China will give the green light to overseas engineering vocational institutions to run independent educational services on Hainan Island on a pilot basis, in a bid to promote international education innovation, according to a recent circular jointly issued by the Ministry of Education and the Hainan Provincial People's Government.

The document, entitled "Circular on Supporting the Implementation Plan of Deepening Education Reform and Opening-up in Hainan", said the nation will promote Hainan to build an international island for educational innovation, deepen educational reform in an all-round way, further open up the sector and make Hainan a vivid example of open and innovative development of socialist education with Chinese characteristics.

The document said Hainan, which is developing the country's newest and largest free trade zone, will be a national pilot area for educational innovation development. It will establish a new, open mechanism for running schools and steadily promote the construction of Hainan as an international educational innovation island.

World-class overseas universities are encouraged to develop Sino-foreign cooperation in running schools in Hainan, and a joint examination and approval mechanism for such joint ventures and cooperation projects will be established, according to the circular.

It said so long as risks are controlled, the island province will be encouraged to set up international high schools and kindergartens on a pilot basis to implement international education.

It also noted when conditions become mature, overseas engineering universities and vocational colleges will be allowed to run pilot schools independently in Hainan, which will also explore allowing leading overseas business conglomerations to develop educational services on their own.

National departments will support Hainan to establish independent legal-person Sino-overseas joint medical and health institutions, according to the circular.

The pilot plan also includes construction of a higher education cluster and synergetic platform which integrates production, teaching and research.