Hainan Daily Press Group and Nanyang Siang Pau, one of Malaysia's oldest Chinese-language business newspapers, signed a letter of intent on think tank research cooperation in Kuala Lumpur on Aug. 26. Under the agreement, the two sides will jointly conduct a survey on ASEAN enterprises' investment in the Hainan Free Trade Port one year after its island-wide independent customs operations and release the findings as a blue book.

The Hainan Free Trade Port launched island-wide independent customs operations on Dec. 18, 2025, creating a distinct customs regime for the island. Taking the first anniversary on Dec. 18, 2026 as its reference point, the joint survey will assess how ASEAN enterprises' willingness to invest in Hainan, their actual presence and their policy needs have evolved over the year, offering a window into the opportunities the free trade port holds for businesses across the region.

Hainan Daily Press Group and Nanyang Siang Pau signed a letter of intent on think tank research cooperation in Kuala Lumpur on Aug. 26

"Hainan and ASEAN are close neighbors bound by deep business ties. Media cooperation can provide high-quality information and decision-making references for economic and trade exchanges between the two sides," said Shang Lin, publisher of the Hainan Daily Press Group, at the signing ceremony.

Shang noted that the partnership has already borne fruit over the past year. On the day the customs regime took effect last December, Nanyang Siang Pau devoted three full pages to in-depth coverage of the free trade port. The two sides' first joint survey, which polled 106 key enterprises in five ASEAN countries, found that 70 percent of respondents spoke highly of Hainan's strategic value; its key findings, released on March 27 this year, were picked up by overseas outlets including the Associated Press and Yahoo Finance. Since June 18, the two sides have also been rolling out "Nanyang Siang Pau Spotlight: Eyes on Opportunities in China's Largest Free Trade Port," a video interview series unpacking the free trade port's policies and investment cases.

Welcoming Shang and the delegation, Vincent Lee, CEO of Nanyang Siang Pau, said cooperation between the two sides has steadily deepened since they signed a cooperation agreement in 2025. "What we have built has gone beyond exchanges between two media organizations — it has grown into a model of joint planning, joint research and joint communication," he said. "The island-wide independent customs operations of the Hainan Free Trade Port have shown us just how much room there is for exchange and cooperation between Hainan and ASEAN. As a business newspaper with a century of history in Malaysia, Nanyang Siang Pau hopes to serve as a bridge connecting ASEAN enterprises with the Chinese market."

He described the visit as "a return visit, and more importantly, a new starting point" for the partnership, expressing hope for deeper cooperation ahead.

Founded in 1923 by renowned overseas Chinese leader Tan Kah Kee, Nanyang Siang Pau is one of Malaysia's most influential Chinese-language business media outlets, with a readership anchored in the country's Chinese business community, corporate executives and professionals. Its Golden Eagle Award has honored more than 2,000 outstanding small and medium-sized enterprises since 2003. Shang suggested the two sides draw on this business network to jointly organize Hainan Free Trade Port investment promotion events and China-Malaysia business matchmaking activities.

Hainan Daily Press Group was established in June 2002, with its flagship newspaper Hainan Daily dating back to 1950. The group runs a full-media matrix of newspapers, websites, apps and overseas social media accounts reaching nearly 55 million users. In August 2025, it set up the ASEAN Liaison Center of Hainan International Media Center in Kuala Lumpur, where it signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Nanyang Siang Pau.