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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
Illustration: Craig Stephens
Hong Kong economy

Opinion | Why Hongkongers should be very interested in the Pinglu Canal

China-Asean trade is expected to surge as the Pinglu Canal synergises with the Hainan free-trade zone – creating demand for services Hong Kong can provide.

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Belt and Road Initiative

China’s new US$10.7 billion canal near completion to boost Asean trade links

China trade

Asia needs ‘institutional toolbox’ to survive global shocks, China experts warn

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Formula One (F1)

Hainan hopes to make F1 race its ‘core engine’ as it builds ‘automotive culture’

Project would include a circuit and racing training schools, but F1 body says there no plans to stage more than one grand prix in China.

Tourists taking yachts in Hainan’s Sanya district, which has become a popular tourist destination and is the site of the Sanya ePrix for electric vehicles. Photo: Xinhua
Food and Drinks

Hainanese chicken rice origins and its versions in Singapore, Malaysia and more

With roots in Hainan’s Wenchang chicken, Hainanese chicken rice shows how a dish can quietly evolve into distinct regional iterations.

Mainland China

HKIC chief sees opportunities in advanced tech across China and Hong Kong

Hong Kong government-backed investor says strong returns and co-investment flows are reinforcing the region’s appeal to global capital.

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China trade

Editorial | Hainan’s arrival as a free-trade port opens new doors for Hong Kong

Rather than viewing Hainan as a rival to be feared, Hong Kong should seize new opportunities for its professional sector and industrial traders.

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu (left) meets Hainan party secretary Feng Fei at the Boao Forum for Asia in Hainan on March 25. Photo: Handout
John Lee

Hong Kong, Hainan can ‘forge strong partnership’, build on strengths: John Lee

Lee says the launch of Hainan’s separate customs regime presents business opportunities for Hong Kong companies.

Hong Kong economy

Singapore’s Lawrence Wong to visit Hong Kong after Boao Forum trip

Wong’s three-day visit will be his first to Hong Kong as prime minister.

China trade

Chinese island province wants more than beachgoers as it chases economic growth

After three speculative booms – and busts – the island province is seeking sustainable growth based on new status as a free-trade port.

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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
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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A drone photo taken on February 21 shows tourists taking yachts in Sanya, south China’s Hainan province. Photo: Xinhua
My Life

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

The author of I Deliver Parcels in Beijing, a viral account of China’s gig economy, will appear at the Hong Kong International Literary Festival in March.

South China Sea

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

Xiao Jie’s detention is said to have shocked local officials given his lead role in running the Beijing-held islands in the disputed waters.

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’.

Why Beijing wants Hainan to be more than just ‘China’s Hawaii’
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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.

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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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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People shop at Haikou International Duty Free Shopping Complex in Haikou, south China’s Hainan province, on December 18. Photo: Xinhua
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.

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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Shoppers browse an international duty-free mall in Sanya, a city in China’s southern Hainan province. Hainan has implemented a slew of special policies to attract global talent and tourists in recent years. Photo: Xinhua
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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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.

Kanye West and Travis Scott are just two artists who are rebranding Hainan in China. Photos: Getty Images
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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