Shen Xiaoming: Boao poised to become a global medical salon center

On April 27th, the 2018 Boao CN-Healthcare Summit was unveiled following the successful conclusion of Boao Forum for Asia. Shen Xiaoming, Governor of Hainan Province, China, said at the opening ceremony that Boao was poised to become a global medical salon center. Hopefully in a few years, when people mention Boao, they think of not only the Boao Forum for Asia, but also its medicine and healthcare strength!

The following is based on the address delivered by Governor Shen Xiaoming:

17 days ago, General Secretary Xi Jinping delivered a speech to the world at this very venue, and pledged that the door of China's opening up would not close, it would only open even wider. This unequivocal signal reaffirmed the resolution of the Communist Party of China and the Chinese government to unswervingly follow the path of reform and opening up as well as socialism with Chinese characteristics. Three days later, General Secretary Xi Jinping attended the celebration of the 30th anniversary of the establishment of Hainan Province and Hainan Special Economic Zone and he announced to the world that the entire Hainan Island would be developed into a Pilot Free Trade Zone to explore a socialist free trade port system with Chinese characteristics. This is not only a gift given by the Central Government to Hainan’s 30th birthday, but also a practical move of China to further its reform and opening up drive.

It only took three days for the General Secretary to translate the signal to concrete action. Actually Hainan people have been exploring the free the trade zone for 30 years. The Free Trade Zone is a platform for reform and opening up in line with international rules. It is a series of innovative institutional arrangements focusing on facilitation and liberalization of investment and trade, opening up of the financial sector, and transformation of government functions. The free trade port system is a higher-level opening up, and so far Hainan is the only locality in China that is blessed with such a system. The priority of the Hainan Free Trade Zone is to open up the service sector wider. It is known that Hainan boasts excellent ecological environment, which calls for effective protection. Therefore, Hainan is quite selective about what sectors to develop. The service sector is the answer, and in particular, the medical and healthcare sector. Hainan is committed to make the health industry a pillar industry island-wide.

In fact, the free trade zone has already shown far-reaching implications for the medical and healthcare services in Hainan. Taking Boao Town of Qionghai City as an example, Boao is home to an international medical tourism pilot zone, which enjoys a series of preferential policies of the State to promote the development of the medical and healthcare industry. Within this area of 20 square kilometers, new drugs and medical devices approved by FDA agencies in the United States, the European Union, Japan, etc. are allowed for trial use before they are approved by CFDA. This policy makes it possible for patients to seek advanced and better medical services in Boao without travelling overseas. Hopefully cancer patients can be treated right here without travelling afar and being separated from their families when they are most in need. Hopefully people can have plastic surgeries, vaccines, or the latest tissue-engineered cornea transplant right here without travelling to a foreign country. Meanwhile, we also have some unique supporting policies. For example, we will soon extend visa-free access for doctors, patients and their families from 59 countries, so that people can enjoy better and more convenient medical services in Boao.

With regard to the Free Trade Zone and Boao, we have bigger dreams. To start with, I hope that more high-level professional conferences on medicine and health like this summit will choose Boao as a permanent venue so that Boao will become a global medical salon center and a home for doctors of different nations and races. I hope that in a few years, when people mention Boao, they think of not only the Boao Forum for Asia, but also its medicine and healthcare strength!