A themed news conference was held in Changchun, capital of Jilin province, on Aug 29 to promote the Hainan Free Trade Port in northeastern China provinces and expand cooperation. [Photo provided to en.hainan.gov.cn]

A themed news conference was held in Changchun, capital of Jilin province, on Aug 29 to promote the Hainan Free Trade Port in northeastern China provinces and expand cooperation.

At the event — "Building the Hainan Free Trade Port with High Standards (Changchun)" organized by the Information Office of Hainan Province, Wang Xuehao, deputy director of the Hainan Provincial Department of Business Environment Development, summed up the commitment by China’s southernmost Hainan province to global investors in one sentence — "Once you arrive in Hainan, things become easier".

Behind this statement is Hainan’s ongoing efforts to enhance its services for foreign-invested enterprises and foreign nationals.

As the Hainan Free Trade Port continues to develop, policies such as EF accounts and "zero tariffs" are being implemented more rapidly — attracting increasing international investment.

To build a world-class, market-oriented, law-based and internationalized business environment, Hainan is pursuing institutional opening-up while improving services for foreign-invested enterprises — and addressing the needs of foreign nationals who invest, work and live in the province.

In April this year, Hainan issued the Three-Year Action Plan for Optimizing Foreign-Related Services and Enhancing the International Business Environment in Hainan Province — outlining a range of measures covering investment, healthcare and education.

Hainan has also established a mechanism that enables foreign nationals to serve as experience officers — regularly evaluating public services and providing feedback to help improve them.

 
So far this year, more than 200 issues have been identified and addressed — covering areas such as investment, employment, tourism, healthcare, payments and transportation.

Online services have become more convenient. Launched in December 2025, the Hainan Free Trade Port International Services portal now provides one-stop government services to foreign-invested enterprises and foreign nationals by integrating or redirecting to the services of 29 websites and platforms in the province.

It offers multilingual services including policy information, consultations and online government services. It’s connected with the international services section of the Haiyiban platform — providing foreign nationals with 44 frequently used government services, including work permits and residence permits.

The portal is also connected with the 12345 government service hotline, which provides services in seven languages.

Payments and daily life services continue to markedly improve. Hainan now supports the use of more than 40 e-wallets from 17 countries across the island province. Major international payment cards, including Visa cards, can be used conveniently at major retail and commercial venues.

A total of 90 educational institutions and schools across Hainan can now provide education for the children of foreign nationals. In addition, 36 medical institutions have established international clinics, offering both online and on-site appointments and medical services.

Entry into Hainan is becoming much more convenient. Hainan has implemented visa-free entry facilitation measures for the citizens of 88 countries — further facilitating international travel and exchanges.

Hainan is also strengthening its communications between the government departments and foreign-invested enterprises through regular roundtable meetings and other mechanisms.

All in all, these efforts are helping the government better understand the needs of enterprises and to provide support for foreign-invested enterprises operating in Hainan — fostering a fair and competitive business environment.

Wang said that Hainan would continue to align itself with high-standard international economic and trade rules — and respond to the needs of foreign-invested enterprises and foreign nationals.

Moving forward, the province will further improve its international business environment and lay a solid foundation for the high-standard development and high-level opening-up of the Hainan Free Trade Port.