President Xi Jinping Urges Hainan to Lead in Advancing Chinese Modernization

Hainan, The Gulf Observer: Chinese President Xi Jinping has called on China’s southernmost province of Hainan to strive toward a new chapter in advancing Chinese modernization.

Xi, who also serves as general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks after receiving work reports from the CPC Hainan Provincial Committee and the provincial government on Tuesday afternoon.

Commending Hainan’s achievements across various sectors, Xi outlined clear directives for the province’s future development. He emphasized Hainan’s strategic role as defined by the central government, including its designation as a pilot zone for comprehensively deepening reform and opening up, a pilot zone for national ecological civilization, a center for international tourism consumption, and a service zone for implementing major national strategies.

Xi stressed the importance of advancing key reforms and aligning with international high-level economic and trade standards. He urged the province to vigorously promote systematic opening up, foster a first-class business environment that is market-oriented, governed by the rule of law, and internationalized, and strengthen the Hainan Free Trade Port’s role as a gateway for China’s new-era opening up.

Highlighting the significance of international cooperation, Xi called for enhancing exchanges and functional integration with free trade zones in countries and regions participating in the Belt and Road Initiative.

Xi also underscored the need to enhance public welfare, ensuring inclusive public services, meeting essential needs, and safeguarding basic living standards for vulnerable populations. He emphasized stability in employment and the prevention of any resurgence of poverty.

As New Year’s Day and the Spring Festival approach, Xi urged local governments to ensure the availability of essential goods, such as “rice bags” and “vegetable baskets,” and to maintain steady production and supply.

Hainan has already begun reaping benefits from its “zero tariff” policy on imported production equipment, vehicles, and raw materials. The province is also accelerating its transformation into a world-class travel destination, with tourism revenue in 2023 increasing by over 70 percent.

Xi’s directives set a clear roadmap for Hainan to serve as a pivotal force in China’s ongoing modernization and opening-up strategy.