An aerial drone photo shows a foreign vessel carrying petrochemical raw materials berthing at Yangpu Port in South China's Hainan Province, December 18, 2025. Photo" Xinhua

Foreign companies are optimistic about the development prospect in the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) after the launch of island-wide special customs operations on Thursday, seeing it as a clear signal of China's unwavering commitment to high-standard opening-up. They told the Global Times that the island's unique status will unlock significant new opportunities for their businesses.

Global delivery services firm FedEx said it maintains high confidence in the Chinese market. "China is one of the core engines of global trade and plays a key role in our global strategy. We are greatly encouraged by the launch of [special customs operations] in the Hainan FTP, which underscores China's unwavering commitment to high-level opening-up," Poh-Yian Koh, president of FedEx China, said in a note sent to the Global Times on Friday. 

"We are confident that this move will lead to a higher benchmark of streamlined imports and exports, free and efficient flows of people, goods and capital, and deepened regional and global economic integration, all of which will further empower our growth in China," Koh added. 

Her remarks came after China on Thursday launched island-wide special customs operations in the Hainan FTP, a landmark move in China's efforts to promote free trade and expand high-standard opening-up amid rising protectionism worldwide.

"We are fully aware of the strategic importance of the Hainan FTP. Benchmarking against Hong Kong, Dubai, and Singapore, its future holds great promise," Huang Yin, managing partner of consulting firm EY's South China region, told the Global Times.

Upon learning about the FTP, EY promptly decided to establish a branch in Hainan, Huang said. "We believe that against the backdrop of the free trade port construction, more market entities will arrive, which will undoubtedly increase EY's business opportunities."

On Thursday, Siemens Energy held the groundbreaking ceremony for its gas turbine assembly base and service center in the island's Yangpu Economic Development Zone, and established Siemens Energy (Hainan) Co, according to the official WeChat account of the development zone. 

This represents not only a strategic milestone for Siemens Energy in China but also a landmark achievement for the Hainan FTP in leveraging its special customs operations policy to attract high-end global industries, a move that injects robust momentum into building a modern industrial system and propelling the region toward new heights as a high-level open economy, according to the information shared by the zone's WeChat account.

Since joining the World Trade Organization, China has consistently upheld its commitment to opening-up. Even amid the current global rise in protectionism and increasing tariff barriers, China's economic and trade exchanges with the majority of its trading partners continue to grow, Zhou Mi, a senior researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation, told the Global Times on Friday.

Zhou added that the appeal of the Hainan FTP primarily stems from vast potential and growth opportunities.