It is a joyful time to gather with beloved family and cherished friends to celebrate the end of one year and the beginning of another. It is also a hopeful time to look back on all the fulfilled wishes of the passing year and to conceive new ones for the year to come.
In retrospect, the year 2010 has no doubt recorded an early harvest for Hainan's ambition to build itself into an international tourist resort island. As Mr. Wei Liucheng, the Party Secretary of the CCPCC Hainan Committee, recalled at a recently held meeting, the plans set out at the beginning of 2010 have largely materialized. In other words, our old wishes have, to a great extent, come true.
To summarise, they ranged from strategic planning to concrete actions, from the enhancement of Hainan's global recognition to the improvement of people's livelihood in terms of education, housing, mass transport etc. To touch on a few salient and decisive events, they include the successful holding of the inaugural Boao International Tourism Forum in March, the approval of development outlines in June, the expansion of Visa free countries in August, the completion of the Eastern Express Railway linking Haikou and Sanya as well as implementation of sports lottery & tax refund policies towards the end of the year. The launch of the first ever English language book about Hainan, "Hainan-China's Emerging Jewel", should also be added to this list of highlights.
If anyone still doubts the ambition of Hainan to become an International Tourism Island, questions the capability and accountability of the Hainan government, and wonders if the long-cherished dreams of Hainan people will finally come true, the year 2010 is the answer!
When confronted with the outbreak and aftermath of the global financial crisis, the Chinese premier Wen Jiabao once said, "Confidence is more important than gold and currency". It is with this overwhelming confidence that China's economy has tided over this difficult time and resumed sound and steady growth in the past two years. Presumably encouraged by the Premier's resolute but passionate remarks, Hainan has become more confident and shown to the world its courage and determination.
Now what will 2011 hold for Hainan? As we usher in the New Year, new hopes and wishes have come in tandem. Policy making and infrastructure construction remain two major concerns. In terms of infrastructure, the priority projects include the pilot zone in Longwan of Qionghai City and the western part of the express rail network that has recently broken ground. The building of a grand bridge crossing the Qiongzhou strait to connect Hainan with the mainland will also be put on the agenda. What is more important is that low-carbon & ecological concepts must be instilled in the pursuit of all undertakings, calling for a brand new mindset and creativity.
On the policy making and social fronts, more incentive policies (e.g. duty-free goods for domestic tourists) should be introduced and more effective global promotion encouraged. Education and local governance need strengthening to underpin long term development. Soaring housing prices must also be curbed while more jobs should be created.
English, as the most popular international language, must be strongly emphasised to cater for the growing number of overseas tourists. Above all, accelerating the inclusive development of Hainan International Tourism Island and bringing tangible benefits to the Hainan people top the New Year wish list and carry our most sincere hopes.
2011 is the first year of the next five year plan (2011-2015), to which the Chinese government has traditionally paid tremendous attention, even after shifting its planned economy to a market orientation nearly twenty years ago; as the old adage says: "A good beginning is half the success". Interestingly enough, this year also happens to be the year of the rabbit, the fourth animal in the 12-year cycle of the Chinese zodiac. Rabbits are generally perceived as cute, cuddly and quick paced creatures. We hope and share the same wishes that, in the New Year, Hainan International Tourism Island will march forward by leaps and bounds as the rabbit runs.
