Latest news with #HainanProvince
Bloomberg
21-05-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Estee Lauder, L'Oreal Suffer as China's Duty-Free Spending Falls
Unable to travel overseas during the Covid-19 pandemic, Chinese consumers sparked a shopping boom in the southernmost province of Hainan, lured by the tropical island's plethora of duty-free shopping malls. Fast forward to today and the travel-retail sector in Hainan is in a 14-month slump with little sign of a turnaround. Duty-free sales dropped 10.8% over the first four months of 2025 compared with a year earlier, according to the latest data from the local customs agency. Both the number of shoppers and products purchased declined more than 25% so far this year.
South China Morning Post
18-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
Spark Deep Dive: China's push to grow durian in tropical Hainan
Deep Dive delves into hot issues in Hong Kong and mainland China. Our easy-to-read articles provide context to grasp what's happening, while our questions help you craft informed responses. Check sample answers at the end of the page. News: Finding the right recipe to grow durian in Hainan Efforts are under way to grow the fruit in Hainan, China's tropical southernmost province China consumes about 85 per cent of the world's durian supply annually, importing it from Southeast Asia Every day from dawn to midnight, Huang Qijun nurtures and tends to 10,056 durian trees in Hainan. The nearly 40-hectare (99-acre) durian orchard is mostly managed by only one caretaker, and much of the work is handled by machines. Each tree is equipped with sensors that monitor temperature and humidity. When one needs water, Huang receives an alert on his smartphone. With a simple tap of the app, towering irrigation sprinklers beside the tree activate instantly. Standing at the centre of China's home-grown durian industry, trees in Huang's plantation are less than five years old. This is much younger than the decades- or centuries-old farms common in Southeast Asian countries. Du Baizhong, general manager of the Hainan Youqi Agricultural Company, said, 'For Chinese durians, there's only one path forward: we must focus on producing high-quality products.' 'Hainan can learn from Japan. Japan has a relatively small land area, so they prioritise quality above all else in agricultural development.' Du explained that the key to premium quality durians is tree-ripening. This means the fruits are left to fully mature on the branch until they drop naturally. Made-in-Hainan means ripened durians do not need to go through customs clearance and can freshly arrive at customers around the country within 48 hours by air. The peak flavour lasts only 3-4 days after harvest, with quality noticeably declining every day after that, Du said. Most durians from Southeast Asia – primarily from Thailand – are picked at 60 to 70 per cent maturity and then artificially ripened with chemicals, he said. While this extends their shelf life, it sacrifices quality. It triggers an uneven texture and enhances the fruit's infamous smell that deters many. It is not true durian aroma, but ethylene by-products, he explained. China consumes more than 85 per cent of the world's supply of durians annually. However, there was a long-held belief in Hainan that the country's only tropical province was unsuitable for growing durians, despite the region's similar latitude to Southeast Asia. Previous large-scale cultivation efforts all failed, though some individual trees planted in household backyards did bear fruit. The main reason lies in monsoons deeply influencing the island's weather, making it more unpredictable in terms of temperature and rain, shifting between sunshine and storms. That is not ideal for durian trees, which need a more stable climate. Staff writer Question prompts 1. Using the information in the news, which of the following is true? (1) Huang uses technology to manage the durian orchard. (2) Most of Huang's durian trees are more than 10 years old. (3) Du says that China can learn from Japanese orchards, which focus on quantity. (4) Durians from Thailand are picked at 60 to 70 per cent maturity. A. (1), (3) only B. (1), (4) only C. (2), (3) only D. (3), (4) only 2. Using the news, list TWO reasons why China is the main consumer of durian but not the main producer. 3. Why might locally-grown durians be more appealing to customers in China, despite fewer orchards compared to Southeast Asia? Explain using the news and your own knowledge. Cartoon Illustration: Brian Wang Question prompts 1. What is being shown in the cartoon? 2. How does this cartoon relate to the information in the news? Glossary irrigation: the process of supplying water to land or crops. It is usually done through channels, or pathways dug in the ground. There are various types of irrigation, such as surface irrigation, sprinkler irrigation, and subirrigation, where water is supplied from below the ground's surface. customs clearance: ensuring that goods entering or leaving a country comply with regulations, taxes, and duties before being transported. ethylene: a flammable hydrocarbon gas. It occurs in natural gas, coal gas, and crude oil. It is also released by ripening fruit and acts as a plant hormone, which can induce fruit ripening. cultivation: the act of caring for or raising plants Sample answers News 1. B 2. According to the news, China consumes 85 per cent of all durian grown across the globe, which likely can be attributed to the popularity of the fruit as well as China's massive population. However, as the news reveals, China's climate is not suitable for adequate durian growth, even in Hainan, which is on a similar latitude to Southeast Asia. This is because durians need a stable climate, but the volatile weather in Hainan makes it unfavourable for durian orchards. 3. Durians grown in Hainan would be picked fresh, and customers would get great quality fruit. However, durians from Southeast Asia are artificially ripened with chemicals to extend their shelf life in time for importation. This makes the texture uneven and accentuates the strong smell. Additionally, locally grown products could be cheaper compared to imported goods from Southeast Asia. Finally, supporting domestic orchards would contribute to the local economy. Illustration 1. This cartoon shows two people looking at a durian grown in China, according to the words on the pedestal. Behind the people are buckets and buckets of durians from Southeast Asian nations including the Philippines, Vietnam, and Thailand. 2. This cartoon shows a single durian from China, but many from Southeast Asia. This shows that, while the majority of durians are grown in Southeast Asia, the Chinese are still fascinated by the idea of local durian orchards, though they are fewer in quantity so far.
South China Morning Post
10-05-2025
- Business
- South China Morning Post
The duty-free island trying to lure Chinese shoppers amid the trade war
The intensifying trade war with the United States has created a crisis for businesses across China, as sky-high tariffs dampen trade, disrupt supply chains and raise concerns about a wave of job losses. Advertisement But one island province could stand to benefit. Hainan, a tropical haven off China's southern coast, has emerged as a major shopping destination over the past few years, with special policies allowing its duty-free stores to maintain unbeatable prices. Now, local shops are set to gain an even greater advantage over the rest of China, as Hainan is poised to launch its own separate customs regime and can avoid applying the 125 per cent retaliatory tariff Beijing has slapped on all American imports. In Hainan, the hope is the promise of cheap iPhones and US cosmetics could help drive a surge in visitors to the island's duty-free stores, which have struggled over the past two years amid sluggish domestic consumption and a recovery in overseas tourism. Advertisement Beijing aims to turn Hainan into the world's largest free-trade port, creating a centre for offshore finance and duty-free shopping that will lure tourists and businesses with an internationally competitive tax regime and relaxed visa requirements.
Emirates 24/7
23-04-2025
- Business
- Emirates 24/7
ADIG Announces Strategic Partnership with Hainan at Major China Investment Conference
The Chinese government formally invited Abu Dhabi Investment Group (ADIG) to participate in the Invest in China 2025 Global Industrial Investment Promotion Conference for the Hainan Free Trade Port, which gathered over 1,700 companies from 71 countries. At the event, His Excellency Zayed Bin Rashid Bin Aweidha Al Qubaisi, CEO of ADIG, highlighted the Group's historic role in supporting the UAE's economy since its establishment in 1958. He emphasized Dubai's economic model as a benchmark for development and urged action to mitigate the worsening global economic crisis, which he described as more severe than the 2008 financial collapse. A key outcome of the conference was the announcement of a strategic partnership between ADIG and Hainan Province to collaborate across various sectors. Both parties agreed to establish an investment development fund to support projects in Hainan and the UAE. In his remarks, Bin Aweidha stressed that the current global crisis presents a historic opportunity for deeper China-UAE investment cooperation, aiming to reshape the global economic landscape. He reaffirmed ADIG's commitment to transforming challenges into opportunities for sustainable development. The event received wide coverage from Chinese and international media, including interviews with Xinhua News Agency. Follow Emirates 24|7 on Google News.
