Hainan to establish global island research center

Hainan will continue to build a more extensive platform for international cooperation for island economies under the framework of the Boao Forum for Asia, and also seek to establish a global island economy research center to serve policymaking and cooperation between and among island economies, said officials at a sideline session at the forum on Thursday.

Wang Sheng, director of the Foreign Affairs Office of Hainan province, said the center will bring together global island research sources to provide academic support to the policymaking of island economy systems. In-depth field research and comparative research on free trade zones will be conducted to provide intellectual guidance to the development of a Hainan free trade zone and free trade port with Chinese characteristics.

Wang was speaking at the 2019 Boao Forum for Asia, at a panel session on the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road: Island Economic Cooperation.