I go to hainan very frequently leh, from over a decade ago.
They indeed become free port recently but they are free port based on China principals which I don't think anybody else gets a hoot. Got a lot of PRC terms and conditions to what they interprete as "free trade", basically i don't see much difference.
Don't see any foeigners there mainly mainland tourists.
They been talking about it for over a decade. The government did a blanket ban on mainlanders buying property there and make transfer 户口 there difficult. Say want only organic growth, tbh I only see no growth.
As for their free port, it is not an easy gateway to China. But if you send your goods there process 30% value, can enter mainland tax free. Since need to incur so much to increase value and transport here and there, like not really worth it. It is an Island, you still need to ship in and out, no direct land path to transfer.
I know officials there also cannot think of any lobang worth doing.
Only thing that i hope is good out of is there could be changes to immigration policies for that island, maybe we can go there retire. It's damn lobo.
u use ur bkside to think, alot of goods needs to do transfer of containers and SG is really at a strategic point. China is often a port of origin or end point, got what use
