Editor's notes:

In the past decade, especially since the construction of the Free Trade Port began, Hainan has gradually developed into one of China's most open and dynamic regions. Dreamchasers from around the world have rushed to this beautiful island, the heart of China's reform and opening up in the new era, in the pursuit of their dreams and giving their lives value.

HIMC is launching the bilingual micro-documentary series "Hainan in the past decade: This is the FTP". In the series, HIMC's team of presenters and "overseas communication officers" interview ten ordinary young people about their extraordinary journeys working in different fields within the Hainan Free Trade Port as they recount the youthful dreams that motivated them along the way. ——Wu Bing, a Chinese-American who came back from the United States to start a business and introduced dozens of overseas projects to Hainan; Huang Yingying, a surfing supreme who chases dreams on the cusp of every wave; and Pan Dailin, whose masterful performances of Hainan Opera have given Hainan a voice on the global stage... The story behind the struggles of each of these young hopefuls is the story of Hainan, and it in turn gives hope to other young people looking to chase their dreams in the Hainan Free Trade Port.

We hope that through this series, you will learn more about the Hainan Free Trade Port and the power of youth.

(Photo / HIMC)

In 2020, the CPC Hainan Provincial Committee and the Government of Hainan Province jointly confirmed the role of Hainan’s 11 key industrial parks as incubators and pilot areas for Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) policies. Haikou Jiangdong New Area is one of those parks.  

Gan Zixin (Chloe), who had just returned to Hainan that year after studying in the UK, was extremely excited by the news, and got to work sending out her resume. A position at the offices of the Jiangdong New Area Administration Bureau swiftly followed. Two years later, and she has already been promoted to the role of Investment Promotion Supervisor. 

During her two years working in investment promotion, Chloe has been part of many projects, both big and small. She finds the work full of challenges. On a typical day, she will meet with between 3 and 5 investors, giving them a breakdown of FTP and Jiangdong New Area policies and answering their many questions, so that they can move successfully forward with their investment project. The work requires an in-depth understanding of both Jiangdong New Area and the Hainan FTP, as well as keeping current with information and trends in many industries.

Getting a project off the ground is no easy task. It typically takes between 3 and 6 months of work. Despite this time and effort, not every project goes smoothly or even makes it. After two years in the business, Chloe has transformed from an inexperienced newbie into an investment promoter who can confidently respond to questions and deal with issues. Two things bring her the greatest professional satisfaction: being able to convince investors to land their projects in Jiangdong and then seeing those projects come to fruition. 

Jiangdong New Area is also becoming a centralized exhibition area and a modern service industry demonstration zone for the Hainan FTP. Since its inception on June 3, 2018, Jiangdong New Area has landed more than 208 construction projects of various kinds, drawing investment exceeding RMB 120 billion.

In this installment of “Hainan Through My Eyes”, Tommy meets Gan Zixin and learns about her journey as an investment promoter and how to go about investing in Jiangdong New Area.