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.

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.

Xiang Wenjian contributed to the story.