On July 25, 2025, Liu Xiaoming, Governor of Hainan Province, met with a delegation from the US State of Hawaii in Haikou, the capital of Hainan Province. 

Governor Liu extended a warm welcome to the delegation and introduced the latest progress in the development of the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP), as well as in building Hainan into an international hub for tourism and consumption, with particular emphasis on the policy arrangements for upcoming special customs operations. He noted that Hawaii was the second region to establish formal sister-province ties with Hainan after the province was established, and that Hainan deeply values this long-standing friendship. Despite being separated by the Pacific Ocean, the two regions share similar natural resources and industrial structures, which have fueled increasingly dynamic exchanges and cooperation across multiple sectors in recent years.

Liu expressed hope that the visit would mark a new beginning for enhanced collaboration. He encouraged both sides to jointly plan exchange activities in areas such as education, youth, tropical agriculture, tourism, and culture, enriching the substance of bilateral cooperation and delivering more tangible benefits to the peoples of both regions. He also welcomed Hawaiian specialty products like coffee to enter the Chinese market via the Hainan FTP.

Representative Sean Quinlan, Senator Lynn Pualani DeCoite, Senator Henry Aquino, Representative Daniel Holt, Representative Justin Woodson, and Representative Scott Yagi, along with Dane Wicker, Deputy Director of the Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development & Tourism, each delivered remarks at the meeting. They spoke highly of the progress and achievements of Hainan’s FTP construction and high-quality development, which they witnessed firsthand during their visit.

The Hawaiian delegation noted that both Hawaii and Hainan, as island regions, face similar opportunities and challenges in development. With Hainan accelerating the construction of its FTP and preparing to launch special customs operations at the end of this year, new and broader opportunities for mutually beneficial cooperation will emerge, not only for Hawaiian businesses but for enterprises around the world. They expressed hope that the two sides would continue to strengthen their sister-province relationship and enhance cooperation in tourism, tropical agriculture, culture, and education, working together to ensure the long-term, steady growth of friendly ties.

Vice Governor of Hainan Province Xie Jing and Secretary-General of the Hainan Provincial Government Fu Xuanchao also attended the meeting.