Vientiane: During his visit to attend the 2025 Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference in Boao, Hainan Province, Prime Minister Sonexay Siphandone toured several key economic establishments, including the Hainan Free Trade Port exhibition, Hainan Chunguang Food Company, the Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences (CATAS), and Shi Cha Village.
According to Lao News Agency, the Hainan Free Trade Port Exhibition was held from March 25-28, 2025, at the Dongyu Island Cultural Park in Hainan. The exhibition focused on critical topics such as free trade port opening, seed transport, maritime and air transport, digital technology, and green energy initiatives.
Established in 1996, Hainan Chunguang Food Company is a modern food processing enterprise that predominantly utilizes Hainan coconuts and tropical fruits as raw materials. Recognized as a national agricultural industrialization model enterprise, it holds the “China National Trade Brand” title. The company employs nearly 2,000 staff members and has a global sales network, exporting products to over 50 countries across various regions. It offers more than 200 product varieties, including beverages, snacks, dried vegetables and fruits, coffee, ready-to-eat meals, and seasonings, with an annual production capacity of over 10,000 tons.
The Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences (CATAS) operates as a national research institution under China’s Ministry of Agriculture, focusing on tropical agricultural research and development. It serves as an educational institute with three campuses: Haikou Campus, Danzhou Campus, and Zhanjiang Campus. CATAS comprises 14 affiliated research institutes and over 4,000 hectares of experimental farmland. It employs more than 4,600 staff members, including 3,300 researchers, nearly 500 of whom are senior scientists.
Shi Cha Village, situated in a volcanic region, has over 90% of its land covered by volcanic rock, characterized by thin soil layers and poor water retention, making it unsuitable for traditional agriculture. Residents once faced food security challenges. However, with the development of the Hainan Free Trade Port and the utilization of high-quality volcanic mineral resources, the village has rapidly advanced in the industrial and mineral extraction sectors, becoming a model for rural development in Hainan.