TouristsenjoythebeautifulsceneryinHaikouBeachPark.SincetheestablishmentofaspecialeconomiczoneinHainanin1988,thesouthernmostprovinceinChinahasembarkedonanewjourneyofreformandopeningupfor30years.byQinBin
1998:AstreamofvisitorsattheentranceofEver-GreenPark,atropicalseasideecologicalparkinHaikou,withanoticeablemassiveportraitofDengXiaoping.InJune1987,DengXiaoping,thechiefarchitectofChina’sreformandopeningup,proposedtheideaofestablishingaspecialeconomiczoneinHainan.byChenXiaoying/XinhuaSinceHainanProvincewasdesignatedasaspecialeconomiczone(SEZ)in1988,thissouthernmostprovinceinChinahasbeencommittedtothereformandopeningupfor30yearsstraight.
Fromthedayswhen“100,000talentswenttoHainan”tothecurrentconstructionofaninternationaltourismisland,thethirty-yearhistoryofthesouthernChineseislandrepresentsabrilliantchapterofChina’sreformandopeningup.Thethreedecadesofvaluableexperienceandtemperedmemorieshavebecomepricelessassetsforthefuturegrowthofthecountry.
WildIslandtoSpecialEconomicZone
Asearlyas110B.C.,rulersoftheHanDynasty(202B.C.-A.D.220)exercisedjurisdictionoverHainanIslandandformallyannexeditintoChineseterritory.Consideringancientproductionmethods,thepeopleofHainanenduredaharshtropicalmonsoonclimatefeaturingperpetualsummer.Foralongtime,itwasconsideredasawildlandandsawlittlefundamentalchangeuntilveryrecently.
In1979,shortlyafterChinaimplementedthereformandopening-uppolicies,thecountrybegantosetupSEZsinShenzhenandZhuhaialongthesoutheasterncoastinabidtoexplorenewdevelopmentpaths.
InJune1987whilemeetingwithforeignguests,DengXiaoping,chiefarchitectofChina’sreformandopeningup,firstproposedtheideaofestablishingaspecialeconomiczoneinHainan.Heasserted,“IfHainanIslandbecamedeveloped,itwouldbearemarkableplace.”
OnApril13,1988,thefirstsessionofthe7thNationalPeople’sCongresspassedtheDecisiononEstablishingHainanProvinceandtheResolutiononEstablishingaSpecialEconomicZoneinHainan.
OnApril26,theHainanProvincialCPC(CommunistPartyofChina)CommitteeandtheHainanProvincialPeople’sGovernmentwereformallyinaugurated,makingittheyoungestprovinceandthelargestSEZinthecountry.
Sinceitsestablishment,theHainanSEZhasachievedbreakthroughsinmanyareas:pioneeringtheimplementationofthesocialistmarketeconomy,leadingthereformoftheadministrativemanagementsystemcharacterizedbythepolicyof“smallgovernment,bigsociety,”andhoningthecountry’simplementationofthevisa-on-arrivalpolicy,allofwhichhaveguidedthedevelopmentofreformandopeningupinrelatedfieldsinChina.
InApril2013,XiJinping,generalsecretaryoftheCPCCentralCommittee,emphasizedthatHainan,asthecountry’slargestSEZ,maintainsmanyadvantagesandgreatpotentialfordevelopment,duringhistourtoHainanProvince.HeencouragedtheprovincetostrivetobecomeapowerfulexampleforthepracticeofsocialismwithChinesecharacteristics.
Hainanhaskickedoffanewroundofreformandopening-uppracticesandexplorations:
•Becomealeaderincarryingouta“multiple-regulation-as-one”reformatprovinciallevelbyplanningitsconstructionasalarge-scalescenicareaandabigmetropolitanzone.
•Launchanewroundofreformoftheagriculturallandreclamationsystemtodivorceenterprisesfromadministration,whichdrasticallystimulatesthevitalityoflandreclamation.
•Fullyimplementthereformofthejudicialsystem.
•Continuouslyfurtherthereformofthecommercialsystemandimprovethebusinessenvironment.
•Pioneeracampaigntobuildan“All-For-One”TourismDemonstrationProvince.
Afteritsdesignationasthecountry’slargestSEZ,Hainanhasgeneratednewideasandblazednewtrailsforeconomicdevelopment.
Overthepast30years,Hainan’smajoreconomicindicatorshavemultiplieddozenstohundredsoftimes.
Comparedto1987justbeforeitwasfirstestablishedasaprovince,in2017,Hainansawa22-foldincreaseinitsregionalGDP,anincreaseof226.8timesinlocalgeneralpublicbudgetrevenuesandariseof30.3timesand24.7timesintheincomesofurbanandruralresidents,respectively.
April13,2018:ChinesePresidentXiJinpingshakeshandswithvillagersduringhisvisittoShichaVillage,ShishanTown,XiuyingDistrict,Haikou.UndertheleadershipoftheCommunistPartyofChina(CPC)CentralCommitteewithGeneralSecretaryXiJinpingatthecore,Hainanhaslaunchedanewroundofpracticeandexplorationofreformandopeningupsincethe18thCPCNationalCongressin2012.byXieHuanchi/Xinhua
1988:WorkersarriveinHainanviaferry.HainanProvinceattractedanenormouslaborforcefromaroundChinawhenthespecialeconomiczonewasestablishedthroughaseriesofmeasurestocarryoutthereformandopeningup.byHuangYiming/VCG
1988:YoungworkersfromacrossChinahuntforjobsinHainan.byHuangYiming/VCG1991:ThecrowdofjobhuntersatarecruitingwindowinHainan.byHuangYiming/VCG
1991:AnaerialviewofbustlingjobhuntersonastreetinHainan.byHuangYiming/VCGClosedtoOpen
ChiFulin,presidentoftheHainan-basedChinaInstituteofReformandDevelopment,notedinaninterviewthatHainanisanislandeconomicentity.Hainancouldnothavethestrengthitdoestodaywithoutthereformandopening-uppolicies.
Openingupdemandsmoderninfrastructure.Hainanhasacceleratedconstructionofaroadnetwork,fiber-opticnetwork,gasnetwork,waternetwork,andpowergrid.
Intermsofroads,theworld’sfirstround-islandhigh-speedrailbeganoperationinHainanin2015.ItnowtakesthreehourstomakeafullcirclearoundHainanIsland.In2016,BoaoAirportwascompletedandopened.Twolargerairports,MeilanandPhoenix,arecurrentlyunderreorganizationandexpansion,andtheconstructionofanexpresswaynetworkhasstarted.
Intermsofinternetaccess,bytheendof2017,99.9percentofHainan’scitiesandtownsand2,573administrativevillageshadbeencoveredbyafiber-opticbroadbandnetwork,andalladministrativevillagesreceived4Gsignals.
Asfarasthegasnetworkisconcerned,thewesternlineofthenaturalgaspipelinenetworkhasbeencompleted,andtheconstructionoftheeasternlinehasstartedandisexpectedtobeginoperationbytheendof2020.
ConstructionoftheHonglingKeyWater-ControlProjecthasfinished,andworkonlarge-scalewaterconservancyprojectssuchastheHonglingIrrigationDistrictandtheNanduRiverWaterDiversionhasaccelerated.Thesetwoprojectsareexpectedtoprovidehighlyefficientwater-savingirrigationformorethan15,000hectaresoffarmland.
Asforthepowergrid,multichannelpowersupplymeasuressuchashydropower,thermalpower,nuclearpowerandwindpowerhavebeenimplementedinHainan.Today,allvillagesintheprovincehavereliableelectricity.
Today,Hainanhasopeneditsdoorwidertotheoutsideworldandenjoyscontinuouslygrowinginternationalization.Itcanbereachedby58internationalairroutes,337domesticandinternationalcargoroutesand14cruiseroutes.Taxfreeshoppingpoliciesontheislandhaveresultedinanamplifyingeffect.Theprovinceoffersvisa-freeandlandingvisasfor26countriesandhasestablishedfriendlytieswith56citiesinotherpartsoftheworld.
In2017,thevolumeofHainan’sannualinboundtouristsexceededonemillion,reachingthetargetsetbytheprovincialgovernmentthreeyearsaheadofschedule.
Openinguprequiresasoundinvestmentenvironment.
OnFebruary5,2018,theWallStreetJournalpublishedastorytitled“AdministrativeApprovalReforminHainantoAttractOverseasInvestment,”whichreportedthatRussianITengineerDenisKleszkovsubmittedabusinessregistrationapplicationformtoalocaladministrationat5:00p.m.andobtainedthelicensethenextmorning,stunningtheapplicantandhisshareholders.LikethisRussiancompany,manyforeigninvestorshaveexperiencedHainan’sdeterminationtooptimizethebusinessenvironmenttoattractinvestmentfromoverseas.
Openinguprequiresabeautifulecologicalandculturalenvironment.
Overthelastfewyears,Hainanhaslaunchedaseriesofstrategiccampaignsincludingestablishingan“All-For-One”TourismDemonstrationProvinceandimplementingtheBeautifulHainaninitiative.
Withfocusonthedevelopmentoflivableandtourism-orientedprojectsaswellasthepromotionoftheintegrationofecology,productionandlife,theprovincehasalreadyestablished406uniquelyfeaturedvillagesandaimstohavemorethan1,000by2020.
Hainanhasamendedtheassessmentprioritiesof12citiesandcountiestofocusonresidents’incomeandtheecologicalenvironment.Inthisway,morespaceisopenfortransformingdevelopmentpatternssothatHainanersandpeoplefromotherpartsoftheworldsharethebenefitsofitsfavorableecologicalenvironment.
Overthepast30years,thejourneyofHainan’sreformandopeninguphasonlyjustbegun.
AsspecifiedbyLiuCigui,secretaryoftheHainanProvincialCPCCommittee,throughcontinuousopeningandcooperation,HainanwillbecomeabigwindowshowcasingChina’seffortstobuildacommunityofasharedfutureformankindandrealizetheChineseDreamofthegreatrejuvenationoftheChinesenation.
TheworldcanexpectHainan’sreformandopeningupintheneweratocontinueimprovingandexpanding.UnderthestrongleadershipoftheCPCCentralCommitteewithXiJinpingatthecore,theprovincehasitsbestdaysaheadthankstothereformandopeningup.
December30,2015:Stretchingto653kilometers,HainanRoundaboutHigh-SpeedRail,thefirstofitskindintheworld,beginsfulloperation,connectingalmosteveryfamousscenicspotandmajorcityintheprovince.byYangGuanyu/Xinhua