On August 8, Hainan held a press conference on the “Regulations on Foreign Investment in the Hainan Free Trade Port”(hereinafter referred to as “the Regulations”), which aim to safeguard the rights and interests of foreign investors in multiple ways.

The Regulations expand the scope of investment protection, clarify thefulfillmentof government commitments and contractual agreements, address online infringements, strengthen cross-regional and cross-sector intellectual property protection, and explore intellectual property protection measures in cutting-edge fields such as the internet, big data, and artificial intelligence. The Regulations also establish a multifaceted dispute resolution mechanism and promote integration with international commercial arbitration, providing foreign investors with efficient, convenient dispute resolution channels.

The core area of the Dayingshan CBD on the central section of Guoxing Avenue, Haikou City. (Photo by Yuan Chen/Hainan Daily)

In addition, the Regulations provide foreign investors with special policies and high-quality services in three areas:

1. Full-Cycle Service Guarantees

Hainan provides full-cycle service guarantees for foreign-invested projects by optimizing the development of government service platforms and establishing a sound foreign investment project service coordination mechanism. For example, qualified foreign investors can be exempted from notarization, certification, or additional certification procedures.

1. Help is Available at All Times

Foreign-invested companies are provided with assistance in resolving problems encountered in operation through measures such as establishing chief service specialists, setting up international service areas in government service offices, improving the complaint coordination system for foreign-invested companies, and holding roundtable meetings for foreign-invested companies.

1. Broader Policy and Facilitation Support

Hainan has clearly standardized requirements for corporateinformation reporting, optimized entry and exit and residencepolicies, and guidescompaniesin applying for certified operator qualifications.

(Source: ‘Hainan FTP Policy Interpretation’ themed press conference)