On the morning of June 24, Sarah Mann, the British Consul General to Guangzhou, visited Hainan along with her delegation, making a stop at the Foreign Affairs Office of Hainan Province (Hainan FAO). Shang Jing, Deputy Director-General of the Hainan FAO, held in-depth exchanges with the delegation on strengthening practical cooperation between Hainan and the UK across multiple sectors, with representatives of the Education Department of Hainan Province also in attendance.

Shang welcomed Mann to Hainan, giving an in-depth introduction to the latest development progress of the Hainan Free Trade Port’s special customs operations, policies, systems, high-level opening up, and local industries. According to Shang, current China-UK bilateral relations are progressing well. In November 2024, leaders of the two countries met during the G20 summit, reaching an important consensus on furthering bilateral cooperation in a variety of areas. Hainan and the UK have an excellent foundation for cooperation, and aim to further strengthen bilateral cooperation in sectors such as modern services, high-end consumer products, education, and more. Shang expressed hopes that the British Consul General will act as a bridge, opening a new channel between the two and encouraging British companies to invest and open companies in Hainan, sharing in the new development opportunities brought by the Hainan Free Trade Port’s special customs operations.

Mann expressed her appreciation to the Hainan FAO for hosting the meeting and supporting the UK in participating in previous China International Consumer Products Expos, especially the 5th CICPE, where the UK was the Guest Country of Honor. She expressed her support for proposed further cooperation, noting that the UK is paying close attention to the development of the Hainan FTP and attaches great importance to the many Sino-foreign cooperative education projects involving UK universities in Hainan. The Consul General plans to encourage companies in the financial, high-end consumer goods, and other suitable industries to seek business opportunities in Hainan. The UK side also hopes to leverage the advantages of the FTP to serve companies located around the world, providing financial, consulting, and other services in order to assist Hainan in developing the island province as a hub for domestic and international company headquarters.

During their visit to Hainan, Mann and her delegation also visited the Lingshui Li'an International Education Innovation Pilot Zone, Hainan University, Qiongtai Normal University, and Hainan Airlines.