In the report delivered to the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Xi Jinping stressed the need to “build a modern socialist country in all respects and advance the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization.” The Chinese path to modernization will show the world the diverse approaches that can be taken toward modernization, and will bring new opportunities for global development.  

Chinese modernization is the modernization of a huge population, of common prosperity for all, of material and cultural-ethical advancement, of harmony between humanity and nature and of peaceful development. The report stressed that the pursuit of high-quality development is an essential requirement for Chinese modernization, and is the primary task in building a modern socialist country in all respects.  

So, in the process of advancing Chinese modernization, what kinds of exploration and practice has Hainan undertaken?

Hainan has created the 1·3·4·8 Strategic Framework to accelerate the construction a free trade port with Chinese characteristics. It has also implemented the construction of a modern industrial system and coordinated regional development as a new developmental concept to promote the two main drivers of high-quality development.

In recent years, Hainan has promoted the transformation of its economic structure and achieved historic breakthroughs in realizing high-quality development. In doing so, growth in the four main leading industries of tourism, modern services, sci-tech and high-efficiency tropical agriculture made up 70% of the province's industrial growth, contributing close to 80% of the island’s total economic growth. Last year, the collective total annual revenue of the Hainan Free Trade Port’s 11 key industrial parks surpassed 1 trillion yuan. Over 40% of the province's total tax revenue and almost 30% of total investment came from these industrial parks. 

Hainan also accelerated the consolidation of its position as a key center for scientific innovation in the fields of agriculture, marine sciences and aerospace. Both the National Saline-Alkali Tolerant Rice Technology Innovation Center and the Yazhou Bay Seed Laboratory entered operation. Several key achievements were made in the field of deep-sea scientific research in Sanya, including the development and production of the Fendouzhe, or ‘Striver’, deep-sea manned submersible. The submersible created new world records for number of dives below 10,000 meters completed and number of crew aboard. Construction of the Wenchang Satellite Launch Center was completed, becoming China’s primary launch location for satellites. The launch center saw the launch of 22 satellites carried on a single Long March 8 Yao-2 carrier rocket, creating the record for the most number of satellites launched on a single rocket for China’s aerospace industry. Statistics show that, since 2020, Hainan has provided over 20 billion yuan in funding, sourced from public finances and government bonds, to solidify its position as a key center for scientific innovation.

Integrated and coordinated regional development is another key driver in Hainan’s high-quality development. Profound transformation in Hainan’s development pattern is ongoing, with regional coordination according to the “311” plan being achieved through the accelerated integration of the island’s two main economic centers, Haikou and Sanya, as well as the integration of Danzhou and Yangpu. Between these three “economic poles” will run a “belt”, in the form of an integrated transportation system incorporating scenic highways, high-speed railway and arterial expressways. This 'belt' will boost the economy of Hainan’s coastal cities. In the center of the island is the Tropical Rainforest National Park, which has taken up the task of supporting the conservation of Hainan’s central ecological area.

The coming five years will be a critical period in commencing the task of building a modern socialist China in all respects, as well as a critical period in the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port. Hainan will continue exploring and putting new ideas an into practice to accelerate the construction of a free trade port with Chinese characteristics and contribute more fully to Chinese modernization.