Accelerate the construction of a Chinese style free trade port with global influence
The tide rises in the south of the sea, opening up new highlands.
At the northwest end of Qiong Island, Haikou New Harbor, like a poised Kunpeng, calmly welcomes the arrival of a historic moment.
On December 18, 2025, Hainan Free Trade Port officially launched the island wide lockdown.
This day holds a special significance. On December 18, 1978, the Third Plenum of the Eleventh Central Committee of the Communist Party of China opened, and the horn of reform and opening up sounded.
On the journey step by step, there is daring exploration and unwavering perseverance.
From the establishment of Hainan Special Economic Zone, the largest economic zone in China, in 1988, to General Secretary Xi Jinping's solemn announcement of the construction concept of "China's characteristic free trade port" in Hainan in April 2018, and to the new departure of Hainan Free Trade Port today, the time axis has recorded the surging tide of China's reform and opening up, witnessing the door to opening up getting wider and wider.
In the future that we are moving towards step by step, there is an open and inclusive mindset and an unwavering determination to move forward.
The construction of Hainan Free Trade Port has been included in the "15th Five Year Plan" proposal and included in the eight key tasks of next year's economic work deployed by the Central Economic Work Conference. The free trade port, the highest level of openness in the world today, has taken root, sprouted, and grown vigorously in this hopeful land of Hainan Island.
In the past, our openness was about 'following', but now our openness is about 'leading'.
This is the great national spirit of resolutely doing our own things well, and this is the strategic initiative of resolutely expanding high-level opening-up to the outside world. In the historical process of step-by-step progression and continuous development and progress, an open China has seized the opportunity and continued to strive.
Positioning——
It is to build Hainan Free Trade Port into an important gateway leading China's opening up to the outside world in the new era
In June 1985, Comrade Xi Jinping came to Xiamen to take up his new position as a member of the Standing Committee of the Municipal Party Committee and Executive Vice Mayor. In the same month, the State Council approved the expansion of Xiamen Special Economic Zone to the entire island and gradually implemented certain policies of a free port.
How to fully and accurately grasp and implement the intentions of the Party Central Committee, and make the special zone "run faster and better"?
Nowadays, Xiamen has undergone earth shaking changes, developing from a coastal defense small city to a high-quality, high aesthetic, modern and international city.
Build a new era of reform and opening up "experimental field".
On August 27, 2013, the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China held a meeting to listen to the report on the preparation work of the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone, chaired by General Secretary Xi Jinping.
On September 29, 2013, China's first pilot free trade zone, the Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone, set sail.
In May 2014, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized during his inspection in Shanghai that the Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone is a large experimental field that requires sowing good seeds, careful cultivation, and meticulous management, hoping for a good harvest and promoting the experience of cultivating good seeds.
In 2018, China celebrated the 40th anniversary of reform and opening up, as well as the 30th anniversary of Hainan's establishment of a provincial economic special zone. The requirements for reform and opening up, both in depth and breadth, are higher than before.
In April 2018, General Secretary Xi Jinping solemnly announced at the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of Hainan Province as a special economic zone that Hainan will gradually explore and steadily promote the construction of a free trade port with Chinese characteristics, and establish a policy and institutional system for free trade ports in steps and stages.
The task of building a free trade port has been entrusted to Hainan by grasping the times and trends.
The strategic goal of building Hainan Free Trade Port is to turn it into an important gateway leading China's opening up to the outside world in the new era
Looking at the world, there is no set rule for free trade ports. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that "Hainan Free Trade Port is a free trade port with Chinese characteristics, and must always adhere to the unwavering leadership of the Party and fully demonstrate the superiority of the socialist system
We must adhere to the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee.
The leadership of the Party is the greatest advantage of the socialist system with Chinese characteristics. The construction of Hainan Free Trade Port has always been promoted under the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee.
From a smooth start to building a solid foundation, from "gradual exploration" to "accelerated exploration", and then to "island wide closure", under the centralized and unified leadership of the Party Central Committee, various departments have formed a joint force, fully leveraging the institutional advantages of the whole country, promoting the linkage between Hainan and the Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area, strengthening exchanges and cooperation with Southeast Asian countries, and gathering high-quality production factors from around the world... The construction of Hainan Free Trade Port is steadily advancing.
We need to constantly explore and boldly experiment.
Combining top-level design with crossing the river by feeling the stones is one of the distinctive features of the comprehensive deepening of reform in the new era. The construction of Hainan Free Trade Port places greater emphasis on systematic thinking, overall strategy, daring to explore and experiment at the grassroots level.
Hainan is tasked with completing this historic task, which is also a strategic arrangement for the construction of socialist special economic zones with Chinese characteristics. We must constantly explore and boldly experiment, and forge a path.
The construction of Hainan Free Trade Port, with higher levels of opening up and higher standards of reform, has created a replicable and replicable "Hainan experience" for reform and opening up.
We should combine with reality and adapt to local conditions.
In recent years, I have repeatedly emphasized the issue of adapting measures to local conditions. At the Central Economic Work Conference, General Secretary Xi Jinping deeply analyzed the methodology of doing a good job in economic work.
Adapting to local conditions is essentially seeking truth from facts. The construction of a free trade port in Hainan should reflect Chinese characteristics, conform to China's national conditions, and align with Hainan's development positioning.
Hainan Sanya International Duty Free City, a landmark building of an international consumption center, has accumulated sales of over 100 billion yuan. On April 11, 2022, General Secretary Xi Jinping talked about the positioning of Hainan here: "There have been many debates in the past, about building a large petrochemical base, a steel project, and establishing an advanced manufacturing base. After 30 years of continuous exploration, we have decided to focus on these areas: tourism, modern service industry, high-tech industry, and tropical characteristic high-efficiency agriculture
The measures taken correspond to the strategic positioning of "three zones and one center" given to Hainan by the Party Central Committee, namely the comprehensive deepening of reform and opening up pilot zone, national ecological civilization pilot zone, international tourism consumption center, and national major strategic service guarantee zone, aiming to deeply integrate unique policy advantages with resource endowments.
By accurately positioning itself in the national context, enhancing adaptability, and promoting the deep integration of scientific and technological innovation and industrial innovation, Hainan has delivered an impressive result - the total import and export volume of Hainan's trade has increased from 93.33 billion yuan in 2020 to 277.89 billion yuan in 2024, crossing two hundred billion yuan thresholds consecutively; In the first three quarters of this year, the added value of the four leading industries in Hainan, namely tourism, modern service industry, high-tech industry, and tropical characteristic high-efficiency agriculture, accounted for 67.2% of the regional GDP, an increase of 14.2 percentage points compared to 2020.
Orientation——
Make Hainan a beautiful business card showcasing Chinese style, grandeur, and image
If Hainan Island develops better, socialism with Chinese characteristics will be more convincing and able to enhance people's confidence in socialism with Chinese characteristics
Strive for a vivid example of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the era of innovation, and make Hainan a beautiful business card to showcase China's style, grandeur, and image
Looking from Ludao to Qiong Island, from the pilot free trade zone to the free trade port, behind it lies the spirit of 'deepening reform and expanding opening up with greater courage'.
From a geographical perspective, Hainan is located on a vital route connecting the Pacific and Indian Oceans, serving as a gateway to enter the Chinese market. Meanwhile, relatively independent geographical units naturally have the unique advantage of becoming experimental fields for reform and opening up.
From the perspective of the international situation, the world's century long changes are accelerating, and global economic growth is weak. Should we adhere to multilateralism, openness and inclusiveness, or move towards unilateralism and protectionism?
Taking the construction of Hainan Free Trade Port as a window to expand high-level opening up to the outside world, China's attitude is very clear and its actions are resolute.
Over the past decade, under the personal planning, deployment, and promotion of General Secretary Xi Jinping, China has successively deployed and established 22 pilot free trade zones, forming a reform, opening up, and innovative development pattern covering the east, west, north, south, central, and coordinating coastal, inland, and border areas.
In June 2020, the Overall Plan for the Construction of Hainan Free Trade Port was released. Over the past five years, Hainan has actually utilized foreign investment of 102.5 billion yuan, with an average annual growth rate of 14.6%, and overseas direct investment of 9.78 billion US dollars, with an average annual growth rate of 97%. 176 countries and regions have invested here.
After the closure, Hainan has the basic conditions to promote opening up on a larger scale and at a deeper level, "General Secretary Xi Jinping encouraged everyone to" actively promote reform and opening up in various fields.
Take the lead in steadily expanding institutional openness.
The transformation of Yangpu Port witnesses the steady expansion of institutional openness.
Cheer up in Hainan and travel around the world. Inside Yangpu Port, giant ships "drink" bonded oil.
Bonded fuel supply is one of the core functions of international shipping centers. A series of institutional innovations have been implemented, from the simultaneous refueling of tax-free oil for domestic and foreign trade vessels, to the implementation of "zero tariffs" for imported ships and value-added tax refunds for domestic construction of international navigation vessels. Today, Yangpu Port's Qianfan Competition is transforming into an international shipping hub. At present, China Yangpu Port has registered a total of 73 international ships with a total capacity exceeding 7.16 million deadweight tons.
From Yangpu to the whole island, a policy system of liberalization and facilitation characterized by "opening up the 'first line', controlling the 'second line', and allowing freedom within the island" has been fully implemented.
After the closure, the existing 8 ports open to the outside world on the island will be used as "first line" ports, and imported goods that meet the conditions will be released directly; Set up and operate 10 "second tier ports" such as Haikou New Port and Haikou South Port, and take various convenient measures for the innovative passage of goods entering the mainland.
Customs takes the initiative and takes proactive actions, focusing on the requirements of both 'letting go' and 'managing well'. Together with relevant departments and Hainan Province, we strive to create a market-oriented, rule of law, international first-class business environment, "said Sun Meijun, Director of the General Administration of Customs and Secretary of the Party Committee.
Play a leading role in promoting high-level opening-up to the outside world.
African nuts witness the development synergy across mountains and seas.
The original fruit is imported from Africa, undergoes deep processing in Hainan, and enjoys the value-added domestic sales exemption policy of Hainan Free Trade Port. It is then transported to Hunan and sold domestically and internationally with the help of local distribution advantages... In June of this year, Hunan Kiss Wild Modern Agricultural Technology Co., Ltd. officially put into operation its African nut processing project in Hainan.
The combination of multiple advantages makes each nut more competitive in the market. Our orders are increasing, "said Chen Yichuan, the project leader.
Haikou Customs has introduced 47 measures to support the development of Hainan's characteristic industries, continuously amplify the effects of Hainan's characteristic industries, and support the optimization and strengthening of industries, "said Gao Ruifeng, the director of Haikou Customs.
On October 17th, the 2025 China Industrial Transfer and Development Matchmaking Event (Hainan) opened in Haikou. A group of industry-leading enterprises have crossed mountains and seas, with 110 projects signed in a concentrated manner, and cross regional industrial cooperation continues to deepen. The Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area, Beijing Tianjin Hebei, Yangtze River Delta, and Yangtze River Economic Belt have all "held hands" time and time again, which are precise strategic connections between Hainan Free Trade Port and other major countries.
After the closure, Hainan's connection with the international community will become more convenient, which is of great significance for accelerating the attraction of high-quality global factors, promoting the high-quality development of Hainan Free Trade Port, and paving the way for national reform and opening up, "said Wang Changlin, Deputy Director of the National Development and Reform Commission.
Dingli——
To scientifically and orderly arrange the pace and progress of opening up, we must be prepared for long-term struggle
If one remains cautious throughout, there will be no failures.
We cannot learn to walk in Handan, we cannot act recklessly, and we cannot have a restless heart, "General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized.
We should respect laws, coordinate development and security.
We need to step on the ground with our feet. Everything we do has an inherent law. We need to scientifically and orderly arrange the pace and progress of openness, steady and steady, step by step, and strive to be both 'active' and 'well managed'
Not long ago, China National Chemical Corporation (Sinochem) established a cross-border fund centralized operation center in Hainan, which has been recognized as capable of efficiently handling overseas loans, foreign investments, cross-border fund collection and allocation, and other businesses using a multifunctional free trade account (EF account).
The relevant person in charge of Bank of China Hainan Branch introduced that the EF account provides financial infrastructure support for the free flow of elements with its advantage of "opening up the first line and controlling the second line". Next, it will further expand its application scenarios through system integration, accelerate the establishment of a business ecosystem integrating settlement, exchange and investment and financing services, and risk monitoring.
Hainan is firmly committed to comprehensively deepening reform and opening up to promote high-quality development, including steadily expanding institutional opening up, deepening the flow of goods and factors, building a more open talent mechanism, and deepening administrative system reform.
At present, various departments are strengthening cooperation and comprehensively safeguarding high standard institutional openness through mechanisms such as data information sharing and credit system construction.
We should put people first and adhere to the close combination of investing in goods and investing in people.
Unlike some international free trade ports that focus solely on economic benefits, the construction of Hainan Free Trade Port has always regarded people's livelihood and well-being as important goals.
Ecology is a major advantage of Hainan, and we must safeguard this foundation. We must strengthen the construction of inclusive, fundamental, and bottom line livelihood, solve the urgent and difficult problems of the people, and solidly promote common prosperity.
In Wuzhizhou Island, Sanya, the marine ranch adopts the "ecological protection and restoration+leisure fishing" model, which not only doubles the growth of marine fishery resources and significantly improves the coverage of live corals, but also expands a new path for the value transformation of marine ecological products.
In Baisha Li Autonomous County, the "Two Mountains Platform" activates dormant ecological resources and innovatively launches financial products such as "Two Mountains Loan" and "GEP (Ecological Product Value) Loan" to provide loan support for farmers.
On November 1, 2025, Hainan's offshore tax exemption policy will be further optimized and upgraded, implementing new measures such as adding new types of goods and allowing departing passengers to enjoy offshore tax exemption. After the island wide lockdown operation, the tax exemption policy will have more advantages.
We should look far ahead and open up to promote cooperation and win-win outcomes.
20 or even 15 years ago, the main drivers of economic globalization were Western countries such as the United States, but today we are considered the biggest flagbearer in promoting trade and investment liberalization and facilitation in the world. Looking back at General Secretary Xi Jinping's words from many years ago, in a precise judgment, it is a great country's responsibility to stand at the forefront.
We welcome investors from all over the world to invest and develop in Hainan, actively participate in the construction of Hainan Free Trade Port, and share China's development opportunities and reform achievements
Former Spanish Foreign Minister Gonz á lez praised, "The international situation is intertwined with turmoil, and geopolitics are impacting global trade. By creating innovative solutions tailored to local conditions, saving time and costs, and improving and optimizing logistics efficiency, Hainan Free Trade Port will play a greater role in enhancing global economic resilience
The construction of Hainan Free Trade Port continues to release the advantages of open policies. "Yao Zhenguo, Senior Vice President of Siemens Energy Global, stated at the 2025 Hainan Free Trade Port Global Industry Investment Promotion Conference that Siemens Energy is willing to deepen cooperation with Hainan and tap into the potential for cooperation in areas such as offshore wind power and green power hydrogen production system integration solutions.
Adhering to the spirit of innovation and renewal, and accumulating the style of reform and innovation, Hainan today will stand at a new historical starting point, seize the day and strive for long-term success.
The relevant person in charge of Hainan Province stated that in the face of the "15th Five Year Plan", Hainan will make good use of its advantages, seize opportunities, and demonstrate its firm confidence in "China's open door is getting bigger and bigger" with the actual results of the construction of Hainan Free Trade Port, injecting stronger momentum into building a new development pattern and promoting high-quality development.
Anchoring strategic objectives——
Accelerate the construction of a Chinese style free trade port with global influence, and make Hainan a model for China's reform and opening up in the new era.
Maintain strategic composure——
Advancing the construction of Hainan Free Trade Port is a complex and systematic project that requires long-term preparation
By integrating firm goals and strong determination into concrete actions of unremitting struggle and continuous struggle, the Chinese nation has gradually come to where it is today and towards the future.