China Unicom helping link Hainan, SE Asia

China Unicom is advancing the development of key digital infrastructure, including international submarine cables and Haikou International Information Port, to support Hainan Free Trade Port in nurturing new quality productive forces and strengthening its global digital connectivity.

Gan Quan, deputy general manager of China Unicom's Hainan provincial branch, told China Daily that a major milestone was reached in May as the main structure of China Unicom's Hainan Lingshui international submarine cable landing station was completed after 80 days of construction.

Located in Li'an town, Lingshui Li autonomous county, the station will serve as a critical hub for two major international submarine cable systems — SEA-H2X and ALC — connecting Hainan with the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines and other regions, Gan said.

"The integration of these submarine cables is set to significantly reduce network latency between Hainan and Southeast Asia by approximately 9 milliseconds. This millisecond-level ultra-low latency will provide a strong boost to industries such as international trade, finance, technological innovation, e-commerce and cross-border data flow, enhancing Hainan's competitiveness in the global digital economy," he said.

Moving forward, China Unicom's Hainan provincial branch will accelerate the subsequent phases of the submarine cable landing station, along with the construction of the China Unicom Haikou International Information Port and the Haikou international communication services entrance bureau. These initiatives will leverage China Unicom's international cable network to elevate the province's strategic position in global communications infrastructure, Gan said.

The executive highlighted that by aligning with local industrial policies and promoting technological integration, China Unicom is contributing its expertise and resources to help develop new quality productive forces in Hainan Free Trade Port.

The Haikou International Information Port project is currently in full swing and is scheduled for completion on Sept 30. As a key initiative under China Unicom's strategy to support Hainan's digital transformation, the port will incorporate an international communications services entrance bureau, a next-generation intelligent computing data center, and international submarine and terrestrial cable connectivity into a single, green, high-tier computing campus.

It will provide enterprises with a secure and scalable international data and computing platform, supporting network-computing integration in sectors such as finance, healthcare, education, aerospace, seed industry and deep-sea exploration, while fostering the growth of emerging industries, the company added.

The move is part of broader efforts by Hainan to fully develop its digital infrastructure to better support the development of emerging industries.

Huang Yejing, deputy head of the Hainan provincial department of industry and information technology, said the province is making progress in digital infrastructure.

In 2024, China's telecom operators received approval to establish full-service international communication entrance bureaus in Haikou — the first such expansion in China in 30 years. Additionally, two new submarine cables linking Hong Kong and Southeast Asia are under construction, further enhancing Hainan's international communications capabilities, Huang said.

He said Hainan Free Trade Port has pioneered innovations in secure and orderly cross-border data flow. The overseas initiative to expand e-gaming development continues apace, forming industrial clusters.

These developments reflect Hainan's commitment to embracing global interconnection and openness in the digital economy era, promoting high-quality development through high-standard openness and establishing itself as an international communications hub.

In February, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology granted the first batch of value-added telecom business pilot approvals to 13 foreign-funded enterprises in Hainan and three other regions, two of which are based in Hainan. This marks a critical step in Hainan Free Trade Port's efforts to expand digital sector openness and explore new pathways for institutional innovation.