IIn the earlier article on the HNFTP, I quoted Mr Lawrence Wong, Singapore’s Prime Minister, who did address the ‘like-minded’ relationship between the emerging Hainan Free Trade Port and the established Singapore Free Trade Port. He was very positive that if we cooperate to make the trade pie bigger, we can both receive a bigger slice of the trade. In this article, I wish to present my personal view on the development of the Hainan Free Trade Port.
As a transhipment port, Singapore focuses on ASEAN, which now comprises eleven nations with a multiplicity of languages. Hence, proficiency in English, the current language for international business, is essential for Singapore. Hainan focuses on the large Chinese domestic market, where the means of communication is Chinese. In fact, one of the chief incentives designed to attract foreign investors to set up shop in Hainan is the tax-free transhipment into mainland China of semi-finished goods that have undergone primary processing in Hainan and whose added value is at least 30% of the imported raw material costs. Hence, a valid question would be, “Is proficiency in English really necessary for Hainan in dealing with these foreign investors?”
Firstly, we must not forget that tourism is the heavyweight sector contributing to Hainan’s GDP. According to government reports, the sector's combined direct and indirect contribution to Hainan's GDP reached 33.4% during the 2021-2025 period. In 2025 alone, the province welcomed over 106 million tourists, generating RMB 225 billion in tourist spending. It is also a major employer, directly supporting 914,000 jobs as of 2024.
In the latest 2030 Tourism Plan, Hainan is aiming for both wider expansion and faster international growth of its tourism economy. Total domestic and international visitor trips are projected to rise by 45% from 106 million in 2025 to 154 million in 2030, and tourist spending is projected to increase by 61% from RMB 225 billion to RMB 363 billion. To fully support the projected growth of international tourism, Hainan will need a significant upgrade in English proficiency as well as proficiency in a few other foreign languages among the 1 million employees working in the tourism sector.
Secondly, it is essential to know that the objectives of the HNFTP go far beyond transhipment; the six key objectives of the HNFTP are (1) achieve deeper reform & opening-up, (2) create a world-class, business-friendly environment, (3) build modern industrial sectors, (4) achieve ecological and sustainable development, (5) promote innovation in science and technology, and (6) establish a high-quality life and social governance.
English is the lingua franca of international business. Trade negotiations, financial settlements, and global economic agreements are conducted in English.
To create a world-class, business-friendly environment, Hainan will need to attract major multinational corporations (MNCs) that use English as their official corporate language to set up offices here. Employees working for these MNCs, and some employees of local corporations collaborating with these MNCs, must be conversant in English.
Meanwhile, to promote innovation in science and technology and to build modern industrial sectors, Hainan needs to develop scientists, researchers, and entrepreneurs who are highly proficient in English, as well as skilled workers with fair proficiency, because around 80% of all public scientific publications are in English. The proportion of publications in English is even higher in advanced high-tech fields like AI.
Thirdly, the development of HNFTP is considered a 25-year project with the following critical milestones: (1) The first milestone is to have the policy framework fully established and the customs closure operation ready by 2025. (2) The second milestone is that the port should be operating more smoothly, with a mature legal system and a highly open economy by 2035. By 2050, Hainan is envisioned to become a globally influential high-level free trade port.
English is also the lingua franca for international law. To operate the free trade port with a mature legal system for IP, copyright, arbitration, and mediation in ten years, Hainan will need foreign experts to quickly train many lawyers, paralegals, arbitrators, and mediators in English.
Raising English proficiency, especially among the young, is a long-term project. This project requires that we start now if we want the right human resources to support Hainan in achieving the status of a globally influential high-level free trade port by 2050. These conditions are the guardrails for Mona and me as we offer our voluntary services in Hainan, together with foreign talents from Haikou International Talent Home, encouraging primary school children in different regions of Hainan to learn English. Some of these children, with an international mindset and fluency in English, will be running the Hainan Free Trade Port in 20 years!
海南自由贸易港（HNFTP）第二部分：通用语言
在之前关于 HNFTP 的文章中，我引用了新加坡总理黄永明的话，他确实谈到了新兴的海南自由贸易港与已建立的 Singapore 自由贸易港之间的“志同道合”关系。他非常乐观地认为，如果我们合作扩大贸易规模，双方都能获得更大的贸易份额。在本文中，我想分享我对海南自由贸易港发展的个人看法。
作为转运港，新加坡以东盟为重点；如今东盟由11个国家组成，使用多种语言。因此，精通英语——当前国际商务使用的语言——对新加坡至关重要。海南则着眼于规模庞大的中国国内市场，而该市场的沟通手段是中文。事实上，为吸引外国投资者在海南设立经营点而制定的主要优惠政策之一，便是对在半岛完成初级加工、且附加值至少达到进口原材料成本30%的半成品，免征转运至中国大陆的关税。因此，一个合理的问题是：“海南在与这些外国投资者打交道时，是否真的必须精通英语？”
首先，我们绝不能忘记，旅游业是推动海南 GDP 增长的重要支柱产业。根据政府报告，在 2021–2025 年期间，该行业对海南 GDP 的直接与间接合计贡献率达到 33.4%。仅 2025 年，该省就接待了超过 1.06 亿名游客，带动旅游消费达 2,250 亿元人民币。此外，旅游业也是重要的就业领域；截至 2024 年，直接提供了 91.4 万个就业岗位。
在最新的《2030年旅游规划》中，海南旨在实现旅游经济更广泛的扩张和更快速的国际增长。预计国内及国际游客总人次将从2025年的1.06亿人次增长45%，达到2030年的1.54亿人次；游客消费额预计将从2250亿元人民币增长61%，达到3630亿元人民币。为充分支持预计的国际旅游增长，海南需要对其旅游行业100万名从业人员中的英语能力以及其他几种外语能力进行显著提升。
其次，必须了解 HNFTP 的目标远不止于中转； HNFTP 的六大关键目标包括：(1)实现更深层次的改革与开放；(2)打造世界级的、有利于商业发展的环境；(3)建设现代化产业；(4)实现生态与可持续发展；(5)促进科技创新；(6)建立高质量的生活和社会治理。
英语是国际商务的通用语言。贸易谈判、金融结算以及全球经济协定均以英语进行。
为了打造世界一流、有利于商业发展的环境，海南需要吸引那些以英语作为官方企业语言的大型跨国公司在此设立办事处。为这些跨国公司工作的员工，以及部分与这些跨国公司开展合作的本地企业员工，都必须具备英语沟通能力。
与此同时，为促进科技创新并建设现代产业领域，海南需要培养精通英语的科学家、研究人员和企业家，以及具备良好英语能力的技术技能人才，因为约80%的公共科学出版物以英语撰写。在人工智能等先进高科技领域，以英语撰写的出版物比例甚至更高。
第三， HNFTP 的发展被视为一个为期25年的项目，其关键里程碑如下：(1)第一个里程碑是到2025年，政策框架完全建立，海关通关运营准备就绪。(2)第二个里程碑是到2035年，港口运营更加顺畅，法律体系成熟，经济高度开放。到2050年，海南有望成为具有全球影响力的高水平自由贸易港。
英语也是国际法领域的通用语言。要在十年内建成一个具备成熟知识产权、版权、仲裁和调解法律体系的自由贸易港，海南需要外国专家迅速为众多律师、法律助理、仲裁员和调解员提供英语培训。
提升英语能力，尤其是提升年轻一代的英语能力，是一项长期工程。如果我们希望为海南实现到2050年成为具有全球影响力的高水平自由贸易港的目标提供合适的人力资源，就必须从现在就开始这项工程。这些条件为我们和Mona提供了行动框架：我们将在海南提供志愿服务，同时与来自海口国际人才家园的外籍人才携手，鼓励海南不同地区的中小学生学习英语。其中一些孩子将具备国际视野和流利的英语能力，并在20年后负责运营海南自由贸易港！
Submit Cancel