Hainan FTP to boost cooperation with global partners: governor

China's southernmost island province of Hainan, which is intensifying efforts to build itself into a free trade port (FTP), stands ready to work with international counterparts to promote cooperation in five key areas, said the provincial governor while speaking at the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) 2025.

At a BFA subforum titled the Global Free Trade Ports Development Forum on Tuesday, Governor Liu Xiaoming addressed attendees, stressing that Hainan seeks to strengthen interconnectivity with free trade zones and ports around the world in terms of five key areas, including rules and mechanisms, infrastructure, trade in services and other industries, low-carbon and sustainable development, as well as dialogue and exchanges.

He said the province is currently ramping up efforts to build the Hainan Free Trade Port, with an aim to establish independent customs operations this year.

"The mission of the free trade zone port is to break down barriers, not to build walls, and to create opportunities, not to pursue their own interests. We are currently stepping up the implementation of the plan for turning the whole island into a separate customs zone and the implementation of core policies for the Hainan Free Trade Port. We are advancing preparations to ensure that the island-wide independent customs operations will be successfully realized as scheduled by the end of 2025," said Liu.

At the forum, guests said that the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port is an important measure for China to advance high-level opening up and has become a critical part of the building of an open world economy.

They also stressed that the Hainan Free Trade Port has built a bridge for win-win development for its partners worldwide by establishing partnerships with 38 free trade zones and ports across Asia, Africa, Europe and Latin America.

Speaking at the subforum, Ban Ki-moon, the chairman of Boao Forum for Asia and the former Secretary-General of the United Nations, lauded the island province's efforts to build a thriving economy that will benefit the whole region. China's opening-up at a high level undoubtedly is of great significance and will bring new opportunities for Asia and the wide world. During the past seven years, my colleagues and I have witnessed with our own eyes how the province has transformed and reinvented itself. From infrastructure, services, tropical agriculture, to high-tech industries, Hainan is well on its way to becoming a powerful magnet for global talents, capital and resources," said Ban.

With the theme "Asia in the Changing World: Towards a Shared Future," the BFA Annual Conference 2025, which opened on Tuesday, will be held through Friday.

Hainan FTP to boost cooperation with global partners: governor

Hainan FTP to boost cooperation with global partners: governor

A village-style fashion show featuring traditional ethnic attire from southwest China's Guizhou Province took the center stage at China International Fashion Week in Beijing, bringing the radiance of the region's intangible cultural heritage to the global stage.

A group of youngsters from Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture in Guizhou took the stage at the world-class fashion week, which just concluded on Friday.

Dressed in embroidered costumes and silver jewelries in the ethnic style of their communities, these youngest participants captured the attention and admiration of the audience.

"This is my first time here. These silver jewelry pieces are beautiful. They're all handmade," said Yang Shengxi, a child model from Guizhou.

At the village fashion show, a five-year-old girl in splendid ethnic attire stunned the audience by sitting on an agricultural tool carried on the shoulder of her 70-year-old grandfather. In the ethnic areas of Guizhou, it's common to see elders carrying children in baskets or on poles. The performance team brought this everyday scene to the runway, adding a distinctive local touch that set it apart from other fashion shows.

"At the fashion show in our village, this girl even carried a birdcage with a bird inside. They're simply showing what they love. These represent thousands of years of cultural heritage, and we're just the carriers, bringing it to the runway. Next, we will bring our show to the Osaka World Expo in Japan and the United Nations Climate Change Conference, showing the world the beauty of Guizhou and rural China," said Yang Chunlin, a fashion designer from the Miao ethnic group and the show's founder.

In addition, at the Fashion Week in Beijing, a number of runway shows featured elements of folk customs and intangible cultural heritage from across China. More than half of the brands and designers included traditional Chinese aesthetic elements and cultural heritage into their designs, making this a prominent aspect of the fashion event.

"At this year's China International Fashion Week, designers and brands from 12 different countries helped spread Chinese culture around the world. The event allowed designers to connect with inheritors of China's intangible cultural heritage, helping designers better understand the essence of these traditions. The goal was to showcase Chinese fashion and Eastern beauty through modern designs and global perspectives," said Xie Fangming, vice president of the China Fashion Designers Association.

Guizhou village fashion show highlights traditional ethnic costumes