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On 10 June 2021, the 29th meeting of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress passed the Hainan Free Trade Port Law of the People's Republic of China, which determined to establish and improve the Hainan Free Trade Port customs supervision special zone system with closed-off customs operations on the entire island.
But for those who understand that modern trade depends on digital trust and predictable compliance, the Hainan Free Trade Port represents something larger than a local reform — it is a prototype for how globalization itself might function in the decades ahead. The author is chairman of America-China Partnership Foundation.
On 5 January 2024, the inspection area for railway freight trains at Huairou South railway station —the first railway customs clearance project of the Hainan Free Trade Port, built by the China Railway 25th Bureau Group—was completed.
The "Notice on Preferential Corporate Income Tax Policies for Hainan Free Trade Port" proposed that enterprises in encouraged industries registered and operated in Hainan Free Trade Port shall be subject to a reduced corporate income tax rate of 15%.
The Hainan Free Trade Port is the latest, most ambitious example of this experiment. The island-wide special customs operations describe one of the world's most forward-looking systems of trade liberalization, designed to combine regulatory precision with unprecedented openness.
Looking ahead, the Hainan Free Trade Port full-island customs closure positions Hainan to become a global leader in free trade and innovation. By 2030, the Chinese government aims to develop Hainan into a “high-standard free trade port with global influence,” rivaling established hubs like Singapore and Dubai.
But for those who understand that modern trade depends on digital trust and predictable compliance, the Hainan Free Trade Port represents something larger than a local reform — it is a prototype for how globalization itself might function in the decades ahead. The author is chairman of America-China Partnership Foundation.
Hainan Free Trade Port's full-island customs closure refers to the establishment of a separate customs supervision zone covering the entire island, effectively creating a “domestic but offshore” trade environment.