Measures strengthen IP protection in Hainan

 A basket of legal measures to strengthen protection and development of intellectual property rights in Hainan Free Trade Port was unveiled on Friday, as a move to help the country's southernmost island province attract more investors and promote technological innovation.

 

The measures offer stronger IP protection, particularly in new businesses, major industries, core technologies and new plant varieties. These measures have been written into a guideline by the Supreme People's Court, and were released about two weeks after a new IP court was built in Hainan.

 

On Dec 31, the Hainan Free Trade Port Intellectual Property Court, which covers IP-related civil, administrative and criminal cases across the province, opened to public.

 

The new court can not only improve the quality of IP case hearings and help create a better business environment, but also help raise the province's international popularity and help it play a bigger role in global economic cooperation and competition.

 

Based on the court, "we'll intensify the IP protection in some key industries in the port, such as in crop breeding, medical technologies, digital creations as well as deep sea and deep space," said Chen Wenping, vice-president of the Hainan High People's Court.

 

"We'll also accelerate the making and improvement of rules on patent protection in the sections."

 

He highlighted the IP protection in the port's technological innovations and new businesses, including those on big data, biology, pharmacy, block chain and artificial intelligence, regarding it as a crucial means to serve high-tech industrial development and upgrading.

 

Qin Fei, a professor from the faculty of materials and manufacturing at Beijing University of Technology, lauded the judicial measures given to Hainan in strengthening IP protection, "because the stricter guarantee we provide for patents and trademarks, the more overseas enterprises will be attracted to invest in the port".

 

The 30-article guideline also supports Hainan to establish a center to resolve international commercial disputes by diversified means, including mediation, arbitration and litigation, according to Tao Kaiyuan, vice-president of the top court.

 

She added the country's International Commercial Court will also build a contact station in Hainan to guide the province to offer better legal services while handling relevant cases.

Tourism, modern service&high tech fuel Hainan’s economic growth

 Hainan’s tourism, modern service and high-tech industries enjoyed significant growths during the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-2020), the provincial government said at a press conference on Thursday.

 

Tourism

 

In 2019, Hainan recorded 83.1 million domestic and international tourists, including 1.4 million from abroad. Tourism income totaled RMB 105.8 billion (USD 16.3 billion). Accordingly, the proposed targets of Hainan’s 13th Five-Year Plan in the sector were met ahead of schedule.

 

By the end of 2019, the direct contribution rate of the tourism industry posted 11.92%, while the comprehensive contribution rate reached 27.97%.

 

 

Modern Service

 

Medical and Health

During the five-year plan period, the added value of Hainan’s medical and health industry increased from RMB 10.2 billion to RMB 16.9 billion (USD 2.6 billion). The industry’s proportion of GDP rose 0.7% to 3.2%.

 

Due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus, the added value of the medical and health industry gained RMB 11.5 billion (USD 1.8 billion) during the first three quarters of 2020.

 

Internet

In 2016-2019, the province’s Internet industry witnessed rapid growth, posting an average annual growth of 30%. By the end of 2020, the industry revenue reached RMB 120 billion (USD 18.5 billion).

 

Financial

In September 2020, Hainan’s Qualified Foreign Limited Partner (QFLP) fund was successfully launched, attracting nearly RMB 647 million (USD 100 million).

 

By the end of December 2020, Hainan's new offshore international trade balance exceeded USD 1.8 billion (RMB 11.64 billion), an 11-fold jump from 2019.

 

 

High-tech

 

Hainan reported 838 high-tech enterprises within the term of validity at the end of 2020, increasing 48.1% from the previous year.

 

According to statistics, the number of high-tech enterprises is expected to surpass 1,000 during the first quarter of 2021. The operating income of high-tech enterprises is forecast to reach RMB 84.1 billion (USD 13 billion), climbing 9.9% year-on-year.

Hainan sets up five-year plan on eco-friendly urban development

 About 70% of the total area of Hainan's ​​new urban development will consist of eco-friendly buildings by 2022. The corresponding task is set in the fourteenth five-year plan, www.hinews.cn reported on Monday.

According to the plan, by the specified date, this figure in the administrative center of Hainan, Haikou, will reach 80%, and in Sanya - 60%. "Green construction", writes the news outlet, saves resources and reduces the negative impact of construction on the environment.

Local authorities intend to promote a program for the construction of ultra-low and near-zero energy buildings in the province. In addition, the document contains provisions on the need for technical renovation of existing buildings, which will make them more energy efficient.

By 2022, it is also planned to significantly expand the use of "green materials" in construction and form a mechanism for monitoring compliance with environmental standards by those who live in new energy-efficient houses. 

Tesla opens first center on Hainan

 American electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla has opened its first hub in China's Hainan province. According to the Hainan Daily, it will specialize in customer consulting, supply chain management and after-sales services.

The center is located in the Xiuying district of the provincial capital, Haikou. According to the newspaper, the company intends to open a second center in Sanya in the south of the island in the first half of 2021. In addition, by the end of September, Tesla plans to build charging stations in all localities in the region.

On September 22, 2020, Tesla registered and established its representative office in Haikou. The field of activity of the local office includes the sale and repair of electric vehicles, retail trade of auto parts and maintenance of infrastructure for charging electric vehicles. On October 13, the company also signed an agreement with Hainan Internet Industry Innovation Park Fuxingcheng to build an exhibition pavilion and a test center in the province.

To the year 2030 with no gas In order to combat environment pollution and protect ecology, the Hainan authorities intend to completely stop selling cars with conventional gasoline and diesel engines on the island by 2030. For these purposes, the government will encourage the residents to buy electric vehicles and hybrids, as well as develop the infrastructure necessary for them. 

Starting from August 1, 2018, the authorities have already introduced a special quota for obtaining state-standard numbers for ordinary types of vehicles. Meanwhile, according to the last year's data, there were more than 23,000  "green" cars registered on Hainan, which is about 1.8% of the total number of cars on the island. In order to service eco-friendly vehicles there are more than 4.600 charging stationins in the province.

Since 2019, according to the authorities, all companies and state-owned enterprises on the island are committed to switching to "green" cars. By 2030, they plan to install about 940,000 spots for recharging electric and hybrid cars on the island.

Hainan to turn into an international center for tourism and consumption by 2025

 The Hainan authorities are planning to build an international tourism and consumption center on the island over the next five years. The corresponding task, according to www.hinews.cn, was set in the government's report presented at the annual session of the provincial People's Congress (a local legislative body).

 

During the fourteenth five-year plan (2021-2025), the document notes, the share of added value from tourism in the structure of Hainan's GDP should increase to 12%. It is also planned to launch 160 new domestic and international air routes. Thus, their total number should be increased in the next five years to 646, which will increase the number of cities available for flights from Hainan to 200. At the same time, the total passenger traffic in air transport will increase to 60 million people.

 

By 2025, the Chinese government intends to create an "international center for tourism and consumption" on Hainan. In order to do so, the "Eastern Hawaii" with their unique natural landscapes, thick rainforests and great climate will establish a developed network of hotels, which blend perfectly with white sandy beaches stretching along the coastline. The combination of an exotic subtropical nature and a modern eco-friendly infrastructure will boost tourist inflow to the island from the most distant parts of the world. 

 

The development of tourism in the province is also an important part of the construction of the free trade port on the island, the country's government published a development plan for the project on June 1, 2020.

Creation of free trade zone gives boost to Hainan's economy

 The creation of a free trade zone and port on Hainan accelerated the growth of the region's economy. According to Peng Wei, deputy head of the region's commerce department, significant growth in the province's economic performance, despite the negative consequences of the pandemic, proves it.

"Last year, Hainan attracted about 122,000 highly qualified specialists from other regions, including more than 11,000 foreign citizens," the Zhongguo Xinwenwang quoted him as saying.

"The information fully demonstrates that Hainan's free port zone attracts foreign capital, highly skilled workforce, enterprises and other resources," he said, adding that Hainan has become an important link between the global and Chinese economies. As the representative of the authorities noted, the fourteenth five-year plan envisages ensuring the average annual growth rate of the regional economy at the level of over 10%.

Peng Wei stressed that after the introduction by the regional authorities in July 2020 of new exemptions in the regulation of duty free trade, sales in this area have doubled. In 2021, duty-free shops are planning to introduce delivery of goods by mail, as well as to exempt Hainan residents from paying duties on the purchase of imported goods. As a result of these measures, the authorities expect sales of duty free shops in 2021 to reach about 60 billion yuan (about $ 9.25 billion), and by 2025 — about 300 billion yuan (about $ 46.2 billion).

He also noted that Hainan is leading among other China's regions in terms of the degree of tourism sector recovery — in 2020, the number of tourists visiting the regions amounted to about 80% of the indicators of 2019.

Ecology According to the deputy head of the officce for environmental protection, Kong Linghui, when planning the socio-economic development of the province, the Hainan authorities pay special attention to ecology. According to the official, in 2020, the average concentration of fine particles in the region decreased from 16 to 13 micrograms per cubic meter. This is a record low in the entire history of observations.

"Hainan not only continues to lead in the field of environmental protection, but also promotes green investment and consumption by banning the use of plastic, as well as promoting cars running on new energy sources," the news outlet quoted him as saying.

According to the government's plans for the next five years, Hainan will peak carbon emissions by 2025 and reach carbon neutrality by 2050. By 2025, the proportion of days with excellent air quality per year will be maintained at more than 98%, and the average annual fine particle concentration is expected to drop to 11 micrograms per cubic meter.

Hainan Free Trade Port Becoming an Attractive for Cooperation in International Education

 

I was shocked at the efficiency of agreement signing, site selection and construction. It took just 2-year to build a brand new campus covering 145 mu (about 96,666.7 square meters)," said Jo Evans. She recalled the the establishment of Harrow School Haikou and showed respect.

Chinese government decided to build Hainan free trade port into a benchmark for educational innovation in 2019.

Jo Evans previously worked as an executive at prestigious international schools in Beijing and Shanghai. A year ago, she received an offer from Harrow International School Haikou to invite her to serve as vice principal. Out of curiosity about Hainan, she quickly accepted. As various policies have come out in succession, Jo Evans feels that it is more convenient for foreigners to work and live in Hainan. She is busy but happy.

According to The Education Department of Hainan Province, with the opening-up in international education, 36 well-known colleges, like Fachhochschule Bielefeld University of Applied Sciences, Coventry University and University of Alberta, have made cooperation to set up campuses in Hainan. They mainly settle in the career of Li'an International Education Innovation Pilot Zone in Lingshui and Yazhou Bay Sci-Tech City in Sanya.

"With a large number of high-quality education resources, Sanya will embrace top talents in related fields," said Tong Liyan, Full-time Deputy Party Secretary of the Yazhou Bay Sci-Tech City Administration.

In the past two years, a total of 400 education projects are under construction in Hainan, with a total investment of about 4600 million US dollars. Affected by the COVID-19, since the end of the last year, some parents who planned to send their children abroad to study have turned their eyes back to China's study-abroad policies and job information in Hainan.
"The development of the Hainan Free Trade Port will attract more excellent students to international schools here," said Jo Evans, who also brought her son and daughter to Haikou. "They have quickly adapted to the new environment.

Blue sky, white clouds and tropical flavors are so attractive that they can go to the beach to collect shells after school. They have fallen in love with Haikou just like me."