Advertisement
Advertisement
TOPIC

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
The Pinglu Canal runs through Qinzhou in China’s southern Guangxi region. Photo: Xinhua
Belt and Road Initiative

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

The Pinglu Canal – a US$10 billion waterway connecting China’s heartlands to the Gulf of Tonkin – will begin trial operations as soon as September.

China trade

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

videocam
Formula One (F1)

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

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.

Hainanese chicken rice at a restaurant in Hong Kong. From humble origins on the Chinese island of Hainan, the dish spread across Asia, evolving into much-loved local variations from Singapore to Vietnam. Photo: Warton Li
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.

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.

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
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.

A worker keeps an eye on the shelves of a duty-free grocery shop in Hainan province. Photo: Xinhua
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.

videocam
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.

videocam
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.

Chinese writer Hu Anyan pictured in People’s Park, Chengdu, China. Photo: Eric Mast
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.

videocam

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’
04:42
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.

A Long March-7A carrier rocket, carrying the Shijian-29A and Shijian-29B satellites, blasts off from the Wenchang Space Launch Site in south China’s Hainan province on December 31, 2025. Photo: Xinhua
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.

videocam
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.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
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?

4
The Haikou International Duty Free Shopping Complex in Haikou, capital of Hainan province. Photo: Xinhua
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.

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.

videocam
4
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.

18
China’s first comprehensive factory dedicated to the assembly, testing and reuse of carrier rockets, in south China’s coastal city of Wenchang. Photo: People’s Daily
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.

videocam
16
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.

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.

4
Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen
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.

11
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.

videocam
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Help preserve 120 years of quality journalism.
SUPPORT NOW
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement