Zhang Yansheng, chief researcher at the China Center for International Economic Exchanges, said construction of the free trade port "will give full play to China's ultra-large-scale market advantage and the domestic demand potential, creating a new pattern of opening-up and development".

In recent years, China has been actively speeding up coordinated development of key regions, such as the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the land-sea corridor in western China.

Zhang said Hainan needs to work with those key regions in China as well as countries and other economies to boost the high-quality development of the countries and regions along the routes of the Belt and Road Initiative.

"Hainan should make a big push to build cross-border networks, speed up the construction of converged and innovative infrastructure as well as new urbanization and promote the development of smart free trade ports and smart service trade hubs, trade in goods and digital trade."