Hainan’s Free Trade Port Signs 110 New Projects — Turning Policy into Real Industry

Hainan’s Free Trade Port (FTP) is moving from promise to reality. On October 17, at the 2025 China Industrial Transfer Development Matchmaking Event (Hainan) held in Haikou, 110 new projects were officially signed under the theme “Jointly Building the Free Trade Port, Sharing New Opportunities.”

For years, Hainan’s FTP has been known for its policy advantages, zero tariffs, low taxes, and simplified customs procedures. This new wave of projects shows that those incentives are now attracting serious investment across a wide range of industries, marking a turning point from policy framework to industrial reality.

A Diverse Range of Investors

According to Wang Xiuhao, Deputy Director of the Hainan Provincial Department of Industry and Information Technology, the new signings involve a mix of state-owned enterprises, listed companies, and private firms.

These projects cover both established sectors like:

Biomedicine,

High-end food processing, and

Advanced equipment manufacturing,

as well as emerging technologies such as commercial aerospace and deep-sea technology.

Space, Data, and Digital Growth

In the commercial aerospace field, a series of major projects related to rocket manufacturing, satellite development, launch services, and data applications were confirmed. These efforts connect directly to Hainan’s growing space industry around Wenchang, where China is building its “aerospace economy.”

Meanwhile, in the digital economy, Hainan has attracted leading companies in big data, artificial intelligence, cross-border data services, semiconductors, and IT innovation. These investments strengthen the island’s position in high-tech and digital trade, helping it plug into both domestic and international markets.

Investment Confidence Growing

With the full customs operations of the Free Trade Port approaching, Hainan’s open policies, large market potential, and improving business environment are drawing investors from across China and abroad.

So far this year, 238 projects have been signed in Hainan’s high-tech sector, with a combined value of over 100 billion yuan (approximately USD 14 billion), clear evidence that business confidence is growing, not fading.

Companies Betting on Hainan’s Future

Several participating firms highlighted why they are choosing Hainan.

Hunan Zhongnan Intelligent Equipment Co. plans to cooperate with local partners in energy and aerospace, focusing on new energy equipment and the marine and aerospace economy. The company sees Hainan as a launchpad for exporting high-end Chinese technology to the world.

Hainan Huaxin Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. will set up a research and development center and advanced packaging line in the province. The company will also roll out a “Hainan Talent Reserve Plan” to help build a competitive semiconductor cluster supported by local and international experts.

Both companies pointed to the FTP’s “zero-tariff, low-tax, and simplified tax system” as a key advantage that makes Hainan uniquely suited for innovation and global expansion.

A Turning Point for the Free Trade Port

These 110 agreements mark more than just investment numbers, they mark Hainan’s emergence as a real player in China’s next stage of growth.

By combining advanced industries like aerospace, semiconductors, and AI with its unique free trade policies, Hainan is becoming a critical hub for high-tech manufacturing, export-oriented innovation, and cross-border collaboration.

Hainan’s Free Trade Port is no longer just a policy experiment. It’s rapidly becoming a dynamic industrial base, one that will play an increasingly important role in China’s innovation-driven, globally connected economy.