HONOLULU -- Gov. Linda Lingle said she is hopeful that her meetings with Chinese officials will mean more visitors to the islands and more business for other Hawaii companies.

The governor pushed for more trade with China, an effort to team up on energy projects and more Chinese traveling to Hawaii.

Lingle said she made progress in her recent trip to China, on the issues of direct flights from China to Hawaii, and in making VISAs easier for Chinese residents.

"We saw a tremendous amount of cooperation and recognition for the importance of these issues for our economy in Hawaii," Lingle said.

Hawaii economist Leroy Laney said tapping Chinese tourism could be big help for Hawaii's economy.

"The Japanese market has tended to be relatively weak. So, as far as international tourism is concerned, the China economy is where the future is, and I think that's exactly what we ought to be doing," Laney said.

R&C Hawaii Tours brings in thousands of Japanese tourists each month, but that market has slowed, and they would love to gear up to bring in more Chinese.

"We do have a chance to get good numbers out of Chinese tourism industry. Basically, all we have to do is get a small percentage of 1 billion people," said Abrar Uppal of R&C Hawaii Tours.

Those who work in Waikiki said the Chinese are welcome.

"It's good for the whole state, you know, the Chinese are coming in, there's billions of them. Next to the Japanese, that's a natural," Waikiki beach boy Gil Hisatake said.

In that past, speaking Japanese was required.

Tour bus company Roberts Hawaii said it is gearing up for more business from China.