On October 15, 2026, as Hainan Province and Poland's Lubuskie Voivodeship marked 20 years of sister-province relationship, Haikou National High-Tech Industrial Development Zone and Poland's Kostrzyn–Słubice Special Economic Zone signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on cooperation in Zielona Góra, Lubuskie Voivodeship. Sebastian Ciemnoczołowski, Marshal of Lubuskie Voivodeship, and Wang Jinsong, Minister Counsellor for Economic and Commercial Affairs at the Chinese Embassy in Poland, witnessed the signing. The agreement makes the Polish economic zone the 45th partner in the Hainan Free Trade Port's (FTP) global network of free trade zones and ports.

Located in the heart of Europe, Poland is an important member of the European Union. The Kostrzyn–Słubice Special Economic Zone, in the west of the country near the German border, is one of its major special economic zones, offering a strategic location, well-developed transport infrastructure, a diverse business ecosystem, and specialized resources. Under the MOU, the two zones will establish a partnership and work with relevant authorities to leverage their respective policy, geographical, and industrial advantages. Cooperation will focus on seeking cross-border and cross-regional cooperation between industrial parks, particularly in automotive manufacturing and components, food processing, and logistics. The two sides will also share best practices in rules, regulations, management, and standards to advance institutional opening-up and build resilient industrial, supply, value, and innovation chains connecting the free trade port and the special economic zone.

The partnership further extends the Hainan FTP's international network into Central and Eastern Europe. Signed as the two regions celebrate 20 years of friendship, the agreement is expected to boost investment and trade, industrial cooperation, technological innovation, and talent exchanges. It will also help align Hainan's institutional opening-up practices with the EU's high-standard market framework, while deepening local ties and mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Poland.