Hawaiian delegation visits Hainan to explore cooperation opportunities

China

Hawaiian delegation visits Hainan to explore cooperation opportunities

2025-07-27 17:17 Last Updated At：23:37

A high-level delegation from the U.S. state of Hawaii has recently visited southern China's Hainan province, with an aim to explore greater cooperation opportunities by leveraging the preferential tariffs offered by the Hainan Free Trade Port.

It was the first such visit after their sister-state relationship was established in 1992.

The two sides had in-depth communication on tropical agricultural technology, education, culture and the coffee industry.

The Hawaiian delegation, composed of state senators, business leaders and agricultural experts, expressed strong interest in the preferential zero-tariff policies of the Hainan Free Trade Port.

"This is an opportunity to connect the two regions together with trade, made a little bit easier without some of the additional costs that can sometimes come with trading into ports or into areas where there are tariffs or fees applied," said Ralph Gaston, a coffee exporter from Hawaii.

Lynn Pualani Decoite, a member of the Hawaii State Senate Committee on Economic Development and Tourism, highlighted the broader potential of partnership between Hainan and Hawaii.

"Having to have this conversation and having the exchange of how can we help each other, has broaden my eyes to what we can do economically via tourism, via agriculture. We talked about energy and other things, biodiversity that I see Hainan also has prioritized. I think that will be a huge game changer and more so at the free trade. Free trade is huge, I think, for both of us," said Decoite.

Dennis Suo, executive director of the State of Hawaii's Office in Beijing, expressed optimism about the role of the Hainan Free Trade Port as a gateway for Hawaiian products entering the Chinese market.

"We're thinking about whether we can use Hainan Free Trade Port as a gateway to bring Hawaiian coffee into the Hainan market - and from there, expand into the broader Chinese mainland market. After all, a free trade port offers zero-tariff policies, right? Especially in today's global environment where tariffs are increasing in many regions, this presents an excellent opportunity for Hawaii's coffee industry," said Suo.

The Hainan Free Trade Port will officially launch an island-wide spacial customs operation on Dec. 18, 2025.

The proportion of tariff lines with zero-tariff products in the Hainan Free Trade Port will increase from 21 percent to 74 percent.

UNGA President warns global multilateral system "under attack"

The multilateral system is "under attack" amid global turmoil, President of the 80th UN General Assembly Annalena Baerbock warned in her remarks on Wednesday.

In her briefing on the priorities for the resumed 80th Session of the General Assembly, the UNGA president noted that the current multilateral system does not collapse all in a sudden, but "crumbles piece by piece" in divisions, compromises, and lack of political commitment.

The president called all the UN member states to defend the UN Charter and international law and promote cross-regional cooperation.

She also urged to push forward the work of the UNGA on certain critical issues with a strong majority, rather than an absolute consensus among all member states. Such act is not a failure of multilateralism, but "an affirmation of it," she said.

The foundational principles of the institution should not be eroded by appeasement, she said, calling the member states to show courage, leadership, and responsibility at the UN's "critical make-or-break moment."

"The UN needs you. Your support, your leadership, your principle, stand, your cross-regional cooperation, if we are to preserve and modernize this institution, if we are to make it, rather than break it," she said.