The Development Research Center of the State Council (DRC) organized the inaugural conference of the Hainan Free Trade Port construction expert advisory committee and its first symposium to discuss work arrangements for the committee on June 16.

DRC organizes the inaugural conference of the Hainan Free Trade Port construction expert advisory committee and its first symposium to discuss work arrangements for the committee on June 16. [Photo/drc.gov.cn]

Ma Jiantang, Secretary of the Leading Party Members' Group of DRC and Chairman of the expert advisory committee, and Chen Deming, former Minister of Commerce and Vice-Chairman of the committee, attended the meeting and delivered speeches. Long Guoqiang, DRC Vice-President and the committee’s Vice-Chairman, chaired the meeting.

Ma Jiantang speaks at the conference. [Photo/drc.gov.cn]

Ma stressed that the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port is a major event in China's reform and opening-up process in the new era. The Overall Plan for the Construction of Hainan Free Trade Port is the basic foundation of the port’s construction. It puts forward the guiding ideology, basic principles, development goals, implementation mechanisms and priorities for building the port over the next five years.The overall plan states that DRC shall organize the evaluation of the whole process of the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port, and lead the establishment of an expert advisory committee to advise on the construction.

In accordance with the central government's instructions, DRC has prepared an expert advisory committee after a rigorous selection process. The core mission and fundamental purpose of the committee is to promote the implementation of the overall plan and the construction of Hainan Free Trade Port with a high level of intellectual support. Members of the committee should understand the importance and strategic significance of building the port, carry out field research, and make suggestions to the CPC Central Committee. With a high sense of responsibility and dedication to hard work as well as a pragmatic scientific attitude and superb professional consultation ability, the committee will strive to provide feasible and useful policy advice to the government.

Chen Deming speaks at the conference. [Photo/drc.gov.cn]

Chen pointed out that the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port is a major event of China's reform and opening-up in the new era, and the committee is charged with a very important historical mission. The first few years of the free trade port construction is crucial in promoting reform and opening-up in line with global trends, and the experts are proud to be part of it. At the same time, the committee also shoulders a great responsibility to do a good job to promote the construction plans.

Long Guoqiang speaks at the conference. [Photo/drc.gov.cn]

Long added that Hainan has a special status and importance in the overall situation of China's reform and opening-up and socialist modernization. At present, globalization is experiencing a backlash, global economic growth continues to be sluggish, and international competition is becoming increasingly intense. The challenges require the expert advisory committee to provide intellectual support that identifies key issues and suggests timely solutions.

The committee members at the meeting said that the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port is a major strategic decision of great importance. The construction of a free trade port in Hainan embodies the fundamental requirement of high-level opening-up and building a new open economy. It is an urgent need to deepen market-oriented reforms and build a law-based, international and convenient business environment, and also a strategic choice to implement the new development concept and promote high-quality development coordinating internal and external policies.

Ma Jiantang and Chen Deming take a photo at the conference. [Photo/drc.gov.cn]

The construction of Hainan Free Trade Port is a practical action to support economic globalization and build a community of a shared future for mankind.The committee will act with a high sense of mission and responsibility, provide advice to the CPC Central Committee, and contribute to the overall development of Hainan. Its experts will contribute their wisdom and strength to build a high-level free trade port with strong international influence.