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I doubt it would be the best choice.

Being so far from population centers can be a downside, especially when the real estate and cost of living is expensive. Things like local talent pool, latency due to geographic location, and business travel being more expensive can be an issue.

With the pandemic causing more companies to allow permanent remote work, I think existing tech facilities would be a cheaper option.

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Could it be helpful that it is closer to China?

I don't see why that would be a bonus. You could actually be in China with a lower cost of living and bigger talent pool that speaks the language, assuming the goal is China-centric tech. If it's not specific to China, then opening a small branch office there should be specific. There are also a variety of regulatory and IP issues when working with China which might influence being in country vs out, but none of that should influence the decision to build a tech scene in HI.

There's plenty of other "close to China" US-friendly places too, like Singapore, which is also a tech hub. Or the other SE Asian islands if you want something exotic, cheap, and English-speaking.

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