Hainan sets eyes on deep sea and aerospace innovation

China's southernmost island province, Hainan, will cultivate quality productivity and focus on new areas such as deep sea and aerospace to promote technological innovation and industrialization, according to Hainan governor Liu Xiaoming.

Hainan's commercial spacecraft launch site in Wenchang will commence regular commercial operations in 2024, implementing five to six projects of rocket chains, satellite chains and data links, Liu said while delivering a government work report at the third session of the 7th Hainan Provincial People's Congress on Tuesday morning.

The No 1 and 2 launch pads of the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site will be ready to accept the annual launch plan issued by the country. In June this year, both launch pads will be able to carry out 16 operations annually, said Liu Hongjian, member of the Hainan Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and deputy general manager of Hainan International Commercial Aerospace Launch Co.

The Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site aims to become a world-class and market-oriented launch system that will improve China's capability to launch civil and commercial carrier rockets.

Liu told China Daily on Monday that as China's first and currently the only one of its kind, the Hainan commercial spacecraft launch site has drawn much attention.

"It shall lead the country in developing its commercial space industry and become an important infrastructure and pillar of Hainan to boost its economy via the space industry," he said.

The island province will also attach great importance to growing its marine economy, according to the government work report.

Hainan, a key maritime province, will beef up the construction of a "blue granary" in the South China Sea. It will encourage the integrated development of sea areas for aquaculture with offshore wind farms and recreational fisheries. It plans to build two modern fishing ports, two marine ranches, two to three large-scale intelligent aquaculture and fishing farms in the far-reaching sea, and add 90 recreational fishing boats. The province will also promote offshore oil and gas construction projects, oil service bases, deep-sea equipment, marine information and marine biomedicine. Its annual gross marine product is expected to exceed 310 billion yuan (about $43.3 billion) in 2024, and Hainan will spend ten years structuring its maritime strength and accelerate the development of building a solid marine economy province, said the Hainan governor.