From July 22 to 25, China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs organized diplomatic envoys in China to visit Hainan. On July 25, Feng Fei, Secretary of the CPC Hainan Provincial Committee, and Liu Xiaoming, Governor of Hainan Province, met with the delegation in Haikou.

On behalf of the CPC Hainan Provincial Committee and the People’s Government of Hainan Province, Feng Fei and Liu Xiaoming welcomed the delegation and shared updates on the latest progress in the development of the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP).

Feng emphasized that the Hainan FTP is a key part of China’s national strategy, personally initiated and promoted by Chinese President Xi Jinping. On December 18 last year, Hainan successfully launched island-wide special customs operations, marking an important milestone in China’s efforts to deepen high-level opening-up and foster an open global economy. He added that Hainan is fully embracing the new development philosophy and working to become a vital gateway linking China’s domestic and international markets, supporting the country’s new growth model. The province is now seen as a frontier for China’s opening-up, a vibrant hub for regional cooperation, and a new driver of economic globalization.

Feng mentioned that Hainan has maintained strong ties with the countries represented by the visiting diplomats and sees great potential for future collaboration. He views the visit as a chance to strengthen practical cooperation across sectors such as tropical agriculture, science and technology innovation, cultural exchange, and green, low-carbon initiatives, paving the way for new mutually beneficial opportunities.

Diplomatic envoys and representatives from Cameroon, Dominica, Samoa, Latvia, Mozambique, South Africa, Spain, Ethiopia, and Thailand, as well as the Asia-Pacific Space Cooperation Organization (APSCO), spoke during the meeting.

They praised Hainan’s economic and social achievements and the progress of the Hainan FTP, noting that the visit provided them with a firsthand experience of the FTP’s vitality, growth prospects, and cultural richness, showcasing China’s firm dedication to opening up. With a view to creating new opportunities and sharing the benefits of progress, they committed to serving as bridges between Hainan and the global community by emphasizing the FTP’s policy advantages and development potential, and by fostering closer cooperation in trade, agriculture, science and technology, tourism, environmental protection, and climate change, as well as people-to-people exchanges.

Diplomatic envoys from Croatia, Serbia, Niger, Senegal, Colombia, Kenya, Burkina Faso, Somalia, Bangladesh, Nicaragua, Cyprus, Palestine, Botswana, São Tomé and Príncipe, Ireland, Qatar, Vietnam, Madagascar and Kazakhstan, together with representatives of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), officials from the Protocol Department of China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Wang Bin, Chief of the Publicity Department of the CPC Hainan Provincial Committee, attended the meeting.