Hainan Free Trade Port: A witness to

China’s continued opening-up

从经济特区到自贸港 海南见证中国大门越开越大

Hainan, the southernmost island province of China, has been attracting people from around the world for years with its blue waters, towering coconut trees, year-round sunshine and sandy beaches. Starting this year, China will build an open and distinctive free trade port on this beautiful island.

海南是中国最南端的省份，以碧海、椰林、阳光沙滩，年复一年地吸引着来自世界各地的人们。从今年开始，中国将在这个美丽的海岛，建设一个开放而富有特色的自由贸易港。

Sanya, Hainan province

The Hainan Free Trade Port will be a special functional economic area with the highest level of openness in the world. Overseas products and funds will have free access within the port, and the majority of goods will be exempt from tariffs. This move reflects China’s determination to further open up to the rest of the world. 

自由贸易港是目前全球开放水平最高的特殊经济功能区，在这里，境外货物、资金可以自由进出，绝大部分商品免征关税。这是中国实施更深层次对外开放的举措。

Sanya, Hainan province

Thirty-two years ago, the Chinese government established the province of Hainan on what was then a closed-off and underdeveloped border island. It was later designated as a special economic zone (SEZ) to attract foreign investment with its preferential tax rates and favorable business environment.

32年前，中国政府将这个在当时尚且封闭落后的边陲海岛设立为海南省，并划定海南为经济特区，通过实行优惠税率、提供良好投资环境来吸引外资。

1992年，海南设立了中国首个外资成片开发的洋浦经济开发区。

2000年，海南率先实行落地签证政策；2001年，博鳌亚洲论坛永久落户博鳌。

The Boao Forum for Asia International Conference Center in Boao, Hainan province [Source: Xinhua]

A series of initiatives like these have allowed Hainan to continue developing. Establishing special economic zones was also a breakthrough in China’s opening-up. 

一系列先试先行让海南获得了发展机遇，而兴办经济特区，也打开了中国对外开放的重要突破口。

Hainan is blessed with a picturesque landscape. Its industrial structure focused around tourism and modern services will not only become an advantage and characteristic for the Hainan Free Trade Port, but also coincide with the rapid trade growth in global services and are in line with the development of many ports toward the service sector. Besides, as a provincial level SEZ, a free trade zone and a port, Hainan enjoys its scale. It also has comprehensive experience and has made such institutional innovations as “province-wide one-stop business registration” and “an integrated big data society governance system.”

海南拥有美丽的自然风光，以旅游业、现代服务业等为主导的产业结构是海南自贸港的优势和特点，也符合全球服务贸易增长迅速、大多数知名自由贸易港向服务贸易转型升级的趋势。另一方面，海南作为一个省级经济特区、自贸区、自贸港，有更广泛的区域，也有着诸如商事登记“全省通办”、“一体化大数据社会治理体系”等全域性、一体化的制度经验和创新。

The e-government data platform of Hainan Province [Source: Hainan Big Data Administration]

All these factors will enable Hainan to become a global center for the trade in services. Meanwhile, as a pivot of the Belt and Road Initiative, the Hainan Free Trade Port will not only promote multilateral free trade and regional economic integration, but also share the benefits brought from China’s development with more countries.

这些让海南有条件在未来成为面向全球的服务贸易中心。而作为“一带一路”倡议的支点，海南自贸港不仅将促进多边自由贸易和区域经济一体化，也会让更多国家分享中国发展的红利。

Hainan’s evolution from special economic zone to free trade pilot zone, and now today’s free trade port, not only bears witness to its development, but also the continual opening-up of China, as well as its determination to build an open global economy featuring innovation and inclusiveness. We hope that in the future, more companies and talented personnel from around the world will come to the island and share in the benefits of free trade.

从经济特区到自由贸易试验区，再到自由贸易港，这不仅仅是海南的发展历程，也见证了中国不断深化对外开放，推动建设创新、包容的开放型世界经济的决心。未来，我们希望各国的企业、人才来到海南，共享自由贸易的福祉。