Horse racing in Hainan's future

Looking for healthy and orderly development of horse racing on Hainan island, provincial authorities are in discussions with academic research institutes and professional bodies to map the way forward, provincial officials said.

At a gathering on April 13 to mark the 30th anniversary of the creation of the province and the Hainan Special Economic Zone in the capital, Haikou, President Xi Jinping unveiled a plan to make Hainan into a pilot international free-trade zone and explore building a free-trade port with Chinese characteristics - underlining China's commitment to greater opening-up and promoting economic globalization.

In a guideline released in April to support Hainan's reform and opening-up, the central government said China plans to turn the island into a global tourism and consumption hub and will back the development of horse racing, beach and water sports and the creation of a national sports tourism demonstration area.