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Hainan

Hainan
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Hainan. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
Capital
Haikou
Head of Government
Party Secretary of Hainan Feng Fei
A drone photo taken on February 21 shows tourists taking yachts in Sanya, south China’s Hainan province. Photo: Xinhua
Hong Kong

How China’s Hainan reinvented itself as Hong Kong’s rival – and partner

The island province has become a low-tax gateway and is ready to tap Hong Kong’s strengths in finance, research and other sectors, officials say.

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My Life

He thought his life was a failure. Then he wrote it down.

South China Sea

Hainan official who helped build South China Sea reefs faces corruption probe

China's military weapons

Shandong’s use of PLA dry dock near South China Sea suggests carrier milestone

China may avoid a ‘carrier gap’ and could support carrier operations along the Indian Ocean to the Middle East and beyond, analysts say.

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Analysis by a US geospatial intelligence company says satellite imagery shows the first use by a Chinese aircraft carrier of a new dry dock near the South China Sea. Photo: AllSource Analysis

Video | The Hainan Free Trade Port

Beijing wants its tropical island province to be ‘another Hong Kong’.

China's space programme

China’s commercial space sector soars with 50 launches in 2025

Commercial launches accounted for 54 per cent of the total last year, data from China National Space Administration shows.

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Hong Kong economy

Opinion | How Hong Kong can complement Hainan’s free-trade port

Jointly designed customs rules could be used in pilot schemes to smooth the customs process for international business.

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People look at phones in the Haikou International Duty Free Shopping Complex in Hainan province, on December 18, the day China launched island-wide special customs operations in the Hainan free-trade port. Photo: Xinhua
Hong Kong economy

Opinion | Is Hainan the next Hong Kong? That’s the wrong question to ask

If it leverages its special status to enhance Hainan’s experiment, Hong Kong would not be boosting a rival but securing its own indispensable role.

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China consumption

China’s Hainan hosts duty-free shopping spree under new customs regime

A flurry of activity accompanied the official establishment of the island’s tariff and tax exemptions - but will the frenzy last?

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China property

China Jinmao sells 5-star Ritz-Carlton hotel in Sanya for US$322 million

Asset restructuring aims to boost liquidity as mainland China developers face a prolonged property downturn.

Ritz-Carlton Sanya Yalong Bay has demonstrated mature and stable operations with favourable profitability and cash flow, says China Jinmao. Photo: Keith Chan
Hong Kong

Editorial | Hong Kong can and must remain competitive with Hainan

The island’s customs reform may affect certain sectors in Hong Kong. The city should innovate, adapt and reinforce unique advantages.

A view of Haikou International Duty Free Shopping Complex in Hainan province on December 18. Photo: Xinhua
China trade

China’s Hainan launches separate customs regime allowing tariff-free imports

Most goods can enter Hainan with zero import duties under the new system, as China looks to turn the island into a strategic buffer zone.

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China's space programme

China launches satellite ‘super factory’ in bid to rival Elon Musk’s Starlink

The facility features a ‘factory-to-launch’ pipeline, expected to make it faster and cheaper to build low Earth orbit constellations.

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South China Sea

Opinion | How does China’s modernising navy stack up against the US seventh fleet?

Between what the US can sustain in the region vs what China can concentrate near its shores, the calculation increasingly favours Beijing.

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Illustration: Craig Stephens
China trade

China’s Xi Jinping says Hainan will spearhead ‘new era’ of opening up

The island province will launch a separate customs regime in December, with the president urging officials to ensure a smooth transition.

Tourists visit an international duty-free mall in Sanya, China’s southern Hainan province. Beijing aims to turn the island province into a free-trade port. Photo Xinhua
Asia travel

How Hainan is using hip-hop to rebrand luxury in China

‘The Chinese Hawaii’ just hosted Scott – and it’s a sign that China is embracing music it once scorned for larger consumerist ambitions.

Hong Kong economy

Hong Kong has set course to join the ‘yacht club of Asia’. Can it find a way?

Yacht tourism could potentially be worth billions of dollars annually to Hong Kong’s economy, but unlocking that potential remains a challenge.

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China energy security

In a first, China launches commercial underwater data centre to power data future

The project could prove a boon for sustainability, as underwater data centres consume less energy than land-based facilities.

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A new data centre capsule integrated into an energy-efficient underwater data processing cluster near Hainan province earlier this year. Photo: CCTV
Super Typhoon Ragasa

Super Typhoon Ragasa: Shenzhen to evacuate 400,000; Guangdong suspends trains

Ragasa is expected to make landfall from Shanwei in Guangdong province to Wenchang in Hainan sometime on Wednesday.

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China economy

Opinion | How Hainan and Hong Kong can build on each other’s success

Both are well positioned to support the next phase of China’s reform and opening up by aligning their unique strengths.

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Hong Kong weather

Hong Kong could face windy, wet weekend as potential tropical cyclone forms

Area of low pressure may turn into a tropical cyclone over waters off the Philippines, Observatory says.

Pedestrians brave the rain in Sai Ying Pun. Photo: Jonathan Wong
Vietnam

‘Terrifying’ Typhoon Kajiki batters Vietnam, blowing roofs off homes

The country’s weather agency said rainfall could reach 500 millimetres until the end of Tuesday in several parts of northern Vietnam.

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Waves surge in Ha Tinh province, Vietnam on Monday as Typhoon Kajiki makes landfall. Photo: AP
China trade

Beijing plans big expansion of tariff-free access to Hainan from December

A separate customs zone will be established in the tropical island province from mid-December, enhancing its free-trade credentials.

Financial crime

Chen Feng, founder of Chinese conglomerate HNA, sentenced to 12 years in prison

The 72-year-old businessman was charged with harming the interests of a listed company, among other issues.

Cryptocurrency

Hong Kong could serve as stablecoin test bed to raise yuan’s profile

Hong Kong’s stablecoins can serve as a testing ground for the mainland, providing both experience and lessons, HashKey Group CEO says.

Stablecoins are digital tokens pegged to a reference asset like a fiat currency. Photo: Shutterstock
Censorship in China

China will drop the Great Firewall for some users, but only in southern Hainan

Employees of companies operating in the island province can apply for the ‘Global Connect’ scheme, but some content will remain restricted.

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China’s so-called Great Firewall enforces one of the strictest internet censorship regimes in the world. Photo: Shutterstock
Asia travel

4 rail journeys in modern-day China; a true 21st-century experience

Chinese railways may have developed at an extraordinary pace since the 1980s, but some journeys have more to offer the curious traveller than others

US-China trade war

The duty-free island trying to lure Chinese shoppers amid the trade war

Hainan, a tropical island in southern China, has special customs policies allowing shops to maintain low prices even amid sky-high tariffs.

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