The island province of Hainan is increasingly emerging as China's new “gateway”, where new opening-up measures and policies are first launched. In Boao’s gleaming hospital buildings, physicians administer cutting-edge therapies under special regulatory permits. “China’s openness is astonishing,” said a patient from Greece. Visiting the Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone for a second time to receive a newly approved glioma-targeting therapy, he said he’s lucky to see the drug – which was launched in the United States in August – become available in Hainan by November. Upon learning that a new drug is capable of replacing chemo-radiation and effectively delaying recurrence, he immediately contacted relatives in the U.S. and Greece to buy the drug – only to find it prohibitively expensive in the former and not yet available in the latter. To his great surprise, the treatment had already made its “Asia first use” at West China Medical Center, Sichuan University’s Lecheng unit, in November.
At the heart of this quick access to foreign medicine is Lecheng’s successful implementation of four “special permits” for medical practice, research, operation and international exchange, which are designed to fast-track breakthrough drugs and devices into the Chinese market. “Lecheng has now achieved ‘three-way synchronization’, aligning its medical technology, equipment and pharmaceuticals with leading international standards,” said Zhang Yanning, an official at the medical pilot zone’s Management Bureau. “It has become a ‘city of hope’ for patients with rare diseases and complex conditions in search of new drugs, devices and therapies,” Zhang said.
Lecheng has to date imported over 470 innovative medicines and devices not yet approved on the mainland, registering more than 110,000 patient visits, an annual increase of 134.2% over the past five years. Partnerships now span over 180 pharmaceutical and med-tech companies from 20 countries, including leading players like Merck, Sonova, Gilead Sciences and Novartis. Beyond cutting-edge care, Lecheng is also crafting a holistic “medical tourism” experience. Twenty bespoke packages cater to both domestic and international guests, blending health checkups, convalescence programs and leisure activities against the lush backdrop of Boao’s tropical coastline. Visitors from Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East and Europe are increasingly drawn to this fusion of healing and hospitality. “This journey made me feel how close China is to Indonesia,” said an Indonesian tourist on a medical visit to Lecheng. “The hospital felt more like a spa-like resort, with impeccable service and very reasonable prices,” she said. In 2024 alone, Lecheng welcomed 413,700 medical tourists, up 36.8% year-on-year, with international groups spending an average of over CNY12,000 per person. Ancillary sectors such as health checkups, medical aesthetics and rehabilitation have likewise prospered, testifying to the zone’s ripple effect on the local economy.
Hainan is also pioneering innovation in education. The Lingshui Li’an International Education Innovation Pilot Zone is opening new educational opportunities. “Compared to studying abroad, studying in Hainan allows us to ‘enroll in one university and select courses from many’,” said Li Ningrui, a communications engineering student at Glasgow College Hainan, established jointly by the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China and the University of Glasgow. Li added that after graduation, he would be able to earn bachelor’s degrees from both universities, which will offer him an edge in seeking higher educational experiences. Since implementation of the regulations on the pilot zone on January 1, eight Sino-foreign cooperative programs and 22 worldwide leading universities have taken root. Foreign universities and vocational schools are permitted to set up institutions and foreign enterprises may establish wholly foreign-owned schools, making ‘study in Hainan equal to studying abroad’ a reality. Foreign students now account for over 10% of the total student population.
Another example of openness is the aircraft maintenance industrial base in Haikou. “Previously, our engines had to be shipped to the UK or Taiwan province for overhaul,” said Niu Xuqiang, an executive at an aviation engine maintenance company. “Now, zero-tariff imports of spare parts and tools allow global airlines to save substantially on maintenance and logistics.” Benefiting from its strategic location – within a four-hour flight radius of about half the world’s population – the base has obtained 22 aviation maintenance licenses from 17 countries, while the Hainan FTP’s zero-tariff policy has also given it a competitive edge by reducing maintenance costs by 15%, said Wang Haiye, Director and General Manager of the one-stop aircraft maintenance industrial base.
The latest Government Work Report called for actively encouraging foreign investment, expanding pilot zones for opening up the services sector, and further opening-up in key areas such as telecommunications, healthcare and education, the China Daily reports.
