Why do more and more expats choose Hainan?

China’s island province of Hainan is gradually becoming an ideal place for talent from all over the world to innovate and start businesses. Now there are over 1,500 international “talents” working in Hainan from more than 100 countries and regions.

On June 1, 2020, China issued a master plan for the development of the Hainan Free Trade Port. Three months later, Nassuf Ahamada Mouigni, from the African country of Comoros, traveled thousands of miles to Hainan and founded the Hainan Nashitong International Business Co., Ltd, which is mainly engaged in providing agents for import and export trade and international overseas business consultancy.

“I can see Hainan’s potential through the development of the Hainan Free Trade Port,” said Nassuf. The Hainan Free Trade Port offers golden opportunities in many areas such as finance, trade, and logistics. It also has beneficial policies for tax deductions, market access, improving the business environment, and more. “I really look forward to developing my business in Hainan!”

The plan mentions that “eligible persons from countries outside China may serve as the legal representatives of state institutions, public institutions, and state-owned enterprises in the Hainan Free Trade Port.” Casey Lim from Singapore came to Hainan due to this policy.

Lim chose to devote himself to the Hainan duty-free industry and became the first international resident to serve as the legal representative of a subsidiary of a provincial state-owned enterprise in the Hainan Free Trade Port. “I will be working here in Hainan for a very long time,” he said. He was soon rated as a high-level talent in Hainan, which took only two working days from application to approval.

The international talent working in Hainan comes from more than 100 countries and regions around the world, most of them from the United States, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, and Canada. They are serving in tourism, education, business services, science & technology, media care, transportation, culture, and other fields.

Max, a Belarusian who has worked and lived in Hainan for more than 10 years. YUAN CHEN

Since August 2019, pilot service counters for issuing work permits have been set up one after another in five key parks, including the Hainan Ecological Software Park, the Haikou Jiangdong New Area, the Haikou Fullsing Internet Industrial Park, Sanya Yazhou Bay Science and Technology City, and Lingshui Li’an International Education Innovation Pilot Zone. The pilot service counters make things more convenient for expats working in Hainan by pre-approving materials for work permits and providing services like work permit processing, talent identification consultation, and the like.

Irina Stanescu, an English teacher at the Future Leadership Academy at Blue Bay in Lingshui, Hainan. HAINAN DAILY

A number of policies for attracting international talent have been enacted, including permitting employment of expats by public institutions, issuing work permits for expats in Hainan, the identification standards for “high-level & scarce” international talent, issuing entry-exit and residence permits, and permitting expats to hold vocational qualifications. With the continuous innovation of the talent system, more and more international talent is gathering in the Hainan Free Trade Port.

The first temporary driver’s license for an expat issued by the Sanya government. WU WEI

By the end of 2021, there were 1,559 expats with valid work permits in Hainan, including 267 high-level talents (type A), 970 professional talents (type B), and 322 other expats (type C).

Hainan is also actively building international schools and communities that attract international talent, promoting the seamless connection of international talent with public services and social security, and establishing and improving policies for employment permits, vocational qualification certification, and entry-exit and residence permits for international residents.

What’s more, the Provincial Department of Science and Technology plans to build international talent communities and national demonstration bases for bringing in talent in one to two key parks, which will be beneficial in developing a more open talent introduction system and promoting the establishment of the leading areas of management and service for expats working in Hainan.

Source: InHainan