HAIKOU, August 14. /TASS/. Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Thailand Association on Hainan, Yun Changliang, during a video conference with the participation of Deputy Bureau of International Economic Development of Hainan Gong Qijun said that Bangkok is interested in unlocking the investment potential of the Chinese island, Xinhua reported.
"The Thai government and business are showing great interest in the opportunities for investors on Hainan," stressed Yun Changliang. "I hope Hainan's free trade port will create new incentives to further promote cooperation between Thailand and your region."
According to the head of the association, Thai businessmen "are actively exploring the benefits of Hainan's preferential policies." The chairman noted that he sees good prospects for joint development, increasing the volume of trade in Southeast Asia and therefore will contribute to the creation of new channels for expanding partnerships between enterprises in China and Thailand.
As the representatives of the Thai side who took part in the videoconference clarified, they are interested in strengthening cultural and humanitarian contacts with Hainan and are ready to cooperate in tourism, agriculture and finance, and in the field of air travel and duty free trade as well.
Gong Qijun has invited Thai companies to participate in the China International Consumer Fair due to be held on the island in 2021. “We hope that even more Thai enterprises will use advantage of Hainan's free trade port and implement their investment projects here,” he concluded.
Hainan's free trade zone
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.