Media Tour Witnesses Chinese Modernization in Hainan FTP

HAIKOU, China, Dec. 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- From November 27 to December 1, a group made up of more than 60 reporters, overseas communication officers, and social media personalities got their chance to witness the development of the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) up close, as they visited key industrial parks and marveled at the beautiful countryside in south China's Hainan Province.

One of the FTP's key industrial parks, the Li'an International Education Innovation Pilot Zone in Lingshui is home to 10 domestic and 12 Sino-foreign collaborative universities. Li'an is built on the "large sharing + small colleges" model, where all students share public facilities while each university has exclusive teaching buildings tailored to its unique academic culture and disciplines.

"This is a very open model. Not only does it mean making the best use of space, but also breaking down the barriers between schools, allowing the best educational concepts from China and other countries to be integrated here," explained British social media personality Toby Symonds.

In the Medical Products Exhibition Hall at Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone, Pakistani Mujahid Muheet was blown away by each marvel he laid his eyes on.

Muheet currently co-manages a medical device company in Pakistan. He learned that the Lecheng Pilot Zone is China's only "medical special zone" and enjoys preferential policies in pilot medical treatment and international medical exchanges. In the zone, he saw potential business opportunities for his firm, gladly exclaiming he "would be bringing his business here."

"Internet celebrity" Sajjad Alqazzaz, an international student from Iraq, showed a keen interest in Hainan's rural revitalization work. In Bohou Village in Sanya, Sajjad was deeply moved by the village's swift turnaround from poverty to prosperity. This once-destitute village began renting land to enterprises just over a decade ago. They improved the soil, planted roses, and developed the village into a rose-adorned scenic spot popular with tourists. The village has also taken abandoned homes and turned them into guesthouses, and now boasts a thriving B&B industry.

This year marks the fifth year since the Hainan FTP came into being. As a crucial gateway of China's continued opening up in the new era, Hainan is a key locale for the practice of Chinese modernization.