General Secretary Xi Jinping undertook a significant inspection tour of Hainan and Guangdong provinces from November 6 to 9, 2025, underscoring the nation’s commitment to deepening reform and opening-up, promoting high-quality development, and preparing for the imminent full-island customs closure of the Hainan Free Trade Port. The visit culminated in his attendance at the opening ceremony of the 15th National Games in Guangzhou.
General Secretary Xi’s Post-Plenum Inspection Tour Emphasizes Reform and Development
The four-day inspection tour, spanning from November 6 to 9, 2025, marked General Secretary Xi Jinping’s first domestic visit following the conclusion of the 20th Central Committee’s Fourth Plenary Session. This timing imbued the tour with particular significance, signaling the Party Central Committee’s immediate focus on implementing the plenum’s resolutions and charting the course for future development.
On November 6, General Secretary Xi began his itinerary in Sanya, a prominent city in Hainan Province. His visit to Hainan was primarily aimed at assessing the progress of the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) and preparing for its full-island customs closure, a pivotal milestone in China’s high-level opening-up strategy. The following two days, November 7 and 8, saw him in Guangdong Province, visiting Meizhou and Guangzhou. During his interactions with local cadres and residents, General Secretary Xi articulated his concerns regarding regional development imbalances within Guangdong, a province at the forefront of China’s reform and opening-up, and reiterated the importance of achieving common prosperity. The intensive inspection schedule concluded on the evening of November 9, when General Secretary Xi attended the opening ceremony of the 15th National Games in Guangzhou, an event jointly hosted by Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao.
Throughout his tour, General Secretary Xi engaged in various activities, including on-site inspections of key projects and local communities, convening work report meetings with provincial and municipal officials, and direct exchanges with local residents. These engagements provided platforms for him to convey the Party Central Committee’s directives, offer guidance, and gather firsthand insights into local conditions and challenges.
Hainan Free Trade Port Prepares for Full-Island Customs Closure
A central theme of General Secretary Xi’s visit to Hainan was the impending formal launch of the Hainan Free Trade Port’s full-island customs closure, scheduled for December 18, 2025. This decision by the Party Central Committee represents a landmark initiative in China’s unwavering commitment to expanding high-level opening-up and fostering an open global economy. The strategic objective behind this ambitious undertaking is to transform the Hainan Free Trade Port into a leading gateway for China’s new era of openness.
The concept of “full-island customs closure” entails the implementation of a distinctive customs supervision system characterized by “first line liberalized, second line managed, and island free” (一线放开、二线管住、岛内自由). Under this framework, the entire island of Hainan will effectively become a special customs supervision zone. The “first line” refers to the border between Hainan and other countries and regions, where trade will be significantly liberalized with minimized tariffs and streamlined procedures for goods entering the island. The “second line” pertains to the border between Hainan and mainland China, where goods moving from the island to the mainland will be subject to appropriate customs management, primarily for tax collection on domestic sales and regulatory purposes. Within the island, economic activities will enjoy a high degree of freedom, with policies designed to attract foreign investment, talent, and advanced technologies.
This innovative approach is expected to significantly enhance Hainan’s competitiveness as an international trade and investment hub, offering a more open and convenient environment for businesses. It is envisioned to have profound and far-reaching impacts both domestically and internationally, serving as a crucial testbed for China’s broader reform agenda and its integration into the global economic system.
Guangdong Urged to Deepen Reform and Address Development Imbalances
During his visit to Guangdong, a province historically recognized as a “pioneer, trailblazer, and experimental zone” of China’s reform and opening-up, General Secretary Xi reiterated the province’s critical role. He exhorted Guangdong to leverage comprehensive deepening of reform and opening-up to drive high-quality development. This directive underscores the Party Central Committee’s expectation for Guangdong to continue its leading role in national development, while also addressing inherent challenges.
General Secretary Xi’s itinerary in Guangdong included a visit to Yanxiang Town in Meixian District, Meizhou City, a region with significant revolutionary historical importance as the hometown of Marshal Ye Jianying. During his interactions with local villagers, General Secretary Xi explained the rationale behind his visit, stating, “This is a red land. As a frontier of reform and opening-up, Guangdong has areas of unbalanced development, and this is also my concern.” This statement highlighted his focus on the persistent issue of regional disparities within the economically vibrant province. While Guangdong has achieved remarkable economic success, the gap between its prosperous Pearl River Delta region and its less developed eastern, western, and northern areas remains a key challenge. General Secretary Xi’s emphasis on this issue reflects the Party Central Committee’s broader commitment to promoting more balanced regional development and achieving common prosperity across the nation.
He urged Guangdong to maintain a “high stance and broad vision” in its development strategies, particularly in the context of implementing the spirit of the 20th Central Committee’s Fourth Plenary Session and formulating the “15th Five-Year Plan” (2026-2030). This guidance is crucial for an economic powerhouse like Guangdong to not only sustain its growth but also to ensure that the benefits of development are more equitably distributed among its diverse regions and populations.
15th National Games Opening Ceremony Reflects Regional Dynamism
The evening of November 9 saw General Secretary Xi Jinping attending the opening ceremony of the 15th National Games in Guangzhou. This grand sporting event, jointly hosted by Guangdong, Hong Kong, and Macao, transcended its athletic purpose to become a vibrant showcase of economic, technological, and cultural integration and dynamism within the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA).
The National Games, often dubbed China’s “mini-Olympics,” provides a platform for athletes from across the country to compete, but its hosting in the GBA carries additional symbolic weight. It vividly illustrates the vitality and transformative power of this major regional strategic initiative, which is deeply rooted in the spirit of reform and opening-up. The GBA, encompassing nine cities in Guangdong Province along with the Special Administrative Regions of Hong Kong and Macao, is designed to foster closer economic ties, facilitate the flow of goods, capital, and talent, and ultimately create a world-class innovation and economic hub. The spectacle of the opening ceremony, with its blend of athletic prowess, technological innovation, and cultural performances, served as a powerful testament to the GBA’s ongoing development and its role in reshaping the regional landscape.
Implementing Plenum Spirit and Crafting the “15th Five-Year Plan”
Throughout his inspection tour, General Secretary Xi Jinping consistently underscored the critical importance of studying, publicizing, and implementing the spirit of the 20th Central Committee’s Fourth Plenary Session. He characterized this as a “major political task for the entire Party and the whole nation for the current and future periods,” emphasizing that the plenum had marked a new historical coordinate for the nation’s development trajectory.
General Secretary Xi also expressed keen interest in the progress of “15th Five-Year Plan” (2026-2030) formulation across various regions. He specifically instructed Guangdong, as a major economic province and a highly developed region, to adopt a “high stance and broad vision” in its planning efforts. This directive aims to ensure that regional development plans align seamlessly with the strategic objectives set forth by the Party Central Committee. He further called for efforts to “guide the vast numbers of cadres and masses to effectively unify their thoughts and actions with the Party Central Committee’s decisions and deployments.” This emphasis highlights the Party’s commitment to ensuring cohesive national development, with all regions contributing to the overarching goals of modernization and national rejuvenation.
参考来源
- 改革潮涌处 开放海天阔——习近平总书记赴海南、广东考察并出席第十五届全运会开幕式纪实 — 新华社新闻（2025-11-10）：查看原文