HAIKOU, April 13. /TASS/. The international exhibition of innovative medical equipment opened in Hainan's Boao on Monday. According to the Hainan Daily, the exposition features over 300 types of medical equipment, more than 200 of the presented products are manufactured abroad. 

The exhibition is being held in Boao-Lecheng pilot medical tourism zone with more than 25 multinational companies attending.The American manufacturer of pharmaceuticals, sanitary products and medical equipment Johnson & Johnson, the Australian manufacturer of innovative implantable hearing devices Cochlear, the Italian developer and manufacturer of pharmaceutical products Olon, the French pharmaceutical company Bioxis and others are on the list of participants.

As the coronavirus pandemic in the world still poses danger, foreign citizens are currently unable to enter China, thus, representatives of many foreign enterprises could not personally take part in the exhibition. Despite the restrictions, some companies signed collaboration agreements via video calls.

According to the organizers, the International Exhibition of Innovative Medical Equipment in Boao is the only event in China, which presents industry novelties manufactured abroad. The organizing committee noted that the exhibition opened according to schedule despite the coronavirus pandemic.

The news outlet emphasizes that the Lecheng pilot zone of ​​medical tourism provides a number of opportunities for both domestic and foreign manufacturers. According to the newspaper, recently more and more global manufacturers of medical equipment enter the Hainan market through the pilot zone. It is noted that its development, among other things, promises advantages for patients who can use the latest achievements of Chinese and Western medicine.

According to the Chinese authorities, Lecheng is intended to become the world's largest research and development base, equipped with advanced medical equipment, as well as a platform for personnel exchange and international healthcare cooperation. The cluster is also expected to contribute to the development of China’s medical tourism industry.

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.