The tide rises in the southern sea, a new highland of openness.

At the northwestern tip of Hainan Island, the Haikou Xin Hai Port, like a roc poised for flight, calmly awaits the arrival of a historic moment.

On December 18, 2025, the Hainan Free Trade Port officially commenced island-wide customs closure operations.

This date holds special significance. On December 18, 1978, the Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China convened, heralding the beginning of reform and opening-up.

“We have steadfastly followed the path of reform and opening-up with Chinese characteristics, step by step, to reach this point.” The planning, deployment, and promotion of the Hainan Free Trade Port’s construction have been personally overseen.

The journey to this point has been marked by bold exploration and unwavering commitment.

From the establishment of China’s largest Special Economic Zone—the Hainan Special Economic Zone—in 1988, to the solemn announcement of the vision to build a “Free Trade Port with Chinese Characteristics” in April 2018, to the new voyage of the Hainan Free Trade Port today, the timeline records the surging waves of China’s reform and opening-up, witnessing the door of openness opening ever wider.

The future we are stepping towards is filled with an open and inclusive mindset and a resolute determination to forge ahead.

The construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port has been written into the proposals for the 15th Five-Year Plan and included among the eight key tasks for next year’s economic work as outlined in the Central Economic Work Conference. The Free Trade Port, the highest-level form of openness in the world today, is taking root, sprouting, and thriving on the promising land of Hainan Island.

“In the past, our opening-up was about ‘catching up.’ Now, our opening-up aims to ‘lead.'”

This reflects the composure of a major country determined to manage its own affairs well and the strategic initiative to unswervingly expand high-level opening-up. In this “historical process of progressive advancement and continuous development,” an open China seizes opportunities and strives tirelessly.

Positioning—

“The strategic goal is to build the Hainan Free Trade Port into an important gateway leading China’s opening-up in the new era.”

The decision to build the Hainan Free Trade Port is a major strategic decision made with a view to comprehensively deepening reform and opening-up in the new era.

Early in his career at the local level, there was deep consideration given to free trade port construction.

In June 1985, a new role was assumed in Xiamen as a member of the Standing Committee of the Municipal Party Committee and Executive Vice Mayor. In the same month, the State Council approved the expansion of the Xiamen Special Economic Zone to the entire island and the gradual implementation of certain free port policies.

How to fully, accurately, and thoroughly grasp and implement the central leadership’s intent, to run the special zone “faster and better”?

Based on in-depth investigation and research, leadership was provided in formulating the “Xiamen Economic and Social Development Strategy (1985-2000),” proposing a “three-step” strategic vision to build Xiamen into a “free port-type special economic zone.” This was the initial exploration of a free port development path with Chinese characteristics.

Today, Xiamen has undergone earth-shaking changes, transforming from a small coastal defense town into a high-quality, aesthetically pleasing, modern, and international city.

Forging a “testing ground” for reform and opening-up in the new era.

On August 27, 2013, a meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee was held to hear a report on the preparations for the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone.

On September 29, 2013, China’s first Pilot Free Trade Zone—the Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone—set sail.

“The Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone is a large testing ground. We must sow good seeds, cultivate them meticulously, manage them carefully, expect a good harvest, and promote the experience of cultivating these good seeds.” This was emphasized during an inspection in Shanghai in May 2014.

2018 marked the 40th anniversary of China’s reform and opening-up and the 30th anniversary of Hainan’s establishment as a province and special economic zone. Advancing reform and opening-up demanded greater depth and breadth than before.

“Support Hainan in gradually exploring and steadily advancing the construction of a Free

Hainan Island

Hainan Island is China’s southernmost province, often called the “Hawaii of China” for its tropical beaches and resorts. Historically, it served as a remote frontier and exile location, but its modern development accelerated after being designated a Special Economic Zone in 1988 and, more recently, a major free-trade port. It is also the home of the indigenous Li and Miao ethnic groups, whose cultures are distinct from mainland China.

Haikou Xin Hai Port

Haikou Xin Hai Port is a historic port in Haikou, Hainan, China, originally built in the Song Dynasty (c. 10th-13th centuries) and later expanded. It served as a crucial maritime gateway for trade and migration, particularly during the waves of Chinese emigration to Southeast Asia in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Today, it remains an active port and a recognized cultural site, symbolizing Hainan’s long history as a hub of maritime exchange.

Hainan Free Trade Port

The Hainan Free Trade Port is a major economic development zone established in 2018 on Hainan Island, China, with the goal of creating a globally influential free trade port by the mid-21st century. It builds upon the island’s history as a special economic zone and is designed to offer liberalized trade, investment, and financial policies to attract international business. The initiative represents China’s highest level of openness, aiming to transform Hainan into a key hub for tourism, modern services, and high-tech industries.

Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China

The Third Plenary Session of the 11th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, held in December 1978, was a landmark meeting that initiated the country’s “Reform and Opening-Up” policy. It marked a decisive shift away from the Cultural Revolution era, setting China on a new path of economic development and modernization under the leadership of Deng Xiaoping.

Hainan Special Economic Zone

The Hainan Special Economic Zone (SEZ) is a province-level special economic zone established in 1988 on Hainan Island in southern China. It was created to attract foreign investment and boost economic development through preferential policies, following the model of earlier SEZs like Shenzhen. In recent years, it has been further expanded and designated as a pilot free trade port, aiming to become a globally influential high-level free trade zone by the mid-21st century.

Xiamen Special Economic Zone

The Xiamen Special Economic Zone (SEZ), established in 1980, was one of the first four SEZs in China created to pilot market-oriented economic reforms and attract foreign investment. Located in Fujian Province, it transformed Xiamen from a modest coastal city into a major hub for international trade, finance, and high-tech industries. Its success became a model for China’s subsequent economic liberalization and rapid development.

China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone

The China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone (SHFTZ), established in 2013, is a pioneering economic reform area designed to test market liberalization and financial openness policies. It serves as a testing ground for major reforms in foreign investment, trade facilitation, and financial services, with successful practices often replicated nationwide. Its history marks a key milestone in China’s integration into the global economy and its domestic economic restructuring.

Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone

The Shanghai Pilot Free Trade Zone (SPFTZ), established in 2013, is a pioneering economic reform area in China designed to test market liberalization policies and attract foreign investment. It serves as a national testing ground for financial and regulatory innovations, such as easing currency controls and streamlining business approvals, before they are potentially implemented nationwide. Its history marks a key step in China’s ongoing economic opening and integration into the global trading system.