HAIKOU /China/, September 17. /TASS/. The authorities of China's leading resort city of Sanya (on the southern coast of Hainan Island) plan to secure the official status of an innovation city by 2025, Hainan Daily reported.

According to the newspaper, the issue was discussed at the 7th Plenary Session of the 8th Convocation of the Sanya Party Committee, which was held last week. To secure the city's position, the government plans to form up to two highly competitive innovative industry clusters that are key to regional development. Their gross product is expected to exceed 100 billion yuan ($14 billion at current exchange rates) by 2035.

According to the plan, these projects will be implemented in demonstration zones. It is expected that these efforts will transform Sanya into a world-famous tourism center. The city is also expected to play an even greater role in seed breeding and deep-sea research projects.

The program aims to open up international cooperation in advanced development and modern tropical agriculture, the report said. Special attention will be paid to projects related to germplasm. Sanya will also actively develop the aerospace sector, especially projects related to remote sensing of the Earth.

The city government will also continue to provide significant support for environmental projects, from environmental protection to green economy. This includes the introduction of digital technologies and the construction of related infrastructure. Therefore, one of the key goals is to increase the proportion of funding for research and experimental development to more than 3% of Sanya's gross regional product by 2025. By 2029, the city's innovation potential is expected to increase significantly.

Sanya is one of the key centers of Hainan's economic development and is home to more than 1 million people. In 2023, its gross product reached 97.13 billion yuan (approximately $13.66 billion), an increase of 12%. The provincial government plans to develop the city into a leading financial and economic center with advanced infrastructure that will host the headquarters of leading Chinese and foreign companies. This city, also known worldwide as a first-class resort, is changing year by year and attracting increased attention from investors across the world.