On 1 December 2019, King & Wood Mallesons (KWM) Haikou office celebrated its opening ceremony. As the 13th office of KWM in China and the second in Hainan, Haikou office will join Sanya office in taking a strong lead in the local market. Meanwhile, it will also form part of a comprehensive platform of services and resources in South China together with Guangzhou, Shenzhen and Hong Kong offices in the GBA. Under the guidance of national policies, Haikou office will provide clients with world-leading services, joining hands with KWM's other locations to drive its internationalization. The ceremony was attended by core members of the working group of KWM International Center Wang Lixin, Gao Feng and Huang Ling, partners Qian Yaozhi, Yan Jun, Yao Lijuan, Wang Peng, Luo Ai and Wang Yao, and all the staff of Haikou and Sanya offices. Wang Jianping, managing partner of Haikou office, presided over the opening ceremony.
As the largest of its kind in China, Hainan Special Economic Zone has been supported by successive favourable policies since its establishment, including the tax exemption policy introduced along with the issuance of planning for Hainan International Tourism Island in 2010, and the approval for setting up of the Hainan Pilot Free Trade Zone (Port) by the State Council in 2018. As a pivot city under the Belt and Road Initiative, and driven by this Initiative, and the development of the GBA, Hainan free trade ports and zones, Haikou, along with Sanya, becomes a distinct powerful engine for Hainan's economic growth, increasingly attracting well-known enterprises and institutions at home and abroad to establish their physical presence. As the development plan of Hainan deepens, huge market demand will be unleashed. Haikou office was opened at the perfect time. The Haikou team is joined by experienced senior partners and partners and lawyers who have been deeply engaged in the local market for years. As the managing partner of Haikou office, Wang Jianping will lead the team to provide high-quality legal services in the areas of finance, capital markets, foreign investment, real estate and infrastructure, dispute resolution and other industries with regional characteristics such as biomedicine, tourism, free trade ports and zones.
Wang Lixin, on behalf of KWM China Management Committee, addressed the opening ceremony: "Congratulations on the opening of Haikou office! This is a significant move taken by the firm in response to the strategies and deployment of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on promoting the development of Hainan pilot free trade zone, and in support of a wide array of policies to build the province into a pilot zone for comprehensively deepening reform and opening-up, a pilot national ecological zone, an international tourism consumption center and a major national strategic logistics zone. The Management Committee has high hopes that the Haikou office, backed by our global platforms and resources, will thrive on the local market, expecting the team to keep delivering the international first-class services, or what the KWM brand stands for, and our widely recognized excellence in innovation. The firm's growth in Hainan will be further underpinned by the establishment of the Haikou office, which, together with the Sanya office will get full support from the Management Committee. We have devoted substantial resources and manpower from the GBA, the headquarters and other places in setting up the Haikou office, and made thoughtful arrangement for the head partner and staffing for the Haikou office. We are confident that we can make full use of our rich experience and various resources in this promising market to give full play to our local advantages in Haikou and Sanya, and continuously add momentum to the development of Hainan while serving domestic and foreign clients."
Huang Ling commented, "Congratulations on the launch of our Haikou office and welcome the new team added to the KWM International Center. Southern China has been at the forefront of China's reform. Through over 20 years' hard work, KWM's continuous development in Southern China and the Great Bay Area has been highly recognized by our clients. The management team of the KWM International Center has a high expectation for the Haikou office. As another important pillar of KWM in Hainan, the Haikou office will not only strengthen our team in Hainan, but, together with our Sanya office, will also form synergies with other offices in the Great Bay Area. Supported by the KWM's global resources and platform, as well as the firm's extensive experience in cross-border practice, we believe that our Haikou office will make great contributions to the future development and the regional economy in Hainan."
