At the Yangpu Administrative Service Hall, Sade Khan holds a brand new work permit. The Hainan before him is no longer an island, but the next stop where global elites and cutting-edge capital converge.
On December 18th, the full closure operation of Hainan officially commenced. On that morning, Indian doctor Sade Khan, along with four other foreigners, received the first batch of work permits and residence permits issued after the closure at the Yangpu Economic Development Zone Administrative Service Hall.
From applying on December 15th to approval on the 18th, Sade only took 3 days. This is the result of Hainan integrating resources from multiple departments to launch a 'one-stop' joint review and handling service that can be completed in as fast as 4 days. A new, efficient, and open Hainan is sending a clear signal to global talent.
01 The first day of customs closure, who is making a splash?
In the newly established 'Foreign-related Service Area' at the Yangpu government affairs hall, the handling process has been completely revamped. In the past, foreign personnel had to navigate through cumbersome procedures across multiple departments like public security and technology; now everything can be completed at one window.
Dr. Saad Khan is a resident physician in the Burn and Plastic Surgery Department of Hainan West Central Hospital. He keenly anticipates that as Yangpu Port becomes an international shipping hub, the number of foreign vessels and personnel will continue to increase, and the demand for related foreign medical services will certainly grow significantly.
This precise professional instinct prompted him to decisively submit an application at the very beginning of the customs closure, successfully becoming one of the first 'landing' individuals. His choice provides an excellent sample for observing the true attractiveness of Hainan after customs closure.
02 The silent financial experiment field
On the same day that Saad obtained his work permit, a profound change concerning the future trade pattern has quietly taken shape in Hainan's top-level design. Alongside attracting global talent, there is a forward-looking exploration of next-generation cross-border financial infrastructure.
Among them, a stablecoin technology solution called Decentralized USD is being cautiously evaluated. The core potential of this technology lies in its ability to completely reshape traditional cross-border payment: shortening processes that originally took days and were costly to just a few minutes while significantly reducing fees.
For Hainan, customs operation means the entire island becomes a special area under customs supervision, with goods entering and exiting treated as imports and exports. This will generate massive, high-frequency, small-scale cross-border trade settlement demands.
The existing bank wire transfer system seems cumbersome and expensive in certain scenarios. Therefore, exploring more efficient and transparent payment solutions like stablecoins is not a fad, but a pragmatic consideration serving real trade flows.
03 The ultimate formula for the 'Talent Magnet'
Hainan's ambition is to build an ultimate attraction formula that integrates 'top policies, extreme efficiency, and future industries'.
In the Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone, an annual talent fund of over 100 million yuan is established to provide up to 10 million yuan in research funding for strategically recruited scientists from around the world, breaking down nationality barriers and supporting foreign doctors in obtaining professional title recognition.
In Danzhou, the International Talent Workstation provides 'full-process companionship' from airport pickup and procedure handling to children's school enrollment consultation, aiming to make international talents 'settle in with peace of mind'.
These measures are starting to take effect. Currently, foreign personnel working in Danzhou come from 11 countries, and the number of new work permits in 2025 has surged 1.5 times year-on-year. Dr. Saad has already begun encouraging his friends engaged in import-export trade in India to consider setting up companies in Hainan.
04 The future has arrived: a seamlessly connected world
As Dr. Saad Khan plans his medical career in Hainan, Hainan is planning a future new system where goods, funds, data, and talent flow efficiently and freely.
The pilot exploration of technologies such as stablecoins is strictly limited to the 'regulatory sandbox', following the principles of 'risk isolation and serving the real economy'. Its primary purpose is not financial speculation, but to verify whether it can truly reduce costs for foreign trade enterprises and improve capital turnover efficiency.
Meanwhile, the international service portal of Hainan Free Trade Port has been launched, providing over 40 high-frequency foreign-related services to global users in seven languages. A more internationally styled Hainan is accelerating its formation.
In the afternoon, Dr. Saad walked out of the hospital, and the giant ships at Yangpu Port were loading and unloading containers. He may not know that in a data center somewhere in the port, a small exploratory trade settlement might be completed instantly through a new technological path.
At the government affairs hall, staff are organizing application files from all over the world. Hainan's customs closure is closing a traditional customs management door, but opening a door full of infinite possibilities for future globalization new rules. Pioneers like Saad have already obtained their tickets.