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). The agreements are designed to advance pragmatic cross-border collaboration in trade and investment, manufacturing industrial chains, and professional services between the two regions.
During the visit, the delegation met with the CCPIT Representative Office in Hong Kong and held discussions with CMA. It also co-hosted the Hainan Free Trade Port (Hong Kong) Economic and Trade Cooperation Exchange Meeting with FHKI. The event presented the policies, key industrial layout, and investment opportunities of the Hainan Free Trade Port, and arranged one-on-one business matchmaking between Hainan and Hong Kong enterprises. The visit was reported by Media OutReach Newswire.
The timing of the agreements underscores Hainan's rapid economic transformation. Wang Yuyuan, Vice President of the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade Hainan Sub-council (CCPIT Hainan) and China Chamber of International Commerce Hainan Chamber of Commerce, noted that since the official launch of island-wide special customs operations on December 18, 2025, 174,000 new enterprises have been registered, a year-on-year surge of 95.9 percent. Newly established foreign-invested enterprises rose by 35.8 percent year on year. In the first half of this 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. Wang described Hainan as rapidly emerging as a critical gateway connecting China with the rest of the world and a prime channel for two-way investment.
Hong Kong plays a central role in that growth. According to CCPIT Hainan, Hong Kong ranks 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. Hainan has also issued offshore RMB local government bonds in Hong Kong for four consecutive years, with a cumulative issuance volume reaching 18 billion yuan.
The memoranda explicitly stipulate that the two sides will establish a regular liaison mechanism and build a long-term cooperation platform covering information sharing, business matchmaking, exhibition collaboration, and professional services. They are intended to provide solid support for pragmatic business cooperation between Hainan and Hong Kong enterprises. CMA, one of Hong Kong's most representative non-profit industrial and commercial bodies, has around 3,000 member enterprises and has long provided 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 policy advocacy, business matchmaking, certification services, and youth talent cultivation.
The agreements matter beyond the two signatories. They give Hong Kong manufacturers and professional services firms a structured channel into a free trade port that is posting some of China's fastest trade and enterprise growth figures, while giving Hainan access to Hong Kong's established commercial networks and capital markets. For businesses in manufacturing, logistics, and professional services, the regular liaison mechanism could lower the barriers to cross-border expansion at a time when Hainan's import and export volumes are climbing sharply.
