The port is thriving, and the industry is thriving. The potential that port resource integration will unleash. On October 30, 2023, the joint cooperation signing event between Shandong Pilot Free Trade Zone and Hainan Free Trade Port was held in Haikou. The signing event aims to strengthen economic and trade cooperation between the two regions and promote regional economic development. The signing of this agreement marks a new stage of cooperation between the two regions in the field of free trade, which will further promote the deep integration and development of the two regions' economies.

This event signed a total of 10 projects, covering various types of cooperation such as regional port cooperation, regional cooperation, institutional cooperation, and enterprise cooperation, involving multiple fields such as marine industry, medical and health care, international trade, and offshore finance. Among them, the Shandong Pilot Free Trade Zone and Hainan Free Trade Port signed a linkage cooperation framework agreement, clarifying 37 linkage cooperation matters, aiming to build an efficient, pragmatic, and mutually beneficial linkage innovation mechanism, and form a batch of cooperation achievements with demonstration and driving effects.

The cooperation agreement signed by both parties this time will combine the industrial advantages, capital advantages, and talent advantages of Shandong Pilot Free Trade Zone with the policy advantages, location advantages, and resource advantages of Hainan Free Trade Port on the basis of existing cooperation experience, forming a strong joint force for promoting reform, shared development, and cooperation. We will work together to promote the co development of north-south industries, promote the co construction of north-south parks, and promote the sharing of north-south platforms Jointly promote the sharing of achievements between the north and south, and help build a "free trade+" pattern of Lu Qiong collaboration and north-south linkage. After signing the "1+N" multi-level cooperation agreement this time, the two provinces will carry out practical exploration at four levels: breaking through loopholes, benchmarking international rules, enhancing competitive strength, and strengthening regional cooperation, laying a solid foundation for the coordinated development of the two provinces.

Next, both parties will establish a normalized communication channel and establish a "cloud platform" for linkage and cooperation; Smooth cooperation channels between the two regions and continuously expand the boundaries of linkage and innovation; Boost industrial development with projects and enhance the "gold content" of linkage cooperation; Connect with international high standard economic and trade rules, and jointly create "new achievements" in institutional openness. It is reported that based on the "List of Linkage Matters" jointly developed by the two parties' free trade offices in the early stage and the key linkage cooperation items for 2023-2024, the Hainan Provincial Party Committee's Deep Reform Office (Free Trade Port Working Committee Office) will promote the projectization and listing of Luqiong linkage cooperation, laying a solid foundation for the formation of cooperation cases in the future. At present, the identified cooperation priorities mainly revolve around areas such as marine industry, healthcare, international trade, and offshore finance. In the future, both sides will continue to expand their cooperation boundaries in areas such as new energy, high-end equipment manufacturing, and port construction.

The signing of this cooperation agreement will further promote economic and trade cooperation between Shandong and Hainan, and promote coordinated development of regional economy. At the same time, it will also explore new paths and models for the development of China's free trade pilot zones, injecting new impetus into the high-quality development of the Chinese economy. Editor/Zhao E