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Chinese, ASEAN experts hash over Hainan's free trade zone

The meeting took place at Haikou on November 2

HAIKOU, November 8. /TASS/. More than 200 experts from China and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) took part in a forum on free trade zone in the southern Chinese province of Hainan. According to www.hinews.cn, the meeting was held on November 2 in Haikou, the capital of the Hainan province.

According to the publication, the forum participants discussed the promotion of construction of free trade ports on Hainan, prospects for China's economic cooperation with ASEAN member-states, humanitarian and cultural exchanges.

At the meetings, experts, in particular, noted that Hainan Island plays an important role in the implementation of the Chinese government’s Belt and Road initiative, writes the news outlet.

In April 2018, President Xi Jinping said that the Chinese authorities intend to actively involve Hainan in globalization and to draw foreign investors to the island province. By 2050, according to the authorities, the island should become a unique international cluster with an advanced economy, developed tourism, top-notch scientific, technical and financial potential, and modern medicine. The branches of the best universities and offices of the most powerful corporations in the world will be located on the Island of Hainan.

By 2025, the Chinese government intends to create an "international center for tourism and consumption" on Hainan. In order to do so, the "Eastern Hawaii" with their unique natural landscapes, thick rainforests and great climate will establish a developed network of hotels, which blend perfectly with white sandy beaches stretching along the coastline. The combination of an exotic subtropical nature and a modern eco-friendly infrastructure will boost tourist inflow to the island from the most distant parts of the world.

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