By 2022, the total trade between ASEAN and Hainan will be around 5.88 billion US dollars. Meanwhile, Hainan’s global trade reached 30.01 billion US dollars in 2022 or 19.59 percent came from between ASEAN and Hainan.
Meanwhile, Indonesia is Hainan’s largest trading partner with total trade of 1.58 billion US dollars with Indonesian exports to Hainan around 1.01 billion US dollars.
“I also just heard that Bali has a ‘sister city’ with Hainan, so that shows there is a lot that can be cooperated both in terms of economy and ‘people to people’ and culture,” added Irwansyah.
Irwansyah revealed the implementation of trade cooperation in a concrete manner, including through the synergy of cooperation between important trading ports in the region.
“I hope more ASEAN products, especially Indonesian products, will enter Hainan and vice versa,” Irwansyah added.
China is building Hainan Port which is planned to be the largest free trade port in the world by 2035 as it will have its own “custom” regime by 2025. Through Hainan, tourists from China and other countries can enter Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia and Singapore and shop at “free-duty” stores up to a maximum of 100,000 yuan (around Rp215 million).
Meanwhile, Secretary General of the ASEAN-China Center (ACC) Shi Zhongjun said at the same event that Hainan Province has beautiful scenery and rich resources.
“It is China’s largest special economic zone, largest pilot free trade zone and most famous international tourism island. The Hainan Free Trade Port is being built faster, focusing on tourism, modern services, high-tech industries and tropical agriculture,” Shi Zhongjun said.
ACC, according to Zhongjun, will be committed to implementing the leaders’ important consensus and promoting practical cooperation between the two sides.
“In the future, the ACC will better meet the needs of different regions and continue to play a bridging role to strengthen exchanges and cooperation with ASEAN, and make new contributions to the growth of the ASEAN-China Comprehensive Strategic Partnership,” Zhongjun added.
