Hawaii's Governor Linda Lingle has signed a travel agreement with Shao Qiwei, chairman of the China National Tourism Administration (CNTA).

The agreement, signed in Hawaii, will facilitate expansion of two-way travel between Hawaii and China, as well as participation by Hawaii companies in the development of China's tourism industry.

China is the world's largest outbound tourism market, but the vast majority of Chinese travelers to foreign countries visit the nations adjacent to their own home provinces.

Visa barriers to Chinese-U.S. travel have dampened Chinese travel to U.S. states except for business or educational purposes. Many Chinese who visit Hawaii do so westbound while returning from business or educational visits to the U.S. Mainland.