HAIKOU, May 26. /TASS/. Authorities in China’s southern island province of Hainan are implementing a broad package of measures aimed at modernizing urban commerce and developing international consumer centers as part of the strategy to establish the island as a global tourism and consumption hub, Hainan Daily newspaper reported citing the provincial Department of Commerce.
According to the document "Several Measures to Promote the Improvement of Urban Commerce Quality in Hainan Province," jointly issued with several government agencies, authorities intend to improve commercial infrastructure, develop new retail formats, expand the supply of high-quality goods, and boost the digitalization of the retail sector.
Particular attention will be given to the creation of international trade and consumer clusters by leveraging the island’s duty-free policies and tourism resources. In particular, authorities plan to accelerate construction of several major commercial facilities, including the third phase of the international duty-free complex in the city of Sanya.
In addition, authorities will support attracting flagship stores and showrooms of leading global brands, as well as modernizing existing pedestrian streets and shopping districts. Several more streets in Hainan are expected to be added to China’s national list of model pedestrian zones.
As part of the development of the automotive sector, Hainan intends to build a comprehensive ecosystem covering automobile sales, electric vehicle exports and maintenance services. Chengmai County will focus on the production of electric vehicle components, testing of intelligent transportation systems and exports of used cars.
Authorities also plan to expand duty-free trade and cross-border e-commerce by creating a multi-level supply system for imported goods. Additional night consumption zones will also be established on the island, including in certain districts of the cities of Haikou and Sanya.