‘China’s Hawaii’ looking for 1 million new residents, more than the population of Stockholm
Subsidised housing is just one of the perks on offer as Hainan seeks to become the new poster child for China’s opening up and economic development
China’s tropical island of Hainan is offering subsidised housing and fast track work visas as part of an ambitious campaign to attract 1 million new residents by 2025, as it seeks to become the new poster child for the country’s opening up and economic development.
With a current population of about 9.3 million, the southern province, which was recently chosen by President Xi Jinping to become China’s largest free-trade zone, is hoping to woo its first 200,000 newcomers by 2020, according to a plan released on Sunday by the provincial government.
Of the 1 million people it wants to attract by 2025, a “large number” will be foreigners, it said.
The island welcomes “qualified” technicians and other skilled people from around the world and across China – including Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan – all of whom are invited to apply for permanent residency in Hainan for themselves, spouses and children, it said.
Wang Lijing, the chairman of a local engineering supervision company, said he was in favour of the plan to attract new workers to the the island, which is sometimes referred to as China’s Hawaii.