Media: Hainan to lay undersea cables from China to Southeast Asia's states

HAIKOU, October 17. /TASS/. China's Hainan plans to implement a program of laying submarine cables on the seabed, which will connect China with the countries of Southeast Asia, Xinhua reported.

According to the news agency, a similar project is currently being carried out to optimize telecommunications with the special administrative region of Hong Kong. "Our province is preparing to create a regional department that will deal with these issues," deputy head of the local transport department Chen Xingwu said at a press conference.

According to the official, the new institution will be based in the administrative center of Hainan — Haikou. The program aims to "activate international services in the field of communications", primarily to speed up projects of the Belt and Road Initiative states.

The authorities presented a plan for the free trade port’s development on June, 1. In accordance with the plan, the Hainan province will be turned into a special customs zone. The country’s government intends in general to wrap up the creation of the free trade port on the island by 2025: by this time the island should acquire a system to ensure free trade and investments. 

By 2035, the free trade port and its model will become more solid. By this time, Hainan intends to ensure the freedom of trade and investments, trans-border movement of capital, people and shipping.  

By 2025, the Chinese government intends to create an "international center for tourism and consumption" on Hainan. In order to do so, the "Eastern Hawaii" with their unique natural landscapes, thick rainforests and great climate will establish a developed network of hotels, which blend perfectly with white sandy beaches stretching along the coastline. The combination of an exotic subtropical nature and a modern eco-friendly infrastructure will boost tourist inflow to the island from the most distant parts of the world.