The evening of November 14 at the Setia Spice Convention Centre in Penang, Malaysia, was a joyous occasion, as over 2,000 delegates attending the 18th World Congress of the World Federation of Hainanese Associations (HNWF2025) gathered to wine, dine, and rekindle ties of friendship at the banquet celebrating the Congress’s launch. Greeting them at their dining table were copies of Winning in the FTP: Stories of Hainan’s Business Environment Construction, a bilingual work detailing the work of the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) in creating a favorable environment for entrepreneurs and investors from around the globe in vivid, engaging comic strips.

Cover of the bilingual comic book Winning in the FTP: Stories of Hainan’s Business Environment Construction. (Photo: Li Hao)

Lin Rigang, Secretary of the Youth League of the Hainan Association of Tawau, Sabah, was very excited to receive a copy of the comic book. “I didn’t think that I’d get a gift from my hometown on the very first day of the event,” he exclaimed. As he flicked through the book, his thoughts echoed many of those expressed at the event: “It’s such a novel format—Engaging dialogues and scenarios written in both Chinese and English that explain the steps that Hainan has taken to make its business environment even more welcoming. I’ll definitely be showing it to the younger members of our association so that they can learn more about Hainan’s policies!” For Lin, the work isn’t just something to be read; it’s a bridge linking young people of Hainanese ancestry with their homeland.

Copies of the bilingual comic book Winning in the FTP: Stories of Hainan’s Business Environment Construction were presented to delegates of the 18th Congress of the World Federation of Hainanese Associations. (Photo: Li Hao)

The light, often amusing content of the comic book belies its true purpose: a clear guide to Hainan’s policies for domestic and foreign investors. Luo Changxin, a member of the Hainan Association of Klang, Malaysia, is a third-generation Hainanese descendant who has made a name for himself in logistics. Having kept an eye on business opportunities arising from the Hainan FTP for some time, he was overjoyed to get his hands on a copy. “It lays out the policies and industrial development prospects of the Hainan FTP clearly and in detail, from what we (as investors) can achieve in Hainan to how and where we can handle paperwork. It's a great book!” said Luo, giving the work a thumbs up as he gripped his own copy tightly.

Copies of the bilingual comic book Winning in the FTP: Stories of Hainan’s Business Environment Construction were presented to delegates of the 18th Congress of the World Federation of Hainanese Associations. (Photo: Li Hao)

Representatives of other Hainanese organizations in countries and regions around the world also underscored the importance of the comic book. Hua Xiaohui, representing a Hainan association in the United States, stated that it opened a new window of understanding into her ancestral homeland. “I will be taking this book back to Hong Kong (Special Administrative Region of China) to enable more people to learn about opportunities in Hainan,” said Weng Xiaomin, a representative of the Hong Kong Federation of Hainan Community Organizations. Chang Lixing, deputy secretary-general of the Hainan Association of Thailand, plans to make his copy available at the organization’s premises in Bangkok so that “fellow Hainanese descendants can read it at their own leisure.”

A big thumbs up for the bilingual comic book Winning in the FTP: Stories of Hainan’s Business Environment Construction, which was presented to delegates of the 18th Congress of the World Federation of Hainanese Associations. (Photo: Li Hao)

How has a single book—a comic collection no less—resonated so firmly with the Hainanese diaspora? Winning in the FTP: Stories of Hainan’s Business Environment Construction, co-edited by Hainan Daily Press Group and the Department of Business Environment Development of Hainan Province, and published by Hainan Publishing House, breaks the mold of typically unengaging policy interpretations, turning instead to colorful comic strips with thoughtfully crafted and translated bilingual dialogues. This innovative approach presents new measures, including “streamlined approval” and “government services at your doorstep,” in easy-to-digest snippets for laypeople, bringing Hainan even closer to the hearts and minds of its descendants scattered across the world.