# closed‑port operation

Hainan’s Big Push: How China’s Free‑Trade Port Is Racing Ahead — and What Could Stall It

Two months after launching island‑wide closed‑port operations, Hainan reports sharp gains in duty‑free coverage, new business registrations and tourism, driven by expanded zero‑tariff lists and visa liberalisation. Officials characterise the early phase as a successful pressure test but stress the harder task ahead: translating short‑term inflows into sustained, high‑quality economic upgrading while tightening enforcement against smuggling.