HAINAN, China - Hainan Island is rapidly establishing itself as one of China's most attractive locations for tourists and investors from around the globe.
This tropical paradise has much to offer, from stunning natural beauty to rich cultural experiences, making it an idyllic spot for a vacation. Hainan Island boasts an enchanting landscape characterized by its pristine beaches, lush rainforests, and rugged mountains. The island enjoys a tropical climate, allowing for year-round outdoor activities.
Hainan’s allure extends beyond tourism. The island is increasingly seen as an attractive opportunity for investors due to the Chinese government's efforts to promote Hainan as an international free trade zone. This initiative aims to transform the island into a global tourism and investment hub, fostering a favorable business environment.
A group of nearly a dozen foreign journalists engaged in a media exchange initiative facilitated by the China International Press Communication Center (CIPCC), traveled to Hainan to obtain firsthand knowledge of China's progress.
From the moment we arrived in Hainan, the warmth and friendliness of the local people enveloped us like a warm blanket. The community in this tropical paradise welcomed us with open arms, treating us as if we were their own family.
As a journalist from Iran and a representative of the Tehran Times, I was part of the eleven-member delegation that explored Hainan from March 24 to March 30, 2025.
We arrived in Haikou from Beijing on March 24 and toured the headquarters of a prominent civil aviation maintenance base. The journalists participated in discussions with officials of Hainan Free Trade Port's one-stop aircraft maintenance industrial base regarding its accomplishments.
The Chinese comprehensive aircraft maintenance industrial base aims to leverage the advantages provided by the Hainan port policy to expand the aircraft maintenance industry. Its goal is to create an advanced and intelligent aircraft maintenance platform that serves the international market.
The facility has the potential to transform into a global hub of aircraft maintenance center.
On Tuesday, the reporters visited the Wenchang Aerospace Supercomputing Center to investigate the advancements in quality productivity being fostered by the Hainan Free Trade Port.
Yeshi Yang, Chairman of Wenchang Aerospace Supercomputing Smart Technology Co., Ltd., threw a spotlight on its distinctive feature.
“Compared with all other supercomputing centers, the biggest feature of Wenchang supercomputing center is that we are actually operating in the aerospace industry and we are providing services for entities operating in the aerospace industry,” he said.
The Wenchang Aerospace Supercomputing Center stands as a leading initiative at the intersection of aerospace and advanced computing, playing a crucial role in advancing aerospace research and fostering technological innovation. This advanced facility marks a significant leap forward in China's technological landscape, specifically designed to support aerospace research endeavors.
On the same day, we participated in a sub-forum of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2025, which took place in the town of Boao from March 25 to 28, during which government officials, business leaders, and scholars worldwide called for stronger cooperation among Asian countries.
Delivering a speech at Global Free Trade Port Development Forum, Zhou Xiaochuan, vice chairman of the BFA, said Asian countries need to unite in opposing unilateralism and trade protectionism and uphold true multilateralism.
Ban Ki-moon, chairman of the BFA and former UN chief, also took the podium saying the event with both the scale and the level of participation, serves as a strong testament to the significance of free trade and globalization.
On Wednesday, the leading vehicle testing facility in Hainan Province, welcomed CIPCC journalists to offer them an in-depth understanding of its operations.
Officials at the Hainan Automobile Proving Ground in Qionghai stated that their goal is to ensure that vehicles tested at this facility comply with the highest quality standards and meet all necessary regulations prior to their market release.
CIPCC journalists were given the chance to travel on a Hongqi minibus to explore the testing facility. Initially, we embarked on a high-speed track to assess the car's reliability. This track featured three lanes, each with designated speed limits of 80 km/h, 120 km/h, and 150 km/h, respectively. Our minibus maneuvered through all three lanes, tackling curves, inclines, and declines to evaluate its steering, braking, and anti-gravity systems. It also encountered bumps, creating a sensation akin to being in a washing machine. The experience resembled an amusement park ride, but with a scientific purpose! It thoroughly challenged the minibus, which ultimately performed admirably.
Participating in a BFA panel discussion was scheduled for Wednesday. During the event, I had the honor of conducting an exclusive interview with Professor Jeffrey Sachs, who serves as the Director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University.
The prominent American economist told me that the trade war initiated by President Donald Trump's administration against China will fall flat.
“Well I think the trade war is very self-defeating for the United States. So I don’t think that it will impede China but it will hurt the United States. All these tariffs that the US is putting on will make the US less competitive and will lower living standards. It will lower confidence in the US economy so I think it is a self-defeating policy,” the world- renowned US economist said.
The US administration has imposed levies of 20 percent on Chinese imports since Trump’s return to the White House on January 20. In response, China has imposed duties of up to 15% on a range of US agricultural products.
On Thursday, the 11 journalists from the CIPCC were among other domestic and international reporters, who attended the BFA's opening ceremony. In a speech, Chinese Vice Premier Ding emphasized the importance of bolstering mutual trust, fostering win-win collaboration, advancing economic globalization, protecting the free trade system, and resisting trade protectionism.
Bangladeshi interim government's Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus also took the podium in the opening ceremony highlighting the importance of promoting multilateralism.
Later on Thursday, the CIPCC journalists were granted a rare opportunity to engage with Yunus at his residence in Boao.
Yunus commended China’s “important role” in the advancement of multilateralism urging Asian countries to raise their voices to ensure they are not monopolized by big powers. He also called for reforming the UN system in a bid to bring an end to the era of unilateralism.
On Friday, journalists from the CIPCC toured the Hainan Tanka Boat People Museum to gain insights into how the cultural resources of the Tanka Boat People are facilitating the integration of culture and tourism in the province. Visiting the Li'an International Education Innovation Pilot Zone also offered us firsthand insight into how Hainan's higher education is becoming more accessible to the global community.
On Friday, we travelled to Sanya, located in Hainan Island’s most southern tip. The CMG Global Chinese Programming Center in partnership with the Hainan Provincial Foreign Affairs Office in Sanya organized a media exchange event titled "New Quality Productive Forces and Chinese Modernization".
At the event, journalists participated in in-depth conversations with executives and technical experts from leading companies that highlighted China's state-of-the-art advancements in new quality productive forces. They were able to witness firsthand several of China's most sophisticated technologies, including artificial intelligence, intelligent robotics, and visual effects technology. This gathering emphasized China's remarkable accomplishments in driving scientific innovation and successfully communicated the new vision of Chinese modernization to an international audience.
We ended our trip on Sunday and returned to Beijing. From the moment we arrived in Hainan, the warmth and friendliness of the local people enveloped us like a warm blanket. The community in this tropical paradise welcomed us with open arms, treating us as if we were their own family. This experience taught me that no matter where you're from, kindness and openness can bridge cultural divides. It's truly a gem for both tourism and investment, one that deserves global recognition.
The CIPCC’s media exchange program for the first half of 2025 began in late February and will run until July. This year’s program has seen an unprecedented invitation extended to over 120 journalists from more than 100 countries.
