A yacht moves past the cruise ship hub in Sanya, Hainan province, during a nightly circuit in February. SHA XIAOFENG/FOR CHINA DAILY China's reform and opening-up have brought life and prosperity to Hainan province and transformed it from a backward, remote island into one of the country's most open and dynamic regions over the 30 years since it became a province. Among the many changes, the upgrading of infrastructure is something a visitor can clearly see at every corner of the tropical island province, whose 30th anniversary falls on Friday. There were no traffic lights in Hainan until the late 1980s, but the island has quickly become a destination for international tourists and events, with convenient transportation systems that link the province with the world - airports, harbors, expressways, high-speed railways and cruise lines, in addition to the internet, which connects local farmers with far-flung markets. Through its transportation system, Hainan has established trade and cooperation links with more than 160 countries and regions around the world. Hainan will further expand its connections with countries and regions participating in the Belt and Road Initiative to open itself further, Shen Xiaoming, governor of Hainan, said on Monday during a panel discussion at the four-day Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2018, which closed on Wednesday. More cruise routes will be opened under its plan to make Hainan a hub of international trade and shipping in the South China Sea region, the governor said. Phoenix Island in Sanya, with its Hawaii-like feel, has one 80,000-ton and two 150,000-ton berths for cruise ships, while Haikou, the provincial capital, has an 80,000-ton berth. Hainan greeted 319 cruises, including Voyager of the Seas and MS Europa 2 - touted as the world's most luxurious cruise ship - which made port calls in Sanya last week. The island has received 570,000 overseas tourists on cruises. Another two berths, each with a 225,000-ton capacity, are close to being completed on Phoenix Island, according to local officials. The construction is a testament to Hainan's ambition to turn Sanya into an Asian Miami, on par with Miami, Florida, in the United States, which is known as the cruise capital of the world. The annual tourist capacity of the terminals is expected to reach 1 million by 2020, the governor said. He added that international flights will grow from the current 56 to 100 in three years as two major airports - Haikou Meilan International Airport and Sanya Phoenix International Airport - are expanding. The fifth airport on the island is taking shape on the western coast. More choices are accessible on the roads. Its 653-kilometer high-speed railway around the island, the first such railway to circle a tropical island, opened in late 2015. It links 12 cities and counties along the coastlines, helping people to reach every corner on the island within two hours. Thirty years ago, it took a full day to reach Haikou from Sanya, which lies at the southern tip of the island, but now it takes less than two hours by high speed train, and there are other choices, said Hua Zetian, a rice-breeding expert who has worked in Hainan for 30 years. Construction of a sea-view tourism road circling the island is under way to help people see the waves from their own cars. More high-speed roads will help link every city and county in the central areas in the near future. Meanwhile, the island had also upgraded its power and water supply systems. For years, electricity shortages hindered the social and economic development of the province. In 2016, the Changjiang Nuclear Power Plant in western Hainan began full operation, with two 650,000 kilowatt-hour power generators. It became a new driver for local development, supplying 27 percent of the island's needs for electricity. It has turned the province into a leader in clean energy use. From 2015 to 2017, Hainan invested 13 billion yuan ($2.1 billion) to upgrade its information service networks, which now reach all 2,573 villages on the island. Contact the writers at [email protected] make your own silicone wristbands ukcustom made paracord braceletspersonalized gold cuff braceletbuy helo wristbandcheap custom wristbands free shipping
Ma Xiaoguang, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council. [Photo/Chinanews.com] Beijing reiterated on Wednesday its strong opposition to any form of exchanges between officials of foreign countries and Taiwan. We strongly oppose any form of official or military exchanges between Taiwan and countries that have diplomatic relations with Beijing, Ma Xiaoguang, spokesman for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council, said at a news conference in Beijing. The United States should be clear about who is unilaterally undermining the peaceful development of cross-Straits relations, he said, urging the US to adhere to the one-China principle and the three joint communiques, and to prudently handle Taiwan-related issues. Last month, the new director of the American Institute in Taiwan, Brent Christensen, said at his first news conference that the US had an obligation to support Taiwan in maintaining a sufficient self-defense capability against coercion. On Nov 8, two Perry-class guided missile frigates, formerly of the US Navy and sold to Taiwan, were commissioned by Taiwan at the Zuoying Naval Base in Kaohsiung. The frigates were built in the 1980s. The sale of the two vessels was announced during the Obama administration in 2015. The ships were signed over to Taiwan and arrived last year. Representatives of the American Institute in Taiwan attended the commissioning ceremony and said in a statement that the sale is consistent with US commitments under the Taiwan Relations Act to provide military equipment that supports the island's self-defense. The frigates will improve Taiwan's capabilities in current and future defensive efforts, and support its continuing work to modernize its armed forces, the statement said. Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen said at the ceremony that the island is enhancing its ability to defend and safeguard its security. But Ma said at the news conference on Wednesday that any attempt to resort to armed confrontation has no future. Under the current situation of cross-Straits relations, compatriots on both sides should jointly maintain the correct path of peaceful development, oppose any attempt at Taiwan independence and advance the process of peaceful reunification, he said. debossed wristbandsprinted wristbandscustom wristbands in bulkrubber braceletssilicone bracelets no minimum order<%2fcenter>
