What an open Hainan brings to the world

On December 18, the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) in south China will officially launch island-wide special customs operations, marking a new phase in China's high-level opening up. Designed to facilitate the freer flow of goods, capital, services and people, the move is not about building barriers but about widening the door.

From global talent to cross-border trade and frontier innovation, Hainan is increasingly showing what an open island can offer the world.

For David Adrian Janke, a young Briton who speaks fluent Chinese, Hainan's openness is impressive. Having lived in China for nearly 18 years, he chose to settle in Hainan in 2020. What first moved him, he recalls, was the nature.

"I remember taking a cable car to the top of a mountain," said Janke. "I looked around at the natural scenery and even had tears in my eyes. It was incredibly beautiful, with great air quality. I felt this was a place where I could live a healthier life."

Janke went on to start a translation company in Hainan, providing translation, editing and training services. His work includes translating and compiling service handbooks for foreign nationals living and working in the province. Through that process, he gained a close look at Hainan's expanding support system for international professionals, covering everything from daily life to policy interpretation.

He also witnessed the improvements in public services tailored to international residents. According to Janke, many cities and counties now have international clinics, and some hospitals have doctors who can speak foreign languages and provide services specifically for expatriates.

"These measures are clearly designed to attract the foreign talent Hainan needs now and in the future," he said. "They also reflect a growing confidence in welcoming people from around the world."

That confidence is backed by concrete steps. Citizens from 86 countries holding ordinary passports can now enter Hainan visa-free. Eligible high-level foreign professionals can apply for permanent residence in China. Since the establishment of the Haikou International Talent Home in 2021, more than 500 foreign professionals have been introduced, nearly 50 foreign-founded businesses incubated and hundreds of entrepreneurs supported.

As Hainan prepares for special customs operations, Janke sees the move as a gateway, not a closure. "It means Hainan will become an even more important portal for China's opening up," he said.

In Wenchang, at the Coconut Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, date palm seedlings from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) are already bearing young fruit. Known as the "bread of the desert" in the Middle East, dates have taken root in Hainan through agricultural cooperation that began in 2019, when the UAE donated date palm seedlings to China.

Between 2021 and 2024, some 25,000 seedlings were delivered in two batches. Chinese researchers, in turn, provided technical support to help build a sustainable date palm industry.

Hainan has emerged as a key platform for China-Arab cooperation. In 2024, trade in goods between Hainan and the Arab League exceeded 24 billion yuan (about $3.4 billion), growing by more than 30 percent year on year. Over the past five years, their trade has maintained average annual growth above 30 percent.

Ports and air routes are reinforcing those links. Yangpu Port has established a sister-port relationship with Abu Dhabi Ports, with direct shipping routes speeding up access to Middle Eastern markets. New air routes, including Haikou–Dubai, are building an "aerial Silk Road." For many Arab businesses, Hainan's zero-tariff policies and focus on digital and green industries are creating fresh opportunities.

"Hainan feels like an open door connecting China and the Middle East," said Maen Jarrar, a Jordanian logistics executive exploring shipping and trade cooperation on the island.

Hainan's cooperation with Arab countries mirrors its expanding global trade footprint. From 2020 to 2024, the province's total goods trade and services trade grew at average annual rates of 31.3 percent and 32.3 percent, respectively. Total trade volume surged from 933 billion yuan in 2020 to 2.78 trillion yuan in 2024, crossing 2 trillion-yuan thresholds within five years. Compared with 2020, Hainan's trade with Belt and Road partner countries has increased fourfold, highlighting the growing international reach of the free trade port.

An emerging hub of innovation

Earlier this year, a small satellite customized for Nepal entered Hainan under a pioneering customs model that allowed it to be brought in as passenger-carried cargo – a nationwide first. Jointly developed by Hainan Satellite Data and Application Research Center and Nepal's Antarikchya Pratisthan Nepal, the satellite was later successfully launched in China, becoming the first overseas commercial satellite to enter the Hainan Free Trade Port and a practical example of how flexible regulation can support international collaboration.

Hainan is rapidly building capacity in commercial space services with global reach. China's first commercial space launch site, located in the province, has entered a phase of high-frequency operations, completing 13 launch missions this year alone. Once its second-phase project is completed in 2026, annual launch capacity is expected to exceed 60 missions, positioning Hainan as a competitive hub for international commercial launch services.

Beyond space, Hainan is building open platforms for global cooperation in marine science. The third Deep-Sea Technology Innovation Conference held in the province in late October attracted more than 250 institutions from 25 countries. In 2025, 23 major deep-sea projects with a total investment of over 11.7 billion yuan were signed, further integrating international expertise into local innovation ecosystems.

These innovation advances are underpinned by sustained investment. Hainan's research and development spending has grown at an average annual rate of 31.5 percent since the start of the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-2025), among the fastest in China. Zero-tariff policies covering thousands of product categories are also reducing costs for imported research equipment, making innovation more accessible to global partners.