Business advisory council set up in Hainan

Panel of top entrepreneurs, economists to boost opening-up, FTZ development

A Business Leaders' Advisory Council for the Hainan Provincial People's Government was inaugurated in Sanya over the weekend with the aim of soliciting advice and suggestions that will further advance the opening-up of the tropical island and the development of the China (Hainan) Pilot Free Trade Zone established by the central government in April.

Seated on the first advisory council are five well-known Chinese entrepreneurs and economists: Jack Ma, founder and chairman of Alibaba, Pony Ma, chairman and CEO of Tencent, Ning Gaoning, chairman of Sinochem, Zhou Qiren, a professor and economist at Peking University's National School of Development, and Liang Jianzhang, co-founder and chairman of online travel agency Ctrip.