FTZs help foreign firms thrive

Trailblazing Hainan trade zone among nation's models of high-quality growth

In 2018, Zeeshan Qasim Khan, a Pakistani student who had just graduated from Hainan Medical University, was planning to start an international trade venture in Guangdong province, China's leading economic powerhouse.

Khan's initial plans, which focused on importing Pakistani rice, carpets and handicrafts to China, and exporting Chinese electronics, medical equipment and marbles to global markets, changed course following a pivotal announcement by President Xi Jinping.

During the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the founding of Hainan province and the Hainan Special Economic Zone in April 2018, Xi unveiled ambitious plans to transform the entire island into a pilot free trade zone and eventually establish a free trade port with unique Chinese characteristics.