Hainan tropical island hub for global investment

While policies attract, execution matters. Li Tao, vice-president of Siemens Healthineers Greater China, said what made this trip different from many others he had attended was the sequencing: site visits first, then discussions.

"In many other events, it is usually meetings first and then site visits. Today, during the discussions, we were able to have very good conversations because we had visited three areas — Haikou, Boao and Sanya — which made the process much more efficient: see first, then discuss," Li said. He summed up Hainan's approach in three words: pragmatic, effective and professional — with an emphasis on efficiency.

On Dec 18, Siemens Energy became the first foreign-invested enterprise to complete registration after receiving its business license at the Yangpu administrative service center in Danzhou, Hainan. The company simultaneously broke ground on a new gas turbine assembly base and service center, a project it described as its first project of its kind in China.

The move marked a milestone manufacturing project demonstrating investor confidence, and came as Hainan launched island-wide special customs operations on the same day.

Joern Schmuecker, senior vice-president, Gas Services Central of Siemens Energy, said: "Establishing a gas turbine assembly base and service center in Hainan aligns perfectly with the free trade port's vision of becoming a new high ground for openness and international cooperation. Together with our partners, we will drive collaborative innovation across the industry value chain, continuously enhance equipment delivery and service capabilities, and build an industrial ecosystem that contributes to energy resilience in China and across the world."

Meanwhile, French pharmaceutical company Mayoly has also established a presence on the island, while Singapore-based Fullerton Health Group opened Hainan's first wholly foreign-owned hospital.

Companies' enthusiasm is backed by hard data. Since the special customs operations started on Dec 18, Hainan had added 1,004 new foreign firms up to April 29, up 35.86 percent year-on-year.

As of the end of April, Hainan had 12,300 foreign-invested enterprises, with investment sources covering 180 countries and regions.

Feng Fei, Party secretary of Hainan, told a conference last week that the life and health industry is a key pillar of the Hainan Free Trade Port, and the province's excellent ecology, open industrial policies and vast market potential make it uniquely positioned.

"The island province is becoming a new frontier of China's opening-up, a hotbed for mutually beneficial cooperation and a new engine for economic globalization," Feng said. "Choosing Hainan means choosing opportunities. Investing in Hainan means investing in the future."

He emphasized the importance of developing "two bases" — one for Chinese enterprises expanding globally and another for foreign companies seeking access to the Chinese market.