Haikou Hosts Asia-Pacific Local Governments Meeting
About 400 delegates from 29 cities across 12 Asia-Pacific countries gathered in Haikou, Hainan province, for the 2026 United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG) Asia-Pacific Council Meeting, China Daily reported. The three-day event, running from Wednesday to Friday, brought together representatives from 17 Chinese member cities to share governance experiences and forge practical cooperation agreements.
The opening ceremony and main forum took place on Thursday. Lu Xiangdong, vice-president of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, told attendees that the region must deepen mutual trust and strengthen cooperation amid a changing international landscape, adding that local governments hold significant responsibility for regional development.
Hainan Free Trade Port Boosts Regional Trade
The economic backdrop of the council meeting centers on the Hainan Free Trade Port, whose island-wide special customs operations launched on Dec 18. ASEAN remains Haikou’s largest trading partner. Total import and export goods between Haikou and ASEAN reached 16.093 billion yuan ($2.42 billion) in the first half of 2026, marking a 173.6 percent increase year-on-year.
Leveraging Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership rules alongside Free Trade Port policies, Haikou is fostering a processing model where ASEAN raw materials enter the island for value-added processing before reaching domestic and wider Asia-Pacific markets. Transportation links have expanded to match this economic activity, supported by visa-free access for 88 countries and direct flights connecting Haikou to major ASEAN hubs such as Singapore, Jakarta, Bangkok, and Kuala Lumpur.
Consular Perspectives and New Agreements
During the council gathering, international officials outlined specific sectors for collaboration. Iv Sokhom, Cambodian consul general in Haikou, identified agricultural processing, tourism, logistics, and green energy as primary areas for bilateral alignment. Bernadia Irawati Tjandradewi, secretary-general of UCLG Asia-Pacific, emphasized that free trade policies require direct implementation at ports, industrial parks, and local markets to generate measurable results.
Haikou officials also secured new partnerships during the event. The city signed a letter of intent to establish friendship city relations with Male, Maldives, covering commerce, agriculture, education, and tourism. Additionally, the Haikou Comprehensive Bonded Zone Management Committee signed a memorandum of cooperation with the Subotica Free Zone Administration of Serbia and the Belt and Road Culture and Economic Development Association of Serbia and China.
Boao Forum Prepares for Regional Integration
The regional diplomatic calendar in Hainan also included earlier discussions on economic integration. The Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) held its Roundtable on Asia-Pacific Regional Cooperation in Haikou on Sept 15, as reported by en.hainan.gov.cn. Mu Hong, vice-chairman of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, announced at the roundtable that the BFA Annual Conference 2027 is scheduled for March 24-27 in Boao.
Feng Fei, secretary of the Communist Party of China Hainan Provincial Committee, stated at the September roundtable that the development goals of the Hainan Free Trade Port align closely with regional priorities of openness, innovation, and cooperation. Hainan plans to expand its role as an economic bridge through a framework of headquarters bases, shipping and aviation hubs, and international transport and trade networks.
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