SANYA, Nov 6 (Xinhua): Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for adopting high standards in the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP), urging coordinated and sustained efforts to make it a model of reform and opening up in the new era.
Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks while reviewing progress on the Hainan FTP in Sanya, south China’s island province of Hainan.
Major step toward deeper reform
Xi said building the Hainan FTP is a major policy decision of the CPC Central Committee to comprehensively deepen reform and expand opening up. He urged officials to fully implement the guiding principles of the fourth plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee and achieve the targets of FTP development through close coordination and proactive actions.
The Hainan Free Trade Port will officially launch its island-wide special customs operations on December 18, which Xi described as a landmark move showcasing China’s commitment to high-standard openness and an open world economy.
Framework for high-level opening up
To turn Hainan into a key gateway for China’s reform and opening up, Xi emphasized the need to fully implement the FTP master plan and the Hainan Free Trade Port Law. He said policy frameworks and institutional systems must be built in stages to match international standards.
He called for expanding institutional openness, advancing trade and investment liberalization, and improving cross-border flows of capital, goods, and talent. Xi also urged reforms in talent recruitment, administrative management, and business environment development to make Hainan more competitive, market-oriented, and law-based.
Driving high-quality development
Xi said high-standard construction of the Hainan FTP is central to advancing Hainan’s high-quality growth and contributing to the country’s new development paradigm. The province, he added, should focus on its strategic roles as a pilot zone for comprehensive reform, a national ecological conservation hub, an international tourism and consumption destination, and a service base for national strategies.
He called for building a modern industrial system that leverages Hainan’s strengths, promotes industrial upgrading, and integrates technology and innovation to develop new productive forces.
Regional and ecological integration
Xi said Hainan should lead in high-standard opening up by strengthening cooperation with the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and deepening links with other key regions including the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei corridor, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Yangtze Economic Belt. He also urged deeper integration into the Belt and Road framework.
Highlighting Hainan’s ecological importance, Xi called for advancing the high-quality development of its ecological conservation pilot zone while improving public well-being and promoting common prosperity.
Ensuring safety and integrity
Xi stressed the importance of pursuing development while ensuring security, saying the province must open up in a scientific and orderly way and identify potential risks early.
He also emphasized full and rigorous Party self-governance, calling for integrity in governance and continued anti-corruption efforts.
Xi instructed officials to closely monitor Typhoon Kalmaegi and take concrete steps for prevention and emergency response to minimize potential losses.
Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, attended the meeting.
This news was originally puublished by Xinhua.