CHINA DAILY HONG KONG EDITION Tuesday, July 10, 2018 Focus | BUSINESS 15 Hainan eyes sustainable development route Island province moves away from dependence on real estatefocused growth, shifts toward tourism, modern service and hightech industries
By MA ZHIPING in Haikou [email protected]
Hainan Governor Shen Xiaoming reiterated that the province will wean itself away from too heavy a reliance on property, instead focusing on sustainable development in areas such as tourism, mod ern services and hightech industries, in line with the blueprint charted by the cen tral government. He made the comments at a provincial conference held recently in Haikou, the island province’s capital city. Miao ethnic group women wearing local costumes welcome visitors In early April, the central with traditional beverages during a celebration activity on April 2 to government unveiled plans to mark the 30th anniversary of Hainan being named a province and a build Hainan into a freetrade special economic zone. SHA XIAOFENG / FOR CHINA DAILY zone by 2020 and to establish a free trade port there by 2025. op tourism, modern service ulation of the housing prices The announcement came as and hightech industries to will be one of the challenges Hainan celebrated its 30th help turn the island into an the Hainan free trade zone will anniversary of being designat internationally influential have to face to manage the ed a province and special eco tourism center. development of its industries,” nomic zone. Hainan’s hightech indus said Liu Cheng, director of the The decision once again tries will highlight the devel investment department of the brought China’s southernmost opment of a national research China Urban Development and only tropical province to and breeding base for the agri Research Institute. the forefront of reform and cultural industry, a national “The excessively rapid rise openingup. It sparked a spec deepsea research base and an of housing prices will bring ulation craze that saw housing Two women pose for a photo at the beach of Wuzhizhou island in Sanya, Hainan province. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY international space city in negative effects to industrial prices skyrocket overnight Wenchang, which lies to the upgrading, which is not con despite cooling policies northeast of the island. Chi ducive to the internationaliza already being in place. years ago left many projects not to rely on property any necessary for vast real estate ing will be permanently for na’s first coastal space launch tion of Hainan. Construction In 1987, the year before across the island derelict, more for development, projects. bidden in the four ecologically ing center is also located in the of the pilot free trade zone Hainan was established as resulting in a huge number of according to governor Shen. The top Chinese leadership sensitive areas in the island’s city. requires significant systemic China’s only provinciallevel nonperforming bank loans He said the real estate has emphasized that houses central areas and along the Shen said Hainan will take support and real estate sup special economic zone, there and leaving many investors industry has made great con are for people to live in, not for coastlines, according to a pro the opportunity of building a port is an important aspect,” were few highquality build penniless. tributions to local economic speculative investments. vincial development program free trade zone to create a first Liu said. ings and hotels, its GDP was It took many years for Hain development. The sector The current situation of the approved by the State Council class business environment. It Li Minna, a professor with only 5.73 billion yuan ($864 an’s growth momentum to absorbs half of the investment realty sector does not fit the last year. will follow market rules strict the Institute of Economics million), and local fiscal reve pick back up, said Li Renjun, in Hainan and accounts for new role that Hainan is sup Under the plan, 33.5 percent ly; treat all companies equally, and Management of Hainan nue was less than 300 million president of the Hainan Insti half of its tax income. posed to play as a pioneer of of Hainan’s land areas and 35.1 no matter if they are State Normal University, said that yuan. tute of Industrial Economy But he said real estate is reform and openingup in the percent of its offshore areas owned, private, Chinese or for in the future, property buyers By 2017, Hainan’s GDP had with Hainan University. unsustainable as a pillar new era, Shen said. are delimited within ecologi eign; and encourage fair and from outside the island reached 446.25 billion yuan Thanks to its warm sun industry in Hainan. “We will never let Hainan cal protection lines as key eco orderly competition. should refrain from engaging and the local fiscal revenue hit shine, sandy beaches and trop On the one hand, its land become a real estate process function areas, and “The new positioning of in real estate speculation in 67.4 billion yuan, with the real ical resorts, Hainan has resources are nonrenewable ing plant,” the governor said, ecologically sensitive and frag Hainan as a free trade zone Hainan. Instead, they can estate industry accounting for become a popular place for and limited, and the need for adding Hainan has fixed ile areas. and free trade port will fully buy a house to improve their about half of GDP, according people to visit on holiday and houses from people outside guidelines to control the realty change the pattern of the prov own life and in the mean to official statistics. buy a house of their own in Hainan is limitless. On the sector’s growth in a scientific New agenda ince’s economic development, time, do their bit to help recent years. other hand, Hainan, as a cur and rational manner. Shen said Hainan will and is bound to attract global serve local economic and Lessons learnt Hainan’s latest tough cool rently underdeveloped prov Building residential hous make greater efforts to devel capital to Hainan. Proper reg social development. In the past, Hainan has ing measures are timely and ince, does not have sufficient learnt painful lessons from its necessary to prevent the mar economic resources to build overheated property market. ket becoming overheated once all the infrastructure and A housing bubble that burst 25 more, and reflect its resolve public services that would be Tropical paradise welcomes the world
By MA ZHIPING in Haikou
The tropical island province of Hainan is transforming into an international tourism desti nation in line with the central government’s development blueprint, focusing on upgrad ing its tourism products, infra structure and services. “Hainan needs internation ally popular tourism and entertainment offerings to provide visitors more options, to become an international tourism and consumer hub, and to enrich the Hainan free Customers queue to pay bills at a counter in a dutyfree shopping trade zone and port,” Hainan mall in Sanya, Hainan province. XINHUA Daily, a local paper, quoted a provincial cultural and sports affairs department official as Horse racing, a popular beautiful and quiet beaches saying recently. form of entertainment in that stretch to the horizon. The State Council released a many worldclass tourist des A 900kilometerlong, 13.5 plan in late 2009 to build tinations, is gaining traction billion yuan tourist road is Hainan into a global tourism in Hainan. The local authori under construction, which destination. Ever since, tour ties said they are in discus will connect the island’s 12 ism has been a pillar industry, sions with academic research major coastal cities and coun as the island is developing institutes and professional ties. Once complete, the road worldclass attractions to bodies to map a route forward will open up the beautiful entice visitors from across the for the healthy and orderly inland areas, featuring Hain world. development of the sport on an’s rainforests and wetlands, Hainan has been nurturing the island. and the traditional culture of the tourism industry, bringing A traditional aspect of Chi the Li and Miao ethnic groups, in highend products and nese culture and an interna said local tourism officials. upgrading its services to inter tionally popular sport, horse The provincial government national standards, to ensure racing is currently being recently released a develop visitors get a great travel expe developed in more than 80 ment program, which estimat rience, according to Sun Ying, countries and regions around ed that the province will director of the Hainan Provin the world. Experts said the receive 80 million visitors in cial Tourism Development sport will be a big boost to 2020, with total revenue hit Commission. tourism in Hainan. ting 100 billion yuan. Considered a holiday para Sanya, a resort city at the The province received more dise in China, Hainan will pri southern tip of Hainan island, than 67.45 million tourists in oritize the development of is known as China’s Florida. 2017, up 12.2 percent yearon large theme park projects, Cirque du Soleil staged its live year, contributing 81 billion rainforest theme parks and multimedia immersive show yuan in revenue, more than wetland national parks, cruise Toruk — The First Flight in the double the figures in 2013. tours, the performing arts, city for three months from Feb More than 1.1 million foreign islandspanning tourism ring 1 to May 1 this year. tourists visited Hainan last roads and improved interna Atlantis Sanya, a giant year, up nearly 50 percent tional tourism marketing, Sun entertainment complex built yearonyear. said. over 30 hectares with 11 billion As of May, the island prov A central government yuan ($1.66 billion), opened in ince offers visafree access for guideline released in April late April. It greets guests with tourists from 59 countries, said the authorities will back a largerthanlife water play expanding from 26 countries the province’s development of area, exotic marine exhibits previously. Hainan had 57 a national sports tourism and gourmet dining experien international air routes by the demonstration area, horse ces at Haitang Bay in north end of 2017 and plans to oper racing, and beach and water eastern Sanya. The world ate 100 international routes by sports. class resort area features 2020.