Jeju-Hainan Exchanges Span 30 Years; Mutual Attendance at International Forums Discussed for Next Year

【Financial News Jeju = Jeong Yong-bok, reporter】 Jeju Province discussed mutual attendance with China’s Hainan Province at next year’s Boao Forum for Asia and Jeju Forum, as well as expanding cooperation in tourism and climate and energy. It also received the ‘Outstanding Partner Award’ at the China International Friendship Cities Conference in recognition of more than 30 years of exchanges.
According to Jeju Special Self-Governing Province on the 22nd, Jeju received the Outstanding Partner Award for its achievements in international exchanges with Hainan Province at the ‘2026 China International Friendship Cities Conference,’ held in Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, China, from the 20th through that day.
Jeju Province has maintained exchanges in tourism, culture and people-to-people ties since establishing a sister-city relationship with Hainan Province in 1995. Gangwon State, North Chungcheong Province, South Chungcheong Province and Asan City also received the same award at this conference.
Some 800 people from 213 local governments in about 20 countries around the world took part in the conference, co-hosted by the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries and the Shaanxi provincial government, to discuss urban development and international cooperation.
During the event, Jeju Province met with officials from Hainan Province to discuss mutual attendance at the 2027 Boao Forum for Asia and Jeju Forum. They also discussed sharing policy experience from the Jeju International Free City and Hainan Free Trade Port, and expanding cooperation in tourism and climate and energy.

In December last year, Hainan Province implemented a special customs clearance system for its free trade port, operating the entire island as a separate customs supervision zone. Jeju Province is exploring ways for the two regions to share their experience in operating these systems.
With Shaanxi Province, Jeju discussed expanding tourism exchanges by drawing on historical and cultural resources, including the legend that Xu Fu came to Jeju in search of the elixir of immortality. The two sides began private-sector exchanges in 2015 and signed a letter of intent on exchanges in 2020.
Jeju Province plans to expand exchanges with Chinese local governments into cooperation projects in the fields of economy, culture and tourism, marking the 35th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between South Korea and China in 2027.
Hwang Gyeong-seon, director of Jeju Province’s Tourism and Exchange Bureau, said, “Receiving this Outstanding Partner Award is an opportunity to recognize the achievements of the friendly exchanges Jeju and Hainan have maintained for more than 30 years,” adding, “We will turn our friendly relations with Chinese local governments into substantive cooperation and shared development.”


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