On December 18, the Hainan Free Trade Port will officially commence its customs closure operation, transforming the entire island into a special customs-controlled zone. This initiative will implement liberalized and facilitated policies characterized by "first-tier openness, second-tier control, and island-wide freedom." Specifically, "first-tier openness" refers to the border between Hainan and other countries/regions outside China’s customs territory, where a series of free and convenient entry-exit measures will be applied. Meanwhile, "second-tier control" pertains to the boundary between Hainan and mainland China, enforcing targeted management over the liberalized "first-tier" activities.
As Hainan’s island-wide customs closure enters its final sprint phase, how will this national strategy reshape the open economic landscape of southern China? What opportunities will it bring to the neighboring Macau Special Administrative Region? In a recent interview, Yu Weiheng, Deputy Secretary-General of the Macau Scholars Alliance and Chairman of the Macau Regional Economic Research Association, shared his insights.
Yu emphasized that Hainan’s customs closure is far from a routine policy adjustment—it signifies a "comprehensive leap" in China’s efforts to build a new open economic system. For Macau, this represents not only a reshaping of regional economic dynamics but also a fresh starting point for collaborative development under the "One Country, Two Systems" framework. He proposed a path of "complementary development, leveraging respective strengths," envisioning Macau as a "compact yet high-energy platform" serving China’s dual-directional openness, while jointly fostering an "open cooperation corridor" with Hainan through institutional innovation and industrial synergy.
**Three Complementary Paths for Win-Win Collaboration** 1. **Functional Complementarity: Tourism & Consumption Synergy** Macau’s strengths lie in its urbanized integrated resorts, UNESCO-listed heritage sites, and mature MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, exhibitions) and entertainment industries. In contrast, Hainan boasts unique tropical island scenery, rainforests, and sports tourism resources. Post-closure, Hainan’s duty-free policies, cruise tourism, and sports events will further amplify its appeal. By designing multi-destination itineraries (e.g., "one-trip, multiple stops" or "Macau-Hainan senior tours"), the two regions can evolve from competing destinations into a interconnected tourism-consumption network.
2. **Industrial Complementarity: Healthcare & Modern Services** Hainan’s advantages in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) resources and Macau’s TCM R&D platforms and international certification channels could form a full-chain collaboration. Hainan could focus on cultivation and primary processing, while Macau handles R&D and branding, ultimately distributing products globally via Macau’s platform. Additionally, Hainan’s Lechang International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone offers space for large-scale healthcare projects, while Macau excels in TCM, health insurance, financial services, and high-end hospitality.
3. **Institutional Complementarity: Digital Economy & Emerging Industries** Hainan’s innovations in cross-border data flows, international data centers, and marine/tropical agriculture could synergize with Macau’s strengths in cross-border finance, legal services, arbitration, and its China-Portuguese-speaking Countries platform. Joint platforms in smart tourism, e-commerce, blue economy, and digital trade could enable businesses to leverage Hainan’s space/tax benefits and Macau’s regulatory/capital market access.
**Macau’s Role as a "Compact High-Energy Platform"** Yu highlighted Macau’s potential to serve as a "bridge of institutions and culture" in the collaboration: - **Domestically**: Macau can help mainland enterprises navigate international rules and capital markets through its expertise in law, finance, and multilingual communication. - **Globally**: Macau’s role as a China-Portuguese-speaking Countries trade platform can attract investors and talent to China while promoting Hainan’s projects abroad.
**Key Industry Directions for Macau**: 1. **Tourism & MICE Network Hub**: Coordinating regional travel and branding. 2. **Emerging Industries Center**: Providing financial and risk management services for sectors like green finance and digital trade. 3. **Talent Gateway**: Facilitating youth mobility and high-end talent aggregation between Macau and Hainan.
By aligning with national strategies and deepening institutional, industrial, and talent linkages, Yu believes the "Hainan-Meets-Macau" narrative can evolve into a sustained "open cooperation corridor," far beyond a fleeting headline.