People attend an event promoting China's Hainan Free Trade Port in Jakarta, Indonesia, on Feb. 17, 2023. (Xinhua/Xu Qin)
HAIKOU, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- The government of south China's Hainan has recently wrapped up a promotional tour outside the province, part of a broader heightening of exchanges aimed at enhancing high-level opening-up.
Since Feb. 15, Hainan authorities have hosted a series of promotional events in Southeast Asian countries and regions, including Indonesia, Vietnam and Thailand, as well as in Hong Kong, covering trade, investment and tourism.
The provincial government delegation communicated with local officials, and paid visits to local enterprises to deepen commercial ties with Hainan. A slew of agreements were inked during the tour, the government said.
Huang Chunguang, president of Hainan Chunguang Foodstuff Co., Ltd., said that the visit helped his company clinch new deals in Indonesia, as well as making new friends.
"The promotional events truly allowed many companies in the ASEAN member states to get to know the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) better, and boosted the confidence of Hainan companies," said an employee with Hainan Rubber Group.
The exchanges are also part of the efforts to speed up the construction of the Hainan FTP.
China released a master plan in June 2020 to build the island province into a globally influential and high-level FTP by the middle of the century. It aims to build Hainan into an international tourism and consumption center by 2025, and a globally influential tourism and consumption destination by 2035.
Following China's optimization of its COVID-19 response, Hainan is sparing no efforts on enhancing exchanges. For instance, the provincial capital Haikou has resumed its international passenger flight route with Bangkok, and opened a new air-cargo service connecting with Incheon in the Republic of Korea. ■