An economic and trade delegation from Hainan Province visited Hong Kong from October 19 to 20, signing memoranda of cooperation with The Chinese Manufacturers' Association of Hong Kong (CMA) and the Federation of Hong Kong Industries (FHKI) to advance pragmatic cross-border collaboration in trade and investment, manufacturing industrial chains, and professional services. The agreements, reported by Media OutReach Newswire, establish a regular liaison mechanism and a long-term cooperation platform covering information sharing, business matchmaking, exhibition collaboration, and professional services.
The visit comes as the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) experiences explosive growth following the launch of island-wide special customs operations on December 18, 2025. Wang Yuyuan, Vice President of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Hainan Sub-council (CCPIT Hainan), noted that 174,000 new enterprises have been registered since the customs operations began, a year-on-year surge of 95.9 percent, while newly established foreign-invested enterprises rose by 35.8 percent. In the first half of the year, inbound and outbound tourist arrivals exceeded 70 million, up 28 percent year on year, with the number of visa-free entry countries expanding to 88. From January to August, the province's total goods import and export volume hit 250 billion yuan, growing by 61.5 percent year on year.
Hong Kong has emerged as a major source of foreign investment for Hainan. In the first half of this year, Hainan registered 1,303 new foreign-invested enterprises, an increase of 38.62 percent year on year, with Hong Kong-funded enterprises accounting for the lion's share. Additionally, Hainan has issued offshore RMB local government bonds in Hong Kong for four consecutive years, with a cumulative issuance volume reaching 18 billion yuan. These figures underscore the deepening economic ties between the two regions and the role of Hong Kong as a gateway for international capital into Hainan.
The memoranda with CMA and FHKI are expected to further integrate Hong Kong's industrial and professional services with Hainan's free trade policies. CMA, one of Hong Kong's most representative non-profit industrial and commercial bodies, has around 3,000 member enterprises and provides services including exhibitions, brand promotion, testing and certification. FHKI, one of Hong Kong's four major chambers of commerce, has approximately 2,000 corporate members and focuses on boosting the sustained development of Hong Kong industry and manufacturing through policy advocacy, business matchmaking, certification services, and youth talent cultivation.
The delegation also visited the CCPIT Representative Office in Hong Kong, held discussions with CMA, and co-hosted the Hainan Free Trade Port (Hong Kong) Economic and Trade Cooperation Exchange Meeting with FHKI. The event showcased the policies, key industrial layout, and investment opportunities of the Hainan FTP, and arranged one-on-one business matchmaking between Hainan and Hong Kong enterprises. These initiatives signal a deepening partnership that leverages Hong Kong's strengths in finance, professional services, and international trade to support Hainan's development as a global free trade hub.
