After Hainan’s special customs closure, foreign teachers discuss the convenience of work and daily life

On September 9, at a Teachers' Day event held in Haikou, Hainan, foreign teachers and talents from multiple countries exchanged views on the convenience of working and living in Hainan after the Hainan Free Trade Port's islandwide special customs operations begin. The event, themed “A New Chapter with Special Customs Operations, Teachers Meet the Free Trade Port: Discussing Convenience for Foreign Talents Working and Living in Hainan,” was guided by the Hainan Provincial Foreign Affairs Office and hosted by Hainan Yingya Shengpide School. At the event, students sang the Hainan folk song "Jiu Jiu Jian Bu Jian Jiu Jiu Jian" in both Chinese and English under the direction of foreign teachers, and experienced traditional cultural activities such as bamboo pole dancing, calligraphy, and painting on folding fans in the style of Chinese culture. Several foreign teachers shared their experiences of teaching, living, and integrating into local life in Hainan, saying that bilingual services for work permits, medical care, driving test applications, and clearer administrative procedures have increased their willingness to develop longterm in Hainan. The report noted that in recent years Hainan has continued to improve its foreignrelated service system, including promoting the construction of a "comprehensive service window for foreigners' work," enabling work permits and residence permits to be handled "through one window and issued simultaneously," and introducing a number of facilitation measures. Official statistics show that in the first eight months of this year, the number of foreign nationals entering Hainan visafree reached 488,000, up 35.8% year on year; the number of foreign highlevel talents working in Hainan has also increased nearly sevenfold compared with 2018.