CHINA DAILY | HONG KONG EDITION Tuesday, January 8, 2019 | 3 TOP NEWS Hainan envisions Wintry fun creating medical tourism destination

By MA ZHIPING in Haikou cies, regulatory models and man­ [email protected] agement systems for investment, financing, fiscal and taxation, Southern China’s Hainan prov­ financial innovation, entry and ince has unveiled plans aimed at exit, to create a highland for medi­ building the tropical island into a cal tourism opening up. world­class medical tourism hub, Worldwide, increasing conve­ combining high­end medical tour­ nience in transportation, expan­ ism with characteristic Chinese sion of the internet and healthcare. improvement of people’s incomes The move follows a plan released have led to a booming medical a week ago by the National Devel­ tourism industry, which grows at opment and Reform Commission about 20 percent annually around to encourage tourism­related the globe. According to media activities in Hainan, such as medi­ reports, the business volume of cal tourism, horse racing, sports medical tourism jumped to $700 betting and an instant lottery. billion in 2017 from $10 billion in Focusing on four key areas — 2000. In China, more than medical treatment, medical cosme­ 600,000 people went overseas as tology, rehabilitation and health medical tourists in 2016. promotion — Hainan will intro­ As a demonstration project, duce internationally renowned launched in 2013 by the State institutions, insurance providers Council to explore international and intermediary service agencies medical tourism, Boao Lecheng to build a high­end foundation for International Medical Tourism Residents of Sujiatuo, a town in Beijing’s Haidian district, get ready for an ice dragon boat race on Monday. The town has organized a series the international medical tourism Pilot Zone has been granted nine of games to let people have fun with ice and snow. JU HUANZONG / XINHUA market, the plan said. special preferential policies In 10 years, Hainan is projected including permission to import to become a major medical tour­ medical technology, equipment ism destination with total annual and medicine, and cutting­edge business revenue reaching 40 bil­ technological research on stem lion yuan ($5.84 billion). cells before other parts of China. Eight major tourism projects Twenty­seven medical projects VP to attend forum in Davos will be developed, covering fields have been completed or are under such as cancer treatment and construction in the pilot zone, and rehabilitation, fertility therapy, another 38 projects have passed cardiovascular and cerebrovascu­ medical technology appraisals. Wang Qishan will deliver speech, share Beijing protests Xisha ing that China will continue to take lar disease treatment and rehabili­ Eight projects are now open. All China’s viewpoints, development plans incursion of US warship necessary measures to safeguard its tation, environmental healing and projects in the pilot zone are tar­ In another development, China sovereignty and security. sports recuperation, traditional geted to be completed within five lodged solemn representations with The guided­missile destroyer Chinese medicine and spiritual years. By MO JINGXI from various fields, Lu said. the United States for a US Navy war­ USS McCampbell sailed within 12 retreat. According to Shen, the pilot [email protected] “China is firmly confident that its ship trespassing on Monday into nautical miles of the Xisha Islands Medical tourism has become zone will first attract domestic economic fundamentals will remain China’s territorial waters off the on Monday, the same day that the one of the world’s fastest­growing patients who would otherwise Vice­President Wang Qishan will sound in the long term and the Chi­ Xisha Islands in the South China first round of face­to­face trade emerging industries, and Hainan travel abroad, and later patients attend the annual meeting of the nese economy will keep growing at Sea. talks between Beijing and Washing­ has unique conditions for develop­ from Southeast and even the World Economic Forum in Davos mid and high speed toward becom­ “China immediately sent military ton got underway in Beijing after ing it, Governor Shen Xiaoming whole of Asia. Last year, medical later this month, making further ing a medium and high­end econo­ vessels and aircraft to identify and President Xi Jinping and his US said on the sidelines of the Boao institutions in Sanya alone efforts to reiterate China’s view­ my,” Lu said at a regular news verify the US warship in accordance counterpart Donald Trump Forum for Asia Annual Confer­ received nearly 20,000 medical points and proposals on its develop­ conference in Beijing. with the law, and to warn it off,” Lu reached an agreement in Argentina ence 2018 in April. tourists from overseas. ment and major global issues. In response to some pessimistic said. on Dec 1. Under the plan, Hainan will tap “Hainan will first attract domes­ Wang will visit Switzerland from expectations on the Chinese econo­ The operation violated Chinese When asked about the US naval its characteristic resources of vast tic tourists with advantages of pri­ Jan 21 to 24 and deliver a speech at my, Lu noted that the general and related international laws, operation’s impact on the trade coastal areas, tropical rain forests ces, convenience, language and the WEF annual meeting, Foreign steady growth trend remains severely undermined China’s sover­ talks, Lu said resolving issues and hot springs to cultivate inno­ culture over outbound medical Ministry spokesman Lu Kang unchanged. eignty and jeopardized the peace, between the two sides, including vative healthcare and leisure prod­ tourism,’’ said Chen Yangle, a pro­ announced on Monday. “Despite some uncertainties and security and good order in those trade disputes, would benefit both ucts, and develop a high­end and fessor at Hainan University’s Tour­ Wang will also meet with Klaus destabilizing factors from the out­ waters, he said. countries as well as the world. characteristic medical tourism ism College. Schwab, founder and executive side environment, China’s develop­ “China firmly opposes the US “Both sides are responsible for service system. “The industry will also attract chairman of the forum, and ment has full tenacity and huge action and urges it to immediately creating the necessary positive It will strive to establish a com­ international medical institution exchange views with participants potential,” he said. stop such provocation,” he said, add­ atmosphere for this,” he added. plete healthcare tourism service investors. ... In the long run, there system that provides high­end, will also be comparative advanta­ precision medical treatment and ges for Hainan to attract medical high­quality specialty in medical tourists from southeast Asian CE: Housing policies not to be affected by ups and downs beauty and health promotion ser­ countries and other areas in terms vices, it said of natural environment, favorable To stimulate the industries, policies and convenient air servi­ By WANG FENG in Hong Kong 10 years. The policy had already The thorny housing problem is Hainan will explore flexible poli­ ces,’’ said Chen. [email protected] been announced in her administra­ still the toughest challenge in her tion’s Long Term Housing Strategy current term as chief executive, says Chief Executive Carrie Lam last month, which aims to increase Lam who assumed office on July 1, The current income Cheng Yuet­ngor said the policy public housing supply. 2017. upper limits for the changes she has made or is going to She said that the current income She said these drastic changes make regarding housing will not be upper limits for the Home Owner­ were viewed as bold moves and had Home Ownership affected by future property market ship Scheme and the Starter Homes never been done during previous Scheme and the turbulence. pilot project have already covered decades in Hong Kong. Starter Homes pilot Lam made this pledge in her first more than 80 percent of Hong Through these bold policy shifts, TV interview for the year on Mon­ Kong’s population — a level similar the CE hopes Hong Kong people will project have already day evening with newly launched to Singapore’s. appreciate that her administration covered more than 80 Hong Kong Open TV. Lam stressed that these policy remains committed to resolving the One of the radical policy shifts she adjustments will not change — issue. percent of Hong emphasized is to set the prices of regardless of ups and downs in the Lam also stressed that her Lantau Kong’s population — a subsidized housing projects based private property market. Tomorrow Vision, the massive recla­ on the affordability of Hong Kong She said that the private property mation project that would create level similar to residents — and not linked to mar­ prices have declined by 7 percent around 1,700 hectares of developa­ Singapore’s.” ket prices. since last August, which reflected ble land resources, will help create Another change is to revise the the peripheral economic conditions Hong Kong’s third core business dis­ Chief Executive Carrie Lam Foreigners learn to play the guzheng, a Chinese plucked string public­private housing units supply and were not directly related with trict after Central and Kowloon Cheng Yuet-ngor instrument, in October at a medical tourism center in Qionghai, split from 60:40 to 70:30 for the next the housing supply and demand. East. Hainan province, where visitors can get a taste of Chinese culture and medicine. YUAN CHEN / FOR CHINA DAILY Court awards $672,000 for faulty imprisonment Africa: Leaders welcome By CAO YIN highest amounts paid by a Chinese loss of personal tenced to death with a two­year [email protected] court in compensation for an over­ liberty. reprieve for the crime of intentional proposals, helping hands turned wrongful conviction since Qu said the rea­ homicide in July 1994. A man who spent 25 years in pris­ the 18th National Congress of the son that Liu’s 1.97 A year later, the Jilin High People’s on after being wrongly convicted of Communist Party of China in late million yuan Court upheld the ruling. Liu and his From page 1 Europe­Africa Forum, “China’s killing a woman in Northeast China 2012. award for mental family constantly appealed his con­ engagement in Africa is a good received 4.6 million yuan ($672,000) Liu’s lawyer, Qu Zhenhong, said anguish exceeded viction. Both sides should work togeth­ thing. China is very active in in compensation on Monday. on Monday, “I’m satisfied with the Liu Zhonglin the 35 percent In March 2012, the high court er to frustrate any attempt to hin­ Rwanda, but not in an inappropri­ Liu Zhonglin, a villager from Liao­ award, and I believe the money will was wrongly standard might be decided to rehear the case, but the der the development of China­ ate way. We know our capacity and yuan, Jilin province, was cleared of help my client solve some difficulties imprisoned because the court retrial did not begin until April Africa cooperation and jointly which Chinese proposals we the crime on appeal in April. A in life.” for 25 years had taken his 2016. At the time, Liu had been safeguard the legitimate rights should accept, so as not to be over­ month later, he applied for 16.6 mil­ In addition to the compensation, lengthy imprison­ released after serving more than 25 and interests of China, Africa and loaded with debt. It depends on us lion yuan in state compensation, Qu said, the court’s vice­president ment into consideration. years in custody. other developing countries, Wang Africans.” including more than 7.87 million and two other judges from the com­ She suggested that China further Under the Chinese Criminal Law, said. Moussa Faki Mahamat, chair­ yuan for loss of personal freedom pensation office had bowed to Liu in increase the percentage of the the prison sentences of people given Wang’s visits to Africa took man of the AU Commission, told and 8 million yuan for mental apology for their errors. awards “because what we can do for a suspended death penalty are place shortly after the United Wang, who visited the AU head­ anguish. She applauded China’s growth in wrongfully convicted people is to reduced to 25 years if they do not States unveiled its new Africa quarters in Addis Ababa on Friday, The compensation he obtained on compensation in recent years, espe­ offer them practical aid — as much commit new offenses and perform strategy last month. US National that the AU appreciates China’s Monday from the Liaoyuan Inter­ cially for mental anguish, saying the as possible”. well during the two­year probation. Security Adviser John Bolton said valuable support and assistance in mediate People’s Court included 2.6 awards are effective in helping peo­ Liu, 50, said he was happy with the In November, the Supreme Peo­ it was designed to counter the developing infrastructure and million yuan for his decadeslong ple like Liu live a better life. compensation and is considering ple’s Court said it is planning to financial and political influence enhancing independent peace­ wrongful detention and 1.97 million According to a current judicial using the money to do some small raise the level of mental anguish of China and Russia. keeping capabilities on the conti­ yuan for his mental anguish, accord­ interpretation, payment for mental business deals in his hometown. compensation for wrongfully con­ President Paul Kagame of nent. He said Africa­China ing to the court’s statement. anguish should not exceed 35 per­ Police detained Liu in 1990 after a victed people, but it did not clarify Rwanda said last month in Vien­ relations are united and friendly, Both the total award and the por­ cent of state compensation a person woman’s body was found in a field in when the new interpretation na, Austria, at the High­Level robust and mutually beneficial. tion for mental anguish were the receives for damage to property or the village of Liaoyuan. He was sen­ would be issued.