Promoting business opportunities and opening-up while doing more to protect the environment – they're among the goals set out by south China's Hainan Province to drive economic and social development over the next five years. CGTN spoke to the executive vice-governor of Hainan Province on how the targets will be achieved.

TANG BO CGTN Reporter "Thank you for joining us on CGTN. First of all, how do you evaluate the economic and social development of Hainan last year? How will Hainan carry out the spirit of this year's Central Economic Work Conference?"

SHEN DANYANG Executive Vice-Governor, Hainan Province "Last year, Hainan's economic and social development was defined by three characteristics in general, that is, overall stability, better quality, and the accumulation of certain advantages in various fields. This year we must firmly put into practice the spirit of the Central Economic Work Conference, as well as the recently concluded Second Plenary Session of the 20th CPC Central Committee. We should resolutely implement the new development philosophy, build a new development pattern, and promote high-quality development. We have proposed a number of policies and actions in relation to the provincial development objectives for this year. It can be summed up as the promotion of significant opening-up and significant reforms. In 2022, our overseas commerce exceeded 200 billion yuan for the first time, an increase of over 36 percent from the previous year. The utilization of foreign capital exceeded four billion U.S. dollars and foreign investment almost doubled last year. The rapid growth of Hainan's outbound investment has a lot to do with Hainan's plan of becoming a twin platform for cooperation with Southeast Asia. We want to make Hainan the hub not only for Chinese enterprises to carry out economic and trade cooperation with Southeast Asia, but also for Southeast Asian businesses that are looking to explore the Chinese market. The second major aspect is industrial investment, particularly in manufacturing, which saw a substantial increase in Hainan last year of 33 percent. Why is Hainan's manufacturing investment expanding so quickly, you might wonder? That is because we have paid close attention to the growth of advanced manufacturing and high-tech industries during the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port in recent years. The policies and business environment of the free trade port have also driven many companies to invest in entities and develop industries in Hainan. As a result, the oil and gas chemical industry, new materials, pharmaceutical manufacturing, automobile manufacturing, and wind power industrial equipment manufacturing are growing at a quick rate."

TANG BO CGTN Reporter "Openness was a hot topic at this year's provincial Two Sessions in Hainan. Some analysts believe that the opening of the Hainan Free Trade Port is not only to open the market, but also to connect with the world's most advanced trade standards and frameworks. What's your take on this?"

SHEN DANYANG Executive Vice-Governor, Hainan Province "The Hainan Free Trade Port is an open platform that follows the best standard in the world. Opening to the outside world means connecting with international economic and trade rules. Therefore, our institutional innovation and opening-up measures must be in line with international high-level economic and trade rules. And that closely echoes the central government's proposal to promote institutional opening, the opening of rules, regulatory management, and standards. Hainan recently enacted 10 measures to expand market access for Hong Kong's professional service sector. For example, we have implemented a system that recognizes Hong Kong specialist certificates. Under the system, Hainan will grant the country's most open policies to Hong Kong's professional services and expand the scope of Hong Kong vocational qualification recognition in Hainan. The country's most open policies have also been introduced to other Hong Kong's service industries such as legal services, arbitration services, and accounting services. Lecheng Medical Tourism Pioneering Zone is also another example. The initiative allows several institutional innovation measures in the medical area, as well as the usage of foreign drugs, medical technologies, and equipment."

TANG BO CGTN Reporter "At the end of last year, China's first Business Environment Construction Department was inaugurated in Hainan. How do you assess the work being done to improve the business environment of the Hainan Free Trade Port?"

SHEN DANYANG Executive Vice-Governor, Hainan Province "Under the 'Overall Plan for the Construction of Hainan Free Trade Port' issued by the central government, the requirements for the three phases of development in 2025, 2035 and the middle of this century include the construction of a market-oriented, internationalized, convenient, and law-based business environment. In the last few years, the business climate has seen significant change and good progress. It is because of these changes that more and more market players are coming to Hainan to register and operate. Our compound growth rates for 2020 and 2021 are both the highest in the nation. All of these are greatly influenced by the rapid transformation and ongoing improvement of Hainan's business climate."

TANG BO CGTN Reporter "What new measures will Hainan implement to improve the business environment this year? And how will the new department contribute?"

SHEN DANYANG Executive Vice-Governor, Hainan Province "Let me start by discussing the construction of the Business Environment Department. Here is where it was pioneered. Hainan is the first in the country to set up a business environment construction department. The department has been given four tasks. First, it should act as the general staff and command center. Its job is to do comprehensive coordination and overall planning, organizing and promotion tasks. We also need to turn the department into a construction team to foster the building of important projects for the business environment. Making the department operate like a waiter is the third strategy. Its duty is to serve enterprises and the people. The department should also lead institutional innovation in the development of the business environment."

TANG BO CGTN Reporter "At the beginning of this year, the first cross-border carbon transaction at the Hainan International Carbon Emissions Trading Center was completed. How would you rate Hainan's achievements in carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, as well as pursuing green initiatives?"

SHEN DANYANG Executive Vice-Governor, Hainan Province "We hope to achieve three goals. The first is to become a leading player in carbon peaking, carbon neutrality, and pursuing green development. Second, we must continue to maintain the high-quality level of Hainan's ecological civilization. And finally, we must actively pursue institutional innovation in the creation of ecological civilization. Six significant projects are being planned and carried out to this purpose, including the construction of the National Tropical Rainforest Park and a zero-carbon demonstration zone on Dongyu Island in Boao."

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來源/CGTN

監(jiān)制/黃丹 范江虹 葉微

主編/陳銀玲 王欣

編輯/黃菲

@三沙衛(wèi)視