Free Trade PLUS · Boao Quick Review | First time, 400, 20, 42 — a set of numbers revealing Hainan Free Trade Port's "social circle"

On March 24, the Boao Forum for Asia’s 2026 Annual Conference kicked off. The highlight of the first day of the Annual Conference is the Global Free Trade Port Development Forum. This time around, the forum’s caliber has reached an all-time high.

To understand this kind of qualitative leap, take a look at a set of key words and figures—

First is “for the first time.” This is the forum’s first appearance since its establishment in 2021, following the full-scale closed-loop operations of Hainan’s free trade port across the entire island. Full-scale closed-loop operations across the entire island are an important milestone in the construction of Hainan’s free trade port. Since the closed-loop operations began, the momentum of Hainan’s free trade port has been rising and visitor interest has surged—raising expectations for the Global Free Trade Port Development Forum even further.

Next is “400 and 20.” This refers to the number of guests for this forum. More than 400 guests from across the mainland and abroad gathered in Boao, covering senior government officials from more than 20 countries and regions, globally well-known experts and scholars, and leaders from multinational enterprises. The lineup is unprecedentedly strong, clearly showing the forum’s immense popularity.

And there’s “42.” During last year’s Annual Conference, the number of global free trade zones (ports) that Hainan had established partnership relationships with was 38. This year it has risen to 42, and there are also more than ten overseas free trade zone (port) delegation groups attending the meeting. This kind of deep, mechanism-driven interconnection demonstrates Hainan’s free trade port’s stable appeal.

From the breakthrough of “for the first time,” to the gathering of “400” visits, to dialogue spanning “20” countries, and to the global network of “42” partners—these figures outline not only this edition’s international visibility and industry influence, but also Hainan’s free trade port as a national-level strategic platform with international appeal.

On camera: Bao Ruoyan

Copywriting: Zhang Chenglin

Cinematography: Zhou Dayan Wang Huichen Wei Maojin

Editing: Wu Wenhui

Review: Wu Zhuo Jin Changbo Zhang Chenglin

Producer: Niu Xiaomin