Media from all over China as well as passers-by were treated to a drone show in the sky above the Wanlu Park in Haikou, the capital city of south China’s Hainan Province, on July 16. The 520-drone show was part of celebrations to mark the anniversary of the release of the Master Plan for the Construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP), which was released on June 1, 2020. The show was also one of the highlights of an opening ceremony kicking-off a seven-day media tour to promote the Hainan FTP. 

Chen Jiafen, executive vice president of Hainan local news website, Hinews, said at the ceremony that since the release of the plan, the island has made achievements in several areas, including attracting domestic and foreign talents, improving the business environment and upgrading offshore duty-free shopping. 

Hainan’s offshore duty-free shopping program allows travelers departing Hainan for other parts of China to pay zero import duty on goods purchased in designated areas of the island. Last July, the program raised the duty-free spending limit from 30,000 yuan ($4,650) to 100,000 yuan ($15,500) per person per year. Local officials announced earlier this month that 46.8 billion yuan ($7.2 billion) in goods were purchased under the program in the 12 months to June 30, a 226-percent increase year on year. 

While speaking at the ceremony, Chen also mentioned the first China International Consumer Products Expo, which was held from May 7-10 this year in Haikou. Visitors from 70 countries and regions attended the expo, with 2,628 brands from 1,505 Chinese and overseas enterprises on show.

Chen said he hoped the tour would help media from around the country to better understand the benefits the FTP is bringing to Hainan, as well as to promote the island internationally through pictures, reports and video content. 

Tommy Coleman, an American from Los Angeles hired as an overseas communications officer by Hainan International Communication Center, said at the ceremony that he was attracted to the island by the prospect of Hainan FTP and had experienced many changes in Hainan over the past year. 

"I would like to observe Hainan and explore the stories here from an international friend’s perspective, and present Hainan culture to the world," Coleman added. 

The tour, from July 16 to 23, is set to take reporters and editors to several cities across the island, to experience the new face of Hainan FTP. 

(Reporting from Haikou, Hainan) 

Copyedited by G.P. Garth 

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