Hainan, China – Hainan Island is rapidly established as one of China’s most attractive places for tourists and investors around the world.
This tropical paradise offers a lot from stunning natural beauty to rich cultural experiences and makes it an idyllic place for a holiday. Hainan Island boasts fascinating landscapes featuring its untouched beaches, lush rainforests and rugged mountains. The island enjoys the tropical climate and allows for outdoor activities all year round.
The charm of Hainan is beyond sightseeing. The island is seen as an attractive opportunity for investors due to the Chinese government’s efforts to promote Hainan as an international free trade zone. The initiative aims to transform the island into a global tourism and investment hub, promoting a lucrative business environment.
A group of almost 12 foreign journalists engaged in the media exchange initiative promoted by the China International Press Communications Centre (CIPCC) traveled to Hainan to gain first-hand knowledge of China’s progress.
From the moment we arrived in Hainan, the warmth and familiarity of the locals enveloped us like a warm blanket. This tropical paradise community welcomed us with open arms and treated us as if we were our own family.
As an Iranian journalist and representative of the Tehran Times, I was part of a delegation of 11 members who explored Hainan from March 24th to March 30th, 2025.
On March 24th, I arrived in haiku from Beijing and visited the headquarters of a well-known civil aviation maintenance hub. The journalists participated in discussions with maintenance industry-based officials of Hainan Free Trade Port’s One-Stop Aircraft.
China’s comprehensive aircraft maintenance industry base aims to take advantage of the benefits offered by the Hainan Port policy to expand the aircraft maintenance industry. Its goal is to create an advanced and intelligent aircraft maintenance platform that will be useful for international markets.
The facility could transform into a global hub for aircraft maintenance centres.
On Tuesday, reporters visited Wenchan Aerospace Supercomputing Centre to investigate the quality productivity advances grown by Hainan’s free trade port.
Wenchang Aerospace Supercomputing Smart Technology Co., Ltd. Yeshi Yang, chairman of the company, has highlighted the unique features.
“Compared to all other supercomputing centers, the biggest feature of Wenchang Supercomputing Center is that we actually operate in the aerospace industry and serve entities operating in the aerospace industry,” he said.
The Wenchang Aerospace Supercomputing Center is a major initiative at the intersection of aerospace and advanced computing, and plays a key role in fostering advances in aerospace research and technological innovation. This advanced facility marks a major advance in China’s technological landscape, specially designed to support aerospace research efforts.
On the same day we participated in the subforum of the Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2025 Boer Forum, held in the town of Boao from March 25th to 28th.
BFA vice-chairman Zhou Xho Xiyuan gave a speech at the World Free Trade Port Development Forum, saying that Asian countries need to unite in unilateralism and trade protectionism and support true multilateralism.
Ban Ki-moon, chairman of the BFA and former UN chief, said the event at both the size and level of participation, and won the podium as a strong evidence of the importance of free trade and globalization.
On Wednesday, Hainan’s major vehicle testing facility welcomed CIPCC journalists to provide a detailed understanding of their operations.
Officials at Hainan Automobile Proving Ground in Qionghai’s goal states that the vehicles tested at the facility are to ensure that the vehicles tested at the facility comply with the highest quality standards and meet all necessary regulations prior to market release.
CIPCC journalists were given the opportunity to travel to Hong Kong minibuses to explore the test facilities. Initially, I embarked on a high-speed truck to assess the reliability of the car. The track featured three lanes with specified speed limits of 80 km/h, 120 km/h and 150 km/h respectively. Our minibus piloted all three lanes and refused to evaluate curves, tilt, decline, and its steering, brakes, and anti-gravity systems. I also encountered bumps and created a feeling similar to being in the washing machine. This experience was similar to a ride in a recreational park, but with a scientific purpose! It thoroughly challenged the minibus and was ultimately executed beautifully.
Participation in the BFA panel discussion was scheduled for Wednesday. During the event, I was honored to conduct an exclusive interview with Professor Jeffrey Sachs, director of the Center for Sustainable Development at Columbia University.
A prominent American economist told me that the trade war launched by President Donald Trump’s administration against China would be flat.
“Well, I think the trade war is very self-destructive for the US. So I don’t think it will hinder China, but it will hurt the US. These tariffs the US is putting in will reduce the US competitiveness and reduce the US economy’s confidence.
The US administration has levied a 20% tax on Chinese imports since Trump returned to the White House on January 20th. In response, China has a duty of up to 15% on the range of US agricultural products.
On Thursday, 11 CIPCC journalists were among national and international reporters who attended the BFA opening ceremony. In his speech, the Chinese Deputy Prime Minister emphasized the importance of strengthening mutual trust, promoting Wynn’s collaboration for both sides, promoting economic globalization, protecting the free trade system and resisting trade protectionism.
Muhammad Yunus, the chief advisor of the interim government of Bangladesh, also won the podium at the opening ceremony, highlighting the importance of promoting multilateralism.
Later on Thursday, the CIPCC journalist was given a rare opportunity to work with Yunus at his residence in Boao.
Yunus praised China’s “important role” in the progress of multilateralism, urging Asian countries to speak up to Asian countries to avoid monopolising by major powers. He also called for reform of the United Nations system to end an era of one-sidedness.
On Friday, CIPCC journalists toured the Hainan Tanka Boat People Museum to gain insight into how the cultural resources of the people of Tanka Boat are promoting the integration of state culture and tourism. A visit to the Li’an International Education Innovation Pilot Zone also provided insight into how Hainan’s higher education is becoming more accessible to the global community.
On Friday we traveled to Sanya, the southernmost tip of Hainan Island. CMG Global China’s Programming Centre, in collaboration with Sanya’s Hainan Provincial Foreign Affays Office, organized a media exchange event entitled “New Quality Productivity and Modernization of China.”
At the event, journalists participated in detailed conversations with executives and technical experts from major companies that highlighted China’s cutting edge advancements in new quality production. They were able to witness firsthand some of China’s most sophisticated technologies, including artificial intelligence, intelligent robotics, and visual effects technology. The rally highlighted China’s outstanding achievements in fostering scientific innovation, and successfully conveyed its new vision of modernization to international audiences.
We finished our trip on Sunday and returned to Beijing. From the moment we arrived in Hainan, the warmth and familiarity of the locals enveloped us like a warm blanket. This tropical paradise community welcomed us with open arms and treated us as if we were our own family. This experience taught me that no matter where you come from, kindness and openness can bridge cultural disparities. It is truly a gem for both tourism and investment and deserves global recognition.
CIPCC’s media exchange program for the first half of 2025 begins in late February and runs until July. This year’s program saw unprecedented invitations expanded to more than 120 journalists from over 100 countries.