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"RCEP can become more updated with the new emerging issues," said Tina Kuniasari, ASEAN Co-Chair of the RCEP Joint Committee, at the 2025 RCEP Media & Think Tank Forum on May 25. Kuniasari also stated that ACFTA 3.0 and RCEP complement each other.
"RCEP will become more international," said Chi Fulin, president of China Institute for Reform and Development, at the 2025 RCEP Media & Think Tank Forum on May 25. He also stated that RCEP's market will be far larger than the US market.
"Currently, one-third of the authors featured in Nature journal are Chinese names. In another 10 years, researchers predicted that it will be half," said Li Cheng, founding director of the Centre on Contemporary China and the World at the University of Hong Kong, at the 2025 RCEP Media & Think Tank Forum on May 25. He stated that in the field of science and technology China is more open, China is more willing to absorb talent.
"The US may represent 13 percent of global imports, but its retreat from leadership in global trade governance actually creates a vacuum," said Yose Rizal Damuri, director of Centre for Strategic and International Studies, Indonesia, at the 2025 RCEP Media & Think Tank Forum on May 25. He stated that RCEP members can and must fill this space for investing in rules-based integration that serves collective interest.
"I noted that China will always become our great example country in doing the implementation of RCEP," said Dina Kuniasari, ASEAN Co-Chair of the RCEP Joint Committee at the 2025 RCEP Media & Think Tank Forum on May 25. She stated that the accession of the expansions of the RCEP will be the primary agenda.
"The CJK collaboration is indeed the key to upgrading RCEP," said Ahn Choong-yong, distinguished professor at the Graduate School of International Studies, Chung-Ang University, at the 2025 RCEP Media & Think Tank Forum on May 25. He stated that CJK FTA would facilitate the smooth and efficient upgrading of the current RCEP framework toward the high standards of the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership.
"RCEP is more than just a free trade agreement. It is also a strategic platform for the authorities of its participating countries to exchange views and jointly address emerging policy challenges," said Taufiq Arfi Wargadalam, executive director of the RCEP Support Unit, at the 2025 RCEP Media & Think Tank Forum on May 25. To fully realize RCEP's benefits, he encourages the authorities, media and think tanks to help businesses and investors understand and utilize the agreement.
"Trilateral cooperation was born from the joint efforts to overcome the 1997 Asian financial crisis," said LEE Hee-sup, secretary-general of the Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat at the 2025 RCEP Media & Think Tank Forum on May 25. He stated that we must strengthen our recognition of a shared destiny crossing the river in the same boat.
Media professionals and think tank experts on Sunday called for stronger implementation strategies and broader public outreach to maximize the benefits of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, the world's largest free trade agreement.
Speaking at a sub-forum of the 2025 RCEP Media & Think Tank Forum in Haikou, Hainan province, participants noted that while the agreement has boosted economic integration since taking effect in January 2022, challenges remain in adoption and public awareness.
The RCEP includes 15 Asia-Pacific nations and covers approximately one-third of the global GDP and population.
Lucio B. Pitlo III, president of the Philippine Association for Chinese Studies, said more effort is needed to highlight the pact's success stories while addressing hurdles.
"While we need transparent communication about implementation hurdles, we must also amplify stories of companies successfully using RCEP's preferential terms to grow their market share," he said. "These success cases are crucial for promoting the agreement."
Pitlo underscored RCEP's strategic importance, saying it pushes back against unilateralism and protectionism while advancing regional economic integration.
U Aye Chan, general secretary of the Myanmar Press Council, said limited awareness in Myanmar remains a barrier, especially among the general public.
"While government and big businesses utilize RCEP, general public knowledge remains minimal as people focus on other national issues," he said. "We need comprehensive education campaigns — not just for policymakers but at grassroots and entrepreneur levels — to demonstrate RCEP's importance."
Tunyathip Saengsuwan, senior officer at the RCEP Support Unit, pointed to specific obstacles hindering the pact's full potential.
"Media and think tanks play a vital role in explaining RCEP's benefits and driving business engagement," she said. "Current underutilization stems from complex provisions like rules of origin and nonlinear tariff elimination schedules that confuse enterprises."
She added that these technical complexities often become practical barriers to implementation. Stronger collaboration is needed among governments, the private sector, media and academia to bridge the gap between policy design and business realities, she said.
Luan Ruiying, associate senior editor of China Watch, said media and think tanks can increase engagement by translating policy into relatable narratives. By reporting success stories and offering professional analysis, they can help governments, businesses and the public better understand the content and impact of RCEP, she said.
Luan emphasized the importance of creating platforms for dialogue, such as forums and seminars, to promote policy communication and share best practices.
Kris Mada, deputy editor of the international desk at Kompas Morning Daily, said messaging should focus on real-life benefits.
"Promoting RCEP means showing people how it improves their daily lives — job opportunities abroad, educational exchanges, export possibilities — not focusing on technical agreement terms," he said.
"The ASEAN population is becoming increasingly digital tech-savvy, and digitalization is getting into virtually all major aspects of life," said Ong Tee Keat, president of Belt and Road Initiative Caucus for Asia Pacific, Malaysia, at the 2025 RCEP Media & Think Tank Forum on May 25. He stated that China with its progress in digital economy will make the perfect partner for ASEAN to meet the ever growing demand of the 670 million population.
Scholars and officials on Sunday called for greater solidarity and cooperation to steadily advance regional integration under the framework of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership.
Speaking during a thematic dialogue at the 2025 RCEP Media & Think Tank Forum, participants explored practical ways to deepen cultural ties and strengthen mutual understanding across the region.
Tunyathip Saengsuwan, a senior officer at the RCEP Support Unit, stressed the need to enhance both the implementation and effective use of the agreement.
She noted that one of RCEP's biggest challenges is underutilization. A major reason, she said, lies in the complexity of some provisions and procedures, including rules of origin and non-linear tariff reduction schedules.
Such technical elements are often difficult for businesses — especially small and medium-sized enterprises — to understand, which limits their ability to fully benefit from the pact, she said.
Saengsuwan called on RCEP member states, along with businesses, think tanks, media outlets and academic institutions, to work more closely to ensure the agreement is fully implemented and its potential realized.
"Globalization is not only about economic integration, but also about deepening people-to-people ties," said Liu Gang, director of the Xinhua News Agency Research Institute. "Mutual learning among civilizations and an appreciation of cultural diversity play an irreplaceable role in facilitating economic and trade exchanges."
Although the 15 RCEP members vary widely in development stages, economic size, social systems and historical and cultural backgrounds, Liu said their shared aspiration for common prosperity has united them.
By "seeking common ground while shelving differences", Liu expressed confidence that the countries can address geopolitical or historical tensions and unlock meaningful opportunities for collective growth.
He added that China's initiatives — such as promoting high-quality Belt and Road Initiative cooperation and building a community with a shared future for humanity — are aimed at strengthening mutual understanding and trust, while fostering a more closely knit, open and inclusive regional cooperation framework.
At a time when protectionism and unilateralism are disrupting the global economic and trade order, Khin Maung Zaw, joint secretary of the Myanmar Institute of Strategic and International Studies, welcomed the unity shown by several major Asian economies under the RCEP framework in tackling shared challenges.
He expressed hope that countries with strengths in production, supply chains, value chains and infrastructure would support other members in achieving inclusive and equitable development across the region.
Kris Mada, deputy editor of the international section at Kompas Morning Daily in Indonesia, emphasized the importance of helping the public understand the real-world benefits of RCEP. Doing so, he said, is essential to building broad-based consensus and public support.
RCEP has already delivered tangible gains for ordinary people, Mada said, including opportunities to study abroad, receive scholarships, find jobs overseas and access broader markets for their products.
He encouraged RCEP members to make the pact more attractive by expanding openness and improving connectivity — for example, by offering more competitive scholarships and promoting tourism.
Official data shows that a vocational education cooperation project along the China-Laos Railway has trained more than 2,000 railway technicians for Laos. Since the railway opened, it has carried more than 20 million passengers and significantly boosted cultural and tourism development along the route.
The implementation of Version 3.0 China-ASEAN Free Trade Area agreement will further bolster supply chain cooperation and catalyze industrial upgrading, experts said on Sunday, just a few days after negotiations on the deal were completed.
Speaking at a thematic dialogue of the 2025 RCEP Media & Think Tank Forum held in Haikou, Hainan province, they said CAFTA 3.0 will not only upgrade the cooperation in the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, but also mitigate risks brought by unilateralism.
Economic and trade ministers from China and the 10 Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states announced last week the full completion of CAFTA 3.0 negotiations.
Both sides will move forward with their domestic signing and ratification processes, aiming to formally sign the CAFTA 3.0 upgrade protocol by the end of this year, according to China's Ministry of Commerce.
CAFTA 3.0 will help both China and ASEAN reconfigure global value chains, deepen mutual openness and boost cooperation in emerging industries, said Zhang Lijuan, a professor of international trade and world economy at Shandong University.
"As both sides are member economies of the RCEP, this will also inject fresh momentum into the pact's growth in the next stage," Zhang said.
China-ASEAN trade reached 2.38 trillion yuan ($329.62 billion) in the first four months of this year, up 9.2 percent year-on-year, accounting for 16.8 percent of China's total foreign trade, according to statistics from the General Administration of Customs.
CAFTA 3.0 will establish an inclusive, modern, comprehensive and mutually beneficial free trade framework. It incorporates nine new chapters on areas such as the digital economy, green economy, supply chain connectivity, and economic and technical cooperation.
Huang Qunhui, a member of the economic committee of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, said these additions will enable both sides to strengthen regional economic integration under new conditions, significantly enhance industrial and supply chain collaboration, and serve as a pioneering step for other bilateral or multilateral free trade deals.
For instance, despite significant progress, disparities in infrastructure development between China and ASEAN countries persist, with the digital divide posing a challenge to integration.
The CAFTA 3.0 framework will help bridge this gap and support more balanced, inclusive growth, said Huang, who is also a senior research fellow at the Institute of Economics at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.
Echoing this sentiment, Alvin Ang, senior researcher at Brunei's Centre for Strategic and Policy Studies, said small economies like Brunei integrate into trade agreements not just for foreign capital, but also for guidance and support, ensuring these investments yield meaningful results.
The upgrade of free trade agreements benefits not only individual countries, but also strengthens the broader regional trade community, he said.
Supreme Intelligent Technology Co, a Ningbo, Zhejiang province-based manufacturer of sewing machine equipment, welcomed the conclusion of the CAFTA 3.0 talks as a positive step forward.
"Our products are in high demand in Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam, Myanmar and Cambodia," said Luo Qian, the company's president.
Supreme Intelligent Technology Co saw its exports to the ASEAN market surge 30 percent year-on-year to 80 million yuan between January and April, data from Ningbo Customs showed.
As an increasing number of manufacturers in Southeast Asia are keen to adopt advanced robotics systems and automated production lines to reduce their reliance on manual labor, Luo said that the implementation of CAFTA 3.0 will further enable more Chinese companies to seize new opportunities in the region.
The advancement of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement to a higher level and toward broader coverage will bolster economic growth in the Asia-Pacific region and help stabilize a fracturing world trade system, officials and experts said on Sunday.
The mega trade pact, covering 30 percent of the world's total population and economic output, should play an even more significant role in championing free trade and mutual benefits as headwinds buffet the global economy, they said at the 2025 RCEP Media and Think Tank Forum held in Haikou, Hainan province.
The forum, themed "Jointly Building High-Level and Largest Free Trade Area", was organized by China Daily, the China Institute for Reform and Development and the China Oceanic Development Foundation.
"Unilateral protectionism and hegemonic bullying are wreaking havoc worldwide," said Hainan Governor Liu Xiaoming. "Yet the RCEP is injecting robust momentum into the economic integration of the Asia-Pacific, presenting member states with new market opportunities and bolstering the international community's confidence in multilateralism."
Hainan, as a free trade port, will fully leverage its existing policies to integrate with the rules of the RCEP, Liu said, adding that the province will turn itself into a crucial hub that facilitates market connectivity, factor mobility, rule coordination and industrial chain cooperation between China and other RCEP member economies.
"In the face of an increasingly uncertain and volatile global landscape, the steady progress of RCEP implementation has become even more precious," said Qu Yingpu, publisher and editor-in-chief of China Daily.
"Redoubling our efforts to push forward regional integration and economic globalization is essential for shaping a community with a shared future for mankind," Qu said, adding that the RCEP member economies should work together to build a regional community for scientific and technological innovation.
Harnessing the synergies of artificial intelligence-enabled joint research and cooperative networks among RCEP members will greatly enhance the collective capacity for innovation and smart development, he said.
The RCEP — the world's largest free trade pact, which is aimed at gradually eliminating tariffs on over 90 percent of goods traded among its 15 members — serves as a critical counterweight to the United States' blanket tariff hikes targeting global economies.
Last year, the total trade volume among RCEP members reached $5.7 trillion, up 2.5 percent year-on-year, according to a report released at the forum.
China, as a key player of the RCEP, has been making cutting-edge AI capabilities available both domestically and globally, with DeepSeek, a cost-effective and open-source large language model developed at a mere fraction of the cost of comparable US models, being a prime example.
"Looking ahead, an RCEP with higher standards, a broader scope and more inclusive development will surely inject certainty into the global economy," said Chi Fulin, president of the China Institute for Reform and Development.
At present, the RCEP comprises the 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, as well as China, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Sri Lanka and Chile have submitted applications seeking accession to the RCEP.
Chi said that Hong Kong's accession would not only boost growth of regional trade, but also drive regional financial development and enhance the internationalization of regional industries. If Chile joins the group, it would mark an upgrade of the RCEP from a purely regional arrangement to a cross-regional one, he added.
Secretary-General of ASEAN Kao Kim Hourn said, "The growing interest from potential applicant countries and regions represents a powerful testament to our commitment to maintaining an open and inclusive agreement."
He added that relevant parties are working diligently to finalize the details of the accession process as expeditiously as possible.
Meanwhile, the full completion of negotiations on the Version 3.0 China-ASEAN Free Trade Area and the accelerating negotiations for the China-Japan-South Korea Free Trade Agreement are also converging to open up more opportunities for regional growth.
Lyu Bin, president of the China Oceanic Development Foundation, called for efforts to construct a platform for cooperation on the blue, or marine economy, helping RCEP member nations to identify their comparative resource advantages and optimize the layout of their marine industries.
wangkeju@chinadaily.com.cn
"Building a high-level RCEP requires not only expanding the zero-tariff rate for goods, but also advancing high-level market openness for overall trade in services within the region," said Chi Fulin, president of China Institute for Reform and Development, at the 2025 RCEP Media & Think Tank Forum on May 25. He stated that a high-level RCEP will be established upon markets and rules, and it will bring about inclusive and sustainable growth within the region.
The forthcoming signing of the ACFTA Upgrade Protocol or ACFTA 3.0 in 2025 will "redefine economic ties between ASEAN and China through enhanced innovation, productivity, and competitiveness," said Kao Kim Hourn, Secretary-General of ASEAN at the 2025 RCEP Media & Think Tank Forum on May 25. He stated that ACFTA 3.0 and RCEP function as complementary frameworks, offering mutually reinforcing pathways for businesses throughout our regions.
As Hainan moves toward special Customs operations, it becomes a living lab for China's future-focused reforms. "(There are) a lot of things to cooperate between ASEAN, Indonesia and Hainan," said Djauhari Oratmangun, Indonesian ambassador to China, at a meeting on major trends of China's expanded opening-up.
From trade facilitation to institutional innovation, Hainan offered a window into how this strategic frontier reflects the country's broader reform ambitions.
As China's tropical island province of Hainan starts special Customs operations by the end of the year, its level of openness is expected to reach new highs and benefit more foreign partners, said senior officials.
In line with the highest international standards of openness, the liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment have been the focal points for Hainan Free Trade Port, said Wang Bin, a senior official of Hainan province.
"We are gradually implementing China's most favorable tax policies, centered around zero tariffs and a simplified tax system," Wang said, adding that the port boasts China's shortest negative list for foreign investment access, largest catalog of encouraged industries, and first negative list for cross-border trade in services.
Wang made the remarks during a meeting on major trends of China's expanded opening-up held by the Center for China and Globalization on Friday.
Wang added that Hainan FTP also has dedicated international internet data channels covering key areas to meet the data needs of most sectors. Once special Customs operations come into effect this year, the region will further increase the convenience and freedom of trade and investment across the board, he said.
According to the latest government data, the number of new business entities established since the construction of the Hainan FTP has exceeded the total of the past 30 years, with 158 countries and regions investing in Hainan.
"Hainan FTP opens huge opportunities for cooperation between China, Indonesia, and other ASEAN member states and RCEP participating partners," said Djauhari Oratmangun, Indonesian ambassador to China, at the gathering.
In order to advance comprehensive strategic partnerships with China, Indonesia and ASEAN are expected to further increase economic cooperation, in particular, trade, investment and tourism with the country, Oratmangun said.
Hainan also has the lowest tax burden of any place on the Chinese mainland.
The current general corporate income tax rate on the Chinese mainland is 25 percent, while in the Hainan FTP, it is 15 percent, said Li Yufei, deputy director of the FTP's working committee. "Hainan serves as the most open place on the Chinese mainland to foreign investment," Li said.
As a result, the number of newly established foreign-funded enterprises has grown by an average of 57 percent annually, and paid-in foreign capital has grown by an average of 36 percent, government data showed. Its economic openness rate also increased from 17.3 percent in 2018 to 35 percent in 2024.
In a bid to strengthen economic ties with global trade partners and explore mutually beneficial cooperation mechanisms, the Hainan FTP has inked Global Free Trade Zone (Port) Partnership Initiative with 38 free trade zones (ports) worldwide, and signed cooperation memoranda with over one-third of pilot free trade zones in China, Wang added.
Boasting an advantageous location, the Hainan FTP is just four hours by plane from 21 countries and regions in Asia, encompassing roughly 47 percent of the global population and 30 percent of the world's GDP.
"Its location is conducive for both international firms looking to break into the Chinese market and Chinese companies seeking to go global … better fostering economic globalization and promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind," Wang said.
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Yunnan province has sustained strong foreign trade growth thanks in large part to deepening cooperation with member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, a dynamic that underscores the strength of China-ASEAN economic ties despite mounting global trade protectionism, said experts.
According to Kunming Customs, ASEAN has remained Yunnan's largest trading partner for 20 consecutive years. In 2024, trade between Yunnan and ASEAN reached 109.32 billion yuan ($15.1 billion) while in the first quarter of this year alone, bilateral trade totaled 23.96 billion yuan.
As China's gateway to South and Southeast Asia, Yunnan has seen increasingly close economic and trade cooperation with ASEAN in recent years. "The province's growing foreign trade potential continues to inject strong momentum into regional economic integration," said Kunming Customs.
Of the total trade volume, Yunnan imported 3.22 billion yuan's worth of agricultural products from ASEAN, up 26.5 percent year-on-year, and exports of agricultural goods reached 2.98 billion yuan, marking a 23.1 percent increase.
Notably, exports of fruits and nuts surged by 132.6 percent compared to the same period last year.
Fruits produced in Yunnan are highly complementary with those of ASEAN economies, and the establishment of a cross-border fruit corridor — bringing tropical fruits north and temperate fruits south — has enhanced the complementary trade advantages between China and ASEAN economies, fostering mutually beneficial cooperation, according to Kunming Customs.
"Yunnan enjoys geographic proximity and longstanding cultural ties with neighboring regions," said Zhou Mi, a senior researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation.
"Recent progress in infrastructure and logistics has laid a further solid foundation for Yunnan and ASEAN to deepen cooperation based on their respective strengths," Zhou added.
Bai Ming, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, said that as China and ASEAN economies both prioritize manufacturing development, agreements covering the RCEP (Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership) and the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area have strengthened industrial linkages. Improved logistics infrastructure between Yunnan and ASEAN economies has also helped remove traditional trade barriers and unlock new business opportunities.
Yunnan's collaboration with ASEAN offers a valuable model for broader China-ASEAN cooperation.
"Border and cross-border economic cooperation zones have played a key role in fostering industrial complementarity, strengthening supply and value chains, and enhancing regional economic resilience," said Bai.
Data from the General Administration of Customs reveal that in 2024, ASEAN remained China's largest trading partner, with total bilateral trade reaching 6.99 trillion yuan, up 9.0 percent year-on-year and accounting for 15.9 percent of China's total foreign trade.
Exports to ASEAN stood at 4.17 trillion yuan, a 13.4 percent increase, while imports from ASEAN totaled 2.82 trillion yuan, up 3.2 percent.
Commenting on the US tariffs, Zhou noted that their impact extends to neighboring countries, placing shared pressure across the region.
"However, enhanced cooperation among regional partners can help mitigate these effects, reduce overreliance on external markets and strengthen economic resilience within the region," he said.
Undoubtedly, the trade conflict has had a negative impact on many countries, said Wang Yuzhu, an academic director of the Greater Bay Area-ASEAN Research Center at Shenzhen University.
"Trade wars benefit no one and are bound to have negative economic consequences," he said.
Regardless of the global environment, regional collaboration remains the cornerstone of sustainable growth, and Wang believed that the cooperation between China and ASEAN should be seen as long-term.
As the first light of dawn bathes the shimmering shore of Hainan Free Trade Port, a vibrant tapestry of China's opening-up unfolds.
In Boao's gleaming hospital buildings, physicians administer cutting-edge therapies under special regulatory permits; in Lingshui's seaside course, international students enjoy leisure time with their Chinese counterparts; and at Haikou's maintenance base, zero-tariff policies power aircraft overhauls that span half the globe.
"China's openness is astonishing," said a patient from Greece.
Visiting the Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone for a second time to receive a newly approved glioma-targeting therapy, he said he's lucky to see the drug — which was launched in the United States in August — become available in Hainan by November.
Upon learning that a new drug is capable of replacing chemo-radiation and effectively delaying recurrence, he immediately contacted relatives in the US and Greece to buy the drug — only to find it prohibitively expensive in the former and not yet available in the latter.
To his great surprise, the treatment had already made its "Asia first use" at West China Medical Center, Sichuan University's Lecheng unit, in November.
At the heart of this quick access to foreign medicine is Lecheng's successful implementation of four "special permits" for medical practice, research, operation and international exchange, which are designed to fast-track breakthrough drugs and devices into the Chinese market.
"Lecheng has now achieved 'three-way synchronization', aligning its medical technology, equipment and pharmaceuticals with leading international standards," said Zhang Yanning, an official at the medical pilot zone's management bureau. "It has become a 'city of hope' for patients with rare diseases and complex conditions in search of new drugs, devices and therapies," Zhang said.
According to the management bureau's data, Lecheng has to date imported over 470 innovative medicines and devices not yet approved on the mainland, benefiting more than 110,000 patient visits, an annual increase of 134.2 percent over the past five years.
Partnerships now span over 180 pharmaceutical and med-tech companies from 20 countries, including leading players like Merck, Sonova, Gilead Sciences and Novartis.
Beyond cutting-edge care, Lecheng is also crafting a holistic "medical tourism" experience. Twenty bespoke packages cater to both domestic and international guests, blending health checkups, convalescence programs and leisure activities against the lush backdrop of Boao's tropical coastline.
Visitors from Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Middle East and Europe are increasingly drawn to this fusion of healing and hospitality — an unfolding tableau of what a "community of shared health destiny" promises.
"This journey made me feel how close China is to Indonesia," said an Indonesian tourist on a medical visit to Lecheng. "The hospital felt more like a spa-like resort, with impeccable service and very reasonable prices," she said.
In 2024 alone, Lecheng welcomed 413,700 medical tourists, up 36.8 percent year-on-year, with international groups spending an average of over 12,000 yuan ($1,640) per person, according to the management bureau's data. Ancillary sectors such as health checkups, medical aesthetics and rehabilitation have likewise prospered, testifying to the zone's ripple effect on the local economy.
Not far down south on the island, the Lingshui Li'an international education innovation pilot zone is also dismantling walls — here, the ethos is "campus without fences, classrooms without barriers, research without borders".
"Compared to studying abroad, studying in Hainan allows us to 'enroll in one university and select courses from many'," said Li Ningrui, a communications engineering student at Glasgow College Hainan, established jointly by University of Electronic Science and Technology of China and University of Glasgow.
Li added that after graduation, he would be able to earn bachelor's degrees from both universities, which will offer him an edge in seeking higher educational experiences.
Since implementation of the regulations on Lingshui Li'an international education innovation pilot zone on Jan 1, eight Sino-foreign cooperative programs and 22 worldwide leading universities have taken root.
The regulations stipulate support for Sino-foreign joint educational ventures within the pilot zone, while permitting top-tier foreign universities and vocational schools to found institutions and allowing foreign enterprises to establish wholly foreign-owned schools.
"Foreign institutions can teach independently or partner with local universities, making 'study in Hainan equals study abroad' a reality," said Wang Yang, deputy director of the educational pilot zone's management bureau.
The document also encourages unlimited recruitment of international students and facilitates services for international students, foreign professionals and visiting scholars in the zone.
According to the latest data from the pilot zone's administrative authority, international students now account for over 10 percent of the total student population.
In a different facet of openness, an aircraft maintenance industrial base in Haikou is gaining traction among global customers in aviation services.
"Previously, our engines had to be shipped to the UK or Taiwan province for overhaul," said Niu Xuqiang, an executive at an aviation engine maintenance company. "Now, zero-tariff imports of spare parts and tools allow global airlines to save substantially on maintenance and logistics."
Benefiting from its strategic location — within a four-hour flight radius of about half the world's population — the base has obtained 22 aviation maintenance licenses from 17 countries, while the Hainan FTP's zero-tariff policy has also given it a competitive edge by reducing maintenance costs by 15 percent, said Wang Haiye, director and general manager of the one-stop aircraft maintenance industrial base.
This year's Government Work Report called for actively encouraging foreign investment, expanding pilot zones for opening up the services sector, and further opening-up in key areas such as telecommunications, healthcare and education. Notably, this year also marks a pivotal moment for Hainan FTP, as it enters the critical phase of its Customs closure operation and broader opening-up.
Against the backdrop of an unstable global trade environment, the Hainan FTP is increasingly seen as a strategic stronghold in boosting China's domestic consumption momentum and external economic engagement and resilience, said industry experts.
"Despite the profound and complex changes facing economic globalization, regional economic integration and intra-regional trade and investment liberalization remain an overarching trend," said Chi Fulin, president of China Institute for Reform and Development.
"Higher-level openness, positioning Hainan as an open gateway to both the Pacific and Indian Oceans, is both a national strategy and Hainan's historical role," Chi said, adding that as regional economic integration deepens under RCEP and CPTPP, Hainan's port will amplify its capacity to foster trade cooperation and resource pooling.
Ong Chong Yi, executive director of the Belt and Road Initiative Caucus for Asia Pacific in Malaysia, sees Hainan as a platform supported by institutional safeguards to counter protectionism.
"By attracting enterprises to set up units here — then exporting to third-party markets — Hainan can serve as a linchpin for cross-regional collaboration and supply-chain resilience," Ong said.
"Leveraging Think Tank Strength to Advance RCEP's Role and Steadily Promote Free Trade" Consensus of RCEP Think Tank Experts
On the morning of April 16, 2025, the RCEP Think Tank Network (RCEPTTN) convened a thematic seminar titled "The Future Trend of Global Free Trade and RCEP's Role" in a hybrid format. The discussion centered on key topics such as RCEP's role in promoting free trade, advancing regional free trade arrangements with a focus on Asia, and addressing the challenges, opportunities, and pragmatic strategies facing RCEP. Experts and scholars from all 15 RCEP member countries and representatives of the RCEPTTN engaged in discussions on these topics and reached the following consensus.
1. Isolation and confrontation lead only to stagnation and conflict, while openness, cooperation, mutual benefit and win-win cooperation are the shared aspirations of all countries, and the prevailing trend of the times. At present, the global economy is facing severe challenges from unilateralism and protectionism, the multilateral trading system is under significant strain, and global free trade is facing disorder. Asia, as a high point for global cooperation and development, is facing both unprecedented challenges and significant opportunities. Asian countries must work together to safeguard the free trade order and oppose trade protectionism.
2. RCEP is an important strategic measure in response to trade protectionism. It serves as a key driving force for promoting regional free trade, advancing regional economic integration, and achieving inclusive and sustainable development among its members. The signing and implementation of RCEP marks a major milestone in regional economic integration, fully demonstrating the firm commitment of countries in the region to multilateralism and free trade. RCEP's greatest strength lies in free trade based on open markets and inclusive rules. In the current context, the benefits brought by RCEP are particularly valuable.
3. Steadily advance RCEP with free trade as the main theme, promote the joint construction of the world's largest high-level free trade area, and accelerate the process of free trade within the region. It is also necessary to resolutely uphold the rules-based multilateral trading system, safeguard the stability of industrial and supply chains, and maintain a predictable, transparent, non-discriminatory, fair, inclusive, and open regional economic environment.
4. Strengthen cooperation between RCEP and other free trade partners, and jointly build a network of partnerships that support free trade in order to collectively address trade protectionism and unilateralism. RCEP should actively deepen constructive cooperation with emerging regions and other economies committed to free trade. Through cooperation with actors committed to a fair, rules-based international order, RCEP can more effectively shield itself from the disruptive impacts of unilateralism and protectionism.
5. Accelerate the improvement and refinement of RCEP governance mechanism. Strengthen the evaluation and analysis of the implementation of RCEP provisions and promote the upgrading of its rules. Establish an RCEP Secretariat at an appropriate time; set up an RCEP Dispute Settlement Committee; expedite the process of RCEP expansion; and convene an RCEP Summit to enhance synergy in RCEP's implementation.
6. Give greater play to the role of think tanks within RCEP region. In the face of serious challenges posed by global changes, think tanks should pool wisdom, enhance consensus, and unite efforts. Jointly strengthen research on free trade and regional economic integration and provide policy suggestions; jointly build high-level international exchange platforms to promote dialogue and cooperation among think tanks; jointly promote cooperation in emerging fields under the RCEP framework; jointly carry out various forms of capacity-building initiatives; and jointly promote cultural exchange and mutual understanding within the region.
