At a press conference held by China's State Council Information Office on July 23, Feng Fei, Secretary of the CPC Hainan Provincial Committee, responding to a question from a reporter for Dubai's China-Arab TV, stated that the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) will further strengthen the Maritime Silk Road and Air Silk Road between China and Arab countries. He also extended an invitation to Arab enterprises to invest and establish operations in the FTP.

The following is a transcript of the Q&A session:

Reporter from China-Arab TV:

What specific measures is the Hainan Free Trade Port taking to promote economic and trade cooperation with Arab countries? Will there be more China-Arab cultural and tourism cooperation projects in the future? For example, opening new air routes or organizing special economic, trade, and cultural activities.

Feng Fei:

Thank you for your question. Hainan Province attaches great importance to economic, trade, cultural and tourism cooperation with Arab countries. Both Governor Liu Xiaoming and I have visited Arab countries around the Persian Gulf. In recent years, the economic and trade cooperation between Hainan and Arab countries has continued to heat up. Hainan's Yangpu Port has established a sister port relationship with Abu Dhabi Port. A shipping route between the two ports, as well as an air route between Haikou and Dubai, have been established. These are precisely the direct routes to which you referred, both by air and by sea. Of course, these routes need to be further expanded and increased in schedule. These routes have further strengthened the Maritime Silk Road and Air Silk Road between China and Arab countries. Khalifa Economic Zones Abu Dhabi (KEZAD), alongside Dubai's International Free Zone Authority (IFZA) and Jebel Ali Free Zone (Jafza), are also global free trade zone (port) partners of the Hainan FTP. We have established partnerships with 40 such zones and ports, many of which are in Arab countries and are among the world's most influential free trade zones. Over the past three years, the annual growth rate of goods trade between Hainan and the Arab League has exceeded 30%, with over 24 billion yuan in 2024.

Once special customs operations have been implemented, the Hainan FTP will fully leverage its advantages as a hub linking the domestic and international dual circulation, making greater efforts to deepen open cooperation with Arab countries in fields such as the economy, trade, tourism, culture, education, and clean energy. For example, we will host the annual conference of the World Free Zones Organization and conduct tourism promotion in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. As cooperation between the two sides continues to deepen, more direct routes and targeted economic, trade, and cultural activities will be launched, creating shared opportunities and prosperity rooted in cultural exchanges and people-to-people connectivity. Please also convey to your audience that we welcome businesses from Arab countries to invest and establish operations in the Hainan FTP. Thank you.