time soon.

“Cebu, like Guangxi, is known as the tourism center in the country, so in this area, we can work together for our mutual benefit,” said Garcia.

She pointed out Cebu has direct flights to China, and may also soon have flights to Guangxi and Nanning “to push the exchange of tourists” between the two provinces.

As to the ports, it will be easy to establish direct connections with Guangxi considering that Cebu ports are already operating internationally, and that is for “mutual benefits of our industries.”

 “I’m most eager to once again visit your province as soon as it can be scheduled,” she said, adding that Cebu will be there in the China Expo at Guangxi in January. Garcia has previously visited Guangxi to attend its Expo with President Gloria Arroyo.

She also invited Ma to be a part of One Cebu Expo in August, to showcase products. He accepted. Cebu already has sister-city agreements with three Chinese provinces: Guangdong, Sichuan and Hainan. (RSA)