Giovanni Lovisetti Attends the CICPE 2024 and Visits Hainan’s Free Trade Port and Medical Tourism Pilot Zone

Giovanni Lovisetti, Senior Associate at Dezan Shira & Associates’ Milan Liaison Office, recently returned from a successful business trip to China, marking his second journey to Asia since the relaxation of travel restrictions.

The primary destination of his visit was the Island Province of Hainan, a rapidly expanding area within a 1.5-hour flight radius from Hong Kong, Macao, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou, set to become China’s largest Special Economic Zone (SEZ) and, with the ongoing development of the Hainan Free Trade Port, the world’s largest free-trade port.

The 4th China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE)

Giovanni kicked off his trip by attending one of China’s most important trade fairs, the China International Consumer Products Expo (CICPE), an event designed to facilitate access for high-quality global brands to the Chinese market.

Held from April 13-18 at the Hainan International Convention and Exhibition Center in Haikou, the province’s capital and largest city, this fourth edition of the Expo saw the participation of over 4,000 brands from 71 countries.

On the CICPE’s opening day, Giovanni participated in the Italy-Haikou Economic and Trade Cooperation Conference, which was jointly organized by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) and the Italian Chamber of Commerce in China (CICC).  It was through collaboration with the CICC that Dezan Shira & Associates published last year’s report “Understanding China’s Greater Bay Area: Opportunities for Italian Companies” in both English and Italian.

Around 100 representatives from Italian trade agencies and members of both the Italian and Haikou business communities gathered at the conference, aiming to enhance economic and trade interactions and foster mutual investment between the two regions.

Giovanni also participated in the opening ceremony of the Italian Pavilion at the Expo alongside the Consul General of Italy in Guangzhou, Valerio De Parolis, and key representatives from the CICC and the Italian Trade Agency (Agenzia ICE).

Hainan’s International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone

In addition to establishing itself as a successful pilot Free Trade Zone (FTZ) for showcasing and trading global high-end consumer products, the Chinese government has also been developing Hainan’s healthcare industry following the 2018 launch of the Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone within the Hainan Free Trade Port.

During his visit, Giovanni also had the opportunity to explore this unique Medical Tourism Pilot Zone, which is China’s sole “special medical zone” that permits foreign involvement in healthcare. It offers benefits to overseas manufacturers and has drawn high-end medical tourism services and leading-edge research, forming a hub for international medical services.

On the importance and development of the Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone, Giovanni commented: “In addition to the local unique policies aimed at supporting foreign businesses in the healthcare industry, the local government staff is also an important factor to take into consideration: they all are well trained, speak fluent English, and are very focused on making the investment process as smooth and easy as possible ”.

Further Resources

For more resources on China, you can visit our Portal on Doing Business in China on our website China Briefing, where you can also find articles such as:

• Investing in Hainan: Industry, Economics, and Policy
• Hainan Province in China Allows Import of Urgently Needed Drugs and Medical Devices from May 1
• Hainan Carries Out Pilot Reform for Commercial Franchising
• [Magazine] Capire La Greater Bay Area Cinese: Opportunità Per Le Imprese Italiane (Understanding China’s Greater Bay Area: Opportunities for Italian Companies)
• [Webinar Recording] A Different Hainan, Your New Partner: Emerging Opportunities at Hainan Free Trade Port

You can also read our China Briefing articles in Italian or visit our publication store, Asia Briefing, which houses in-depth business guides and magazines for multiple regions in Asia.

Dezan Shira & Associates’ Presence in Europe

Europe maintains substantial trade and investment connections with Asia. As various regions in Asia experience rapid development, and with the EU actively pursuing trade agreements with Asian counterparts, there is a wealth of opportunities for European investors in the region.

Incorporated in Munich in January of 2021, Dezan Shira & Associates’ European presence serves as a first point of contact for European companies wishing to do business in Asia. In both the Munich and Milan offices, our European-based team works with a variety of partners to educate businesses on the economic performance and regulatory environment of developing Asian economies.

 

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