We need to both "decentralize" and "manage" effectively.
Haikou Border Inspection Station is taking more concrete measures and providing better services to safeguard the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port.
"The official launch of customs clearance operations for the Hainan Free Trade Port is a landmark project in its construction, marking a significant milestone," said Wang Haixing, Party Secretary and Director of the Haikou Entry-Exit Border Inspection Station, in an interview with the Legal Daily on January 9. He added that the full operation of all eight open ports and ten "second-line ports" on Hainan Island signifies that the island, covering over 30,000 square kilometers, has officially become a special customs supervision zone, ushering in a new chapter of "open at the first line, controlled at the second line, and free movement within the island." Standing at this new historical starting point, Hainan's border inspection authorities will comprehensively deepen reform and innovation, vigorously enhance institutional openness, improve customs clearance facilitation, and strengthen security capabilities, striving to be pioneers in the high-standard construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port.
Build a bridge between us
The door to openness is opening wider and wider.
"In the past, we had to apply for visas in advance and provide various documents for customs clearance. Now we can enter the country directly with a regular passport. It's so convenient!" On January 8, Lin Juejin, a Malaysian tourist who often comes to Hainan to participate in activities, expressed the common feelings of many foreign tourists.
The smooth entry of foreign travelers is thanks to the continuously optimized and upgraded visa-free policy. On April 13, 2018, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China entrusted Hainan with the important mission of building a free trade pilot zone and a free trade port with Chinese characteristics. Eighteen days later, the National Immigration Administration launched a visa-free policy for citizens of 59 countries, extending their stay to a uniform 30 days.
In 2024, Hainan's visa-free policy saw a triple leap: on February 9th, the reasons for visa-free entry from 59 countries were expanded from tourism to include diverse needs such as business, family visits, and conventions; on July 30th, a 144-hour visa-free policy was introduced for foreign tourist groups from Hong Kong and Macau; and on December 17th, the transit visa-free stay was extended to 240 hours, with Haikou Meilan International Airport and Sanya Phoenix International Airport added as applicable ports of entry. Currently, Hainan offers visa-free entry to holders of ordinary passports from 86 countries, making its visa-free policy the most comprehensive in the country.
The visa-free "circle of friends" continues to expand, and the "magnetic force" of the Hainan Free Trade Port is growing stronger. As of December 16, 2025, more than 566,000 foreign tourists entered Hainan visa-free that year, accounting for 89.6% of the total number of foreign tourists entering the country. This represents a 59.5% increase compared to the same period in 2024 and a 17% increase compared to the historical peak. Among them, the proportion of foreigners entering Hainan visa-free for reasons such as exhibitions and business increased by 5.1 percentage points compared to 2024, indicating that foreign tourists' purposes for visiting Hainan are becoming increasingly diversified.
Policies are being implemented effectively, with border inspection taking precise measures. The Haikou Border Inspection Station proactively visited Hainan provincial departments and key industrial parks to conduct extensive research on "consultation and needs assessment," removing obstacles to policy implementation; upgraded and renovated airport border inspection facilities, increasing the number of inspection lanes from 39 to 98; and eliminated the pre-declaration process for travel agencies, simplifying customs procedures and minimizing passenger waiting time.
In addition, to address the urgent entry needs of non-visa-free countries and foreign nationals, online processing of group tourist port visas has been implemented, reducing the application time for group travelers by nearly 30 minutes. Since 2023, when it took the lead among border inspection authorities nationwide in undertaking the pilot visa business for four open ports in Hainan, the General Station has processed 2,012 port visas for more than 46,000 foreigners.
"Since 2018, Hainan has seen 4.986 million foreign visitors, of which 1.878 million are visa-free, accounting for nearly 90% of all foreign visitors. Choosing the visa-free policy to come to Hainan has become the preferred option for foreigners!" said Rao Jun, deputy director of the border inspection department of the station. He added that after the closure of the border, the visa-free policy will continue to be optimized, making it more free and convenient for friends from all over the world to come to Hainan.
Unblock the transportation arteries
The business environment is getting better and better.
As dawn breaks, the port of Yangpu resounds with the sounds of ship horns, as international vessels registered under the name "China Yangpu Port" shuttle back and forth, and giant containers are being loaded and unloaded in an orderly manner. At the anchorage outside the port, vessels engaged in both domestic and international trade are refueling with bonded oil... This bustling scene reflects the vitality of Yangpu as a pioneering demonstration zone for the construction of the free trade port.
Li Qunrong, an employee of China Haikou Foreign Shipping Agency Co., Ltd., was fortunate to witness a historic moment: on April 8, 2021, Yangpu Port completed its first bonded fuel bunkering transaction. However, the receiving vessel was anchored more than 17 nautical miles away, and the shipping agency had to charter tugboats to make multiple trips to handle border inspection procedures, which was time-consuming and laborious.
Wherever businesses have needs, services follow. Yangpu Border Inspection Station proactively visited businesses and joint inspection units, actively seeking policy support. Three months later, it launched convenient measures to simplify border inspection procedures for bonded fuel refueling vessels, achieving "one-time application, one-time approval, and one-time completion." The inspection time was reduced to 67% of the regular process, and the entire customs clearance for oil-receiving vessels only took 10 minutes.
"On average, each ship saves 6 hours of customs clearance time, reducing costs by at least 60,000 yuan." Li Qunrong calculated the figures clearly.
According to reports, since the release of the "Overall Plan for the Construction of Hainan Free Trade Port" in June 2020, Hainan has refueled 2,510 ships with more than 1.13 million tons of bonded fuel.
Innovation never stops, and service knows no bounds. Border inspection authorities tailor service solutions to the specific needs of different vessels. A "fast-track clearance method" has been introduced for 300,000-ton oil tankers, ensuring "zero-wait" operations; a "green channel" has been opened for vessels carrying bulk commodities and essential goods, achieving "zero-delay" inspection and release; and an innovative "integrity + intelligence" integrated service mechanism has been launched at seaports, implementing integrity-based management for international vessels, port terminal enterprises, and agency companies, truly ensuring that the better the credit, the more convenience and superior the service.
This convenience also benefits specialized industries. Hainan's exports of mandarin fish fry account for about 70% of the country's total exports, but the transportation time is critical. "Previously, we had to travel back and forth between Wanning and Wenchang to complete border inspection procedures, which wasted time, increased costs, and affected loading and unloading operations," said Song Xiaogang, general manager of Hainan Zhanghong Trading Co., Ltd., who had been worried about this.
The officers at Xiuying Border Inspection Station took the companies' difficulties to heart and, after conducting in-depth research in the aquaculture area, quickly devised a solution. They moved the inspection and supervision windows to the fish fry loading and unloading point, providing convenient services such as "credit scoring, online application, and appointment-based inspection," which significantly improved loading and unloading efficiency and reduced fish fry losses.
"Now the process of 'exporting' fish fry is 4 hours faster, and the company can earn at least 800,000 yuan more each year." Song Xiaogang's joy was palpable.
Innovative measures have taken root and yielded fruitful results, resolving numerous development challenges. The favorable business environment has not only connected more international trade routes but also attracted global companies to establish themselves in Hainan.
Weave a tight protective net
The level of governance is getting higher and higher
"Hello, after entering the country visa-free, citizens of the 59 countries are only allowed to travel within the Hainan administrative region. If you need to travel to other provinces in China or overstay your visa in Hainan, you can go to the local immigration department to apply for the relevant procedures." At 10:00 AM on January 7, officers from the Fenghuang Border Inspection Station, while conducting routine checks at the Fenghuang Airport second-line port checkpoint, discovered two foreign passengers who had applied for visa-free entry for the 59 countries and were preparing to board a plane to Guangzhou. They patiently explained the visa-free policy requirements and the consequences of violating the policy and persuaded them to return home.
"The first line" must be opened up, while the "second line" must be strictly controlled. Starting July 1, 2023, with the approval of the National Immigration Administration, the Haikou Border Inspection Station officially took over the management responsibilities for visa-free entry of foreigners leaving the island at 10 "second-line ports" and 3 railway stations, previously under the jurisdiction of the Provincial Public Security Department. Faced with this new task, the station explored and practiced new methods, established a dedicated team, strengthened technological support, and improved prevention and control mechanisms to achieve "seamless" passage at second-line ports, accelerating the construction of a rigorous and efficient management system for leaving the island.
With the continuous expansion of visa-free countries, the increase in international air routes to 87, and the record high number of inbound and outbound passengers, how to both "allow freedom" and "manage well" has become a crucial question that border inspection authorities must answer.
In May 2023, the "2.21" major case of organizing others to illegally cross the border, which was jointly investigated by the Hainan Provincial Public Security Department, Haikou Border Inspection Station and other units, was successfully solved. The case was supervised by the Ministry of Public Security and cracked down on more than 70 people involved in the case, with the amount involved exceeding 10 million yuan. This is a microcosm of the special operation deployed by the General Station to "promote governance through crackdown and create a safe port".
Over the past three years, the station has deepened the integration of intelligence, command, and action, established a "border inspection + entry and exit + N" police cooperation and linkage model, jointly investigated 193 cross-border criminal cases, including 16 cases supervised by the provincial and ministerial authorities, and intercepted and dissuaded 457 people suspected of leaving the country for gambling, fraud, illegal employment, etc., thus eradicating the breeding ground for cross-border criminal activities to the greatest extent possible.
Technology empowers more precise and efficient security control. The station has developed and built a "Smart Port Digital Border Inspection" platform, promoted intelligent equipment such as drones and underwater robots, and created 35 technical tactics and practical models. It has independently developed a smart management system for cruise ships and yachts, integrating cutting-edge technologies such as big data management and satellite positioning to construct a three-dimensional port control system encompassing "port patrol, maritime patrol, drone patrol, and system patrol." Currently, border inspection facilities at all eight open ports and ten second-tier ports in the province are in operation. These technological applications are continuously being tested in practice, and technology is providing "smart wings" to promote border inspection service management and build a safe national gateway, creating an increasingly dense protective network covering all ports on the island.
"Closing the border is not closing the island, but rather a higher-quality opening up. The more we open up, the more we must safeguard the bottom line of security!" said Luo Zhengyu, deputy director of the Haikou Border Inspection Station. He added that the station will use greater efforts, more practical measures, and better services to ensure the Hainan Free Trade Port sails steadily and far into the future amidst the tides of the times. (Legal Daily reporter Xing Dongwei, correspondent Zhu Chenpeng, Jiang Wei)
