WE CAN'T wait for the military buildup. The recent news of a definitive number of 5,000 Marines coming is good. But we don’t control this buildup. We need to rely on ourselves and what we can do to make our lives better.

Guam is America’s gateway to Asia, and vice-versa. We are at the vantage point where east meets west. With the extensive growth of business, technology, and industry in this region, it only makes sense to pursue any kind of opportunity here. It is a really exciting time in our history, in our region.

I have gone on numerous trade missions throughout the Asia-Pacific region to entice foreign investment into Guam. Shopping centers, restaurants, construction companies, renewable energy companies – you name it, we’re pushing for them to come here. Many are excited, but none are more excited for expansion than business counterparts in China.

The cities of Shanghai, Shandong and Beijing are building amazing foundations for business ventures abroad. They are getting creative, promoting innovation and growth in their respective cities. The best part? They are interested in developing on Guam.

This would surely stimulate our economy. There are numerous companies just waiting to come here, set up shop, and create work for residents. As Guam’s unemployment rate stands at more than 50 percent above the national average, it is vital we have these businesses come here and invest.

More than that, we need education. We need to educate our students in various trades, languages, and put their talents to good use for the progress. This way we have the workforce at-the-ready, and a Guamanian can have that job. That Guamanian can then spend his money here at home and provide for his family.

It would help our economy even more if we had a chance to open our island to Chinese visitors. Time and time again we push for the China visa waiver, because it’s that important. The money we can generate from Chinese tourists exponentially outshines that of their Japanese counterparts. Guam has been an attractive tourist destination for half a century, and now is the time to expand our markets.

Yesterday, I sent a letter to President Barack Obama, whose administration revealed its National Tourism and Travel Strategy last week. Noticeably absent in the strategy was any reference to the Guam-CNMI visa waiver program. It’s sad that it no longer surprises me whenever the federal government forgets to include Guam in its “national” initiatives. But I remain undeterred in my commitment to push to have China included in our visa waiver program.

In my letter, I reminded the President about the Guam-CNMI visa waiver program, the struggles Guam has faced and the success we’ve seen with the Russian parole granted by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano. I made it a point to ask President Obama to “release the shackles that bind us from pursuing our own economic self-sufficiency.” We need Homeland Security to approve the China Visa Waiver!

I simply asked him to allow us develop our own economy – to allow us to develop Guam.

The businesses from China and the China visa waiver would give Guam that opportunity to grow beyond what we now have. It would give us a chance to prove to ourselves and the world that we are a driving force in the Pacific and that our potential is limitless.