Cleo Pascal

And this is something that's coming up again

Right now, because they are trying to make the case and people who are pro no visas for Chinese, which includes the woman who represents the Commonwealth of Northern Mariners in the U.S.

Congress, that this should stay, that Chinese should be Chinese tourism is the bedrock of their economy.

and should be expanded.

And until just a few days ago, they were even pushing for unlimited direct flights on Chinese carriers from China into Guam and the Marianas.

This is how far it's gone.

They were pushing not just for visa-free access for Chinese into the Marianas, but for unlimited flights on Chinese carriers into the Marianas and into Guam.

Now, they've just pulled that request.

because they are in negotiations with the US government for money.

They say they're broke and they need a federal government bailout.

So they've realized that the unlimited flights was a bit of a bridge to China too far.

So they've pulled that, but they're still sticking with the unlimited visa-free access for Chinese tourists.

And they're not going after the estimated 1.6 billion

in funding that the late Governor Palacios from the Northern Marianas said was not properly accounted for when he came into office in 2023.

Now, viewers of War Room

may remember that there was this governor who came in in 2023 who tried to pivot the Marianas away from China.

And he also repeatedly requested the federal government to come and investigate what was going on in the Marianas.

He said he had proof to hand over to the FBI about high level corruption.

He requested Treasury come in, he requested basically anybody who would come in and help to do investigations into what was going on, because the degree of Chinese money that has come in to the Marianas through first the garment sector and then the casinos,

And now they're looking at a stable coin and online casinos has been off the charts and it's completely distorted the economy of the Northern Marianas.