Foreign nationals take part in a symposium for the Hainan Free Trade Port  International Service Portal on Sept 13 in Haikou. [Photo by Liu Deshun/For chinadaily.com.cn]

Hainan province held its first foreign-focused symposium for its international  service portal on Saturday afternoon, as part of ongoing efforts to optimize the  platform and enhance the free trade port's appeal to global investors and  talent.

Co-organized by the Hainan Provincial Department of Business Development  and the Foreign Affairs Office of the CPC Hainan Provincial Committee, in  collaboration with China Daily as the content operator, the meeting aimed to  incorporate user feedback from international residents and visitors during the  portal's critical development phase.

The English-language test version of the portal is near completion.  Designed to serve expatriates and foreign businesses, the platform supports nine  languages across its website, global social media channels and WeChat account.  It covers a wide range of needs, including business investment, employment,  tourism, shopping, and daily services.

Ten foreign nationals from eight countries - the United States, the United  Kingdom, Germany, Australia, Russia, South Africa, Nigeria, and Pakistan -  attended the session. Their backgrounds span investment, work, tourism,  education, residence, and consumption, closely matching the portal's target user  profiles.

Foreign nationals take part in a symposium for the Hainan Free Trade Port  International Service Portal on Sept 13 in Haikou. [Photo by Liu Deshun/For chinadaily.com.cn]

International participants engaged actively during the test of the site,  offering suggestions and feedback on user experience, interface design, content,  and functionality.

Lara Netherlands, a South African entrepreneur and founder of an economic  consulting firm in Hainan, praised the one-stop service concept. "With this  platform, we no longer need to search across different channels for policies or  procedures. It's a big efficiency improvement," she said.

Marian Deborah Rosenberg, an American translator and media professional,  highlighted the usefulness of embedded maps in the platform's tourism  section.

Iain Inglis, a British content creator based in Sanya, appreciated the  website's inclusion of both a 12345 hotline and a dedicated email support  service for foreign users. "I hope to receive timely responses from relevant  departments, making issue resolution smoother," he said.

David Adrian Janke, a UK entrepreneur and translator in Hainan, commended  the development team. "I must commend all those who have contributed to it for  their efforts. It is only when all this information becomes available in one  place that one realizes just how burdensome a task of ensuring that  presentation, language, and functionality is consistent," he said.

The symposium also established a long-term feedback mechanism with the  foreign attendees, who were invited to become regular contributors and promoters  of the portal. The move is expected to strengthen Hainan Free Trade Port's  international business environment and global outreach.