Editor's Note:

The island-wide special customs operation of the Hainan Free Trade Port is not only a crucial step in policy advancement but also a new voyage towards the world. As the tides of the times surge, the Hainan FTP is attracting young talents from across the globe. They dedicate themselves to various industries, weaving their personal dreams into the open blueprint of this vibrant land. The "Decoding the Hainan FTP: Chasing Dreams" series captures the stories of these dynamic individuals—their choices, struggles, and achievements all serving as a vivid testament to Hainan's vitality and opportunities.

Here, behind every step they take towards realizing their dreams lies a future that the world will embrace.

"We are not going down and we are not gonna have highs and lows. The only way is up." This is the future that Francine Carron, Founder and CEO of Haikou ESG Consulting Company, envisions.

In 2025, Francine shifted her career to Hainan and founded Haikou ESG Consulting Company, a foreign-invested firm headquartered in Belgium. When asked why she and her partner chose Hainan, Francine's answer was simple and clear: "We were looking for a place in China that focuses very highly on green development, transformation, and sustainability, and that’s how we found Hainan." After conducting preliminary research, she discovered that Hainan was a place where she could both build a career and enjoy a comfortable life. Ultimately, Francine decided to establish a regional office in Haikou.

ESG stands for environment, society, and governance. This Belgium-based consulting firm specializes in helping Chinese companies understand and navigate the ESG standards essential for entering the European market. "European companies or organizations want to work with companies who can prove ESG. If your ESG score is low, they will no longer work with you," Francine explains. This is precisely the niche for her business: helping Chinese companies improve their ESG performance and maintain their overseas competitiveness.

In her view, Hainan is not only pleasant in terms of climate and livability, but more importantly, its policies are "structural." "For businesses coming here, stability is key," she notes. She noted that Hainan's current development plan provides exactly that stability. Additionally, the preferential tax rates for foreign-invested enterprises in Hainan are highly attractive for multinational companies looking to set up regional offices.

Since starting business in Hainan, Francine's life has enjoyed steady and sustainable growth, just like her business. Francine has felt Hainan's development momentum in a big way. In Hainan, she has seen many new companies arriving, setting up regional offices, and even relocating their headquarters to the tropical island province. "We can clearly see what is going to happen, and that is a very exciting thing for us as well—to expand into a new market."

Despite a busy work schedule spanning different time zones and her desire to integrate into life in Hainan, Francine makes time for Pilates, learning Chinese, and pursuing a PhD in the field of sustainable aviation.

In the future, Francine hopes her company can help more Chinese companies strengthen their ESG scores, thereby maintaining their competitiveness outside of China. "This is our main goal, and we want to bridge Europe and China, especially in the field of green development," Francine says with a smile. "Personally, I really hope that Hainan and China can become my forever home, because I really love it here."

From Belgium to Hainan, Francine is charting her own "upward curve," a journey that converges with the green transformation path of the Hainan Free Trade Port.

This series is funded by the China Internet Development Foundation (CIDF) and co-producted by Hinews and Hainan International Media Center.