40 years of development: Hainan Special Economic Zone

Photo taken shows the fishing boats berthed at the Tanmen port in Tanmen Town of Qionghai City, south China's Hainan Province, on Aug. 18, 2020.(Meng Zhongde/Guangming Picture)

As the largest special economic zone in China, the Island of Hainan in southern China has witnessed significant development since the founding of Hainan Province and Hainan Special Economic Zone in 1988.

The youngest province of China, once under the jurisdiction of Guangdong Province, was a less developed region at the beginning, accounting for less than 1% of national economy volume. Compared to 4 special economic zones in Guangdong, Hainan was facing one of the most difficult challenges as it was heavily reliant on agriculture and had a relatively weak economic foundation.

Photo taken shows a view of the Wanquanhe River in Qionghai, south China's Hainan Province, on Aug. 20, 2020.(Meng Zhongde/Guangming Picture)

The government of Hainan, under this circumstance, proposed a concept of “one province and two bases” on the basis of its abundant natural sources and unique geological location, aiming at turning this region into an industrial province with its tropical agriculture developing and tourism flourishing.

With great efforts put into this island, gross domestic product (GDP) of the province hit 483.21 billion yuan (about 69.85 billion dollars) in 2018, increased by 23.1 times as compared with that of 1987. General budget revenue in 2018 hit 75.27 billion yuan (about 10.88 billion dollars), 253.3 times as much as that of 1987. Not only has the volume of its economy increased, but its industrial structure has also been optimized during the past thirty years as the proportion of the three industries changed to 22.0∶22.3∶55.7 in 2017. The proportion of its tertiary industry, among them, contributed 55.7 percent to its economic growth, an increase of 8.8 percent compared to the proportion five years ago.

Photo taken shows Hainan roundabout high-speed railway in south China's Hainan Province, on Oct. 7, 2018.(Meng Zhongde/Guangming Picture)

Its economy not only grew in domestic market, but has also been boosted via opening-up policy. The southern-most island province of China won the central government’s approval to develop itself into an international tourism island in 2010. Hainan has integrated with the global economy and foreign economic and trade exchanges have become increasingly close, with total imports and exports increasing by 42.6 times, and service trade has become a new growth highlight.

In order to ensure the economic development in the island, the local government accumulated investment in fixed assets has exceeded 3 trillion yuan (about 433.8 billion dollars) since its founding, of which infrastructure investment has exceeded 610 billion yuan (about 88.21 billion dollars), which has greatly improved the infrastructure with the “five networks” as the mainstay. The one and only Hainan roundabout high-speed railway was put into use for the first time 10 years ago, accelerating the formation of air-port transportation model of “two mains and two branches linking the four corners of the island”.

Photo taken shows a duty-free shop in Haikou, south China's Hainan Province, on Aug. 6, 2020.(Meng Zhongde/Guangming Picture)

Meanwhile, Hainan always adheres to people-centered development. In 2018, the per capita disposable income of permanent residents reached 24,579 yuan, and the income of urban and rural residents increased by 32.8 times and 26.9 times respectively.

Striving for a giant leap in economy, Hainan also attach great significance to ecology and environment protection. Six special projects for environment improvement continued to be carried out in this beautiful island. The proportion of good air quality days in the province increased to 99.7% during the past two years, and the overall rate of superior surface water quality was 92.3%, and the overall soil environmental quality was also good.

Photo taken shows farmers work at a farmland in Qionghai City, south China's Hainan Province, on Aug. 22, 2020.(Meng Zhongde/Guangming Picture)

As Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, pointed out at a gathering celebrating the 30th anniversary of the founding of Hainan Province and the Hainan Special Economic Zone, “The success of special economic zones such as Hainan has proved that the basic theories, lines and policies of the Communist Party of China (CPC) formed since the third plenary session of the 11th CPC Central Committee were entirely right.”

The president also announced a decision to develop the island of Hainan into a pilot free trade zone at the same gathering, which ensuring the southern-most island higher-level opening-up policies.

Under the strong leadership of the Central Committee of the CPC and with great support from the whole country, Hainan is believed to embrace a brighter future in the next decades.