The Hainan Free Trade Port has registered robust development in the first 100 days of the island-wide special customs operation in it, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said at a press briefing in Beijing on Monday.
Last Friday marked the 100th day of the island-wide special customs operation in the southernmost Chinese island province, which is regarded as a milestone in its journey to becoming a world-class, high-level free trade port.
"The Hainan Free Trade Port is an important platform to facilitate global opening and cooperation and drive innovative development. From its smooth start to vigorous development, the Hainan FTP has delivered an impressive performance in its first 100 days of customs closure. Since the special customs operations took effect, driven by institutional opening-up, Hainan is leveraging major transport corridors to boost wider opening-up, and in turn, using greater opening-up to promote greater development, having grown into a crucial economic hub and an innovative cooperation platform for dual domestic and international circulation. With the policies such as zero tariffs and low tax rates in place, Hainan has seen a dramatic increase in the flow of people, goods and businesses. The number of visa-free inbound travelers rose by 54.2 percent year on year. Foreign trade imports and exports increased by 32.9 percent year on year, while 737 new foreign-invested enterprises settled down there, representing a year-on-year growth of over 30 percent," said Mao.
"Marking the first 100 days as a prelude, the Hainan FTP, as a vivid practice of China's efforts to promote institutional opening-up, will continue to expand its space through openness, meet challenges with innovation, and work hand in hand with the rest of the world," she said.
Spokeswoman on Hainan FTP's robust development
Shanghai officially unveiled the city brand of "Shanghai Style" on Saturday during the launch ceremony of the 2026 National Premium Products Debut Season and the "First in Shanghai" event series at historic Zhangyuan in Shanghai.
Concurrently, a unified visual identity system for the brand was unveiled, designed to serve as a trusted certification mark enabling consumers to identify authorized service providers and premium offerings across key sectors, including fashion, fine jewelry, and traditional crafts.
The move aims to develop a robust ecosystem for customized goods and services, with an emphasis on craftsmanship, brand development, and accessibility for international visitors, reinforcing its strategic positioning as an international consumption center.
"We were the first to launch customized service in Shanghai, aiming to build a brand, encourage industry clustering, and strengthen coordination with an emphasis on the integration of culture, business, tourism, sports and exhibitions. More importantly, we want to foster craftsmanship. We have also introduced group standards, mainly focusing on the 'Shanghai Style'. Our goal is to enrich its content and standardize the service," said Liu Min, deputy director of Shanghai Municipal Commission of Commerce.
To ensure a smooth journey and better experience for global shoppers, the city is prioritizing several practical service upgrades. Measures include further optimizing the tax refund process for overseas visitors, expanding the number of pilot stores, and enhancing the overall convenience of tax refunds.
"Applications are underway for systems related to inbound duty-free shopping. Any payment method you can think of are available here. In Shanghai, for orders where on-site processing cannot be completed within the visitor's stay, finished items will be delivered to the customer's home country via international logistics," said Zhu Weiming, chief planner of the Shanghai Fashion Couture and Tailoring Festival.
Shanghai sparks new era of personalized shopping with "Shanghai Style"
