On September 28, the Foreign Talent Research Center of China's Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security released the results of its 2025–2026 "Amazing China — the Most Attractive Chinese Cities in the Eyes of Foreign Talents" survey at the opening ceremony of the Hangzhou International Human Resources Exchange and Cooperation Conference. Haikou once again ranked among China's top 20 cities for foreign talent, coming in 17th. Since first making the list in 2019, the city has been selected four times and has remained in the top 20 for three consecutive years.

This year's survey covered 81 cities in the Chinese mainland with relatively large foreign talent populations, yielding 6,258 valid questionnaires from foreign nationals living and working there. The index evaluated factors such as job satisfaction, the convenience of daily life, and the overall living environment.

Why does Haikou continue to rank among the top 20? Publicly available information highlights three key factors: faster processing, more refined management, and more accessible services.

Faster application processing

Haikou was the first city in Hainan to establish a one-stop service window for foreign nationals, consolidating services for work and residence permit applications. In 2023, the city launched a pilot program allowing applications to be handled through a single window and receive both permits simultaneously. By sharing information across departments and processing applications in parallel, the city has reduced the statutory processing time from 28 working days to seven.

More refined management

Haikou introduced a credit-based classification system for employers and foreign nationals, dividing them into four lists — red, white, gray, and black — based on factors such as legal compliance, employment records, and management practices. The classifications are updated dynamically and tied to both approval procedures and ongoing supervision. Employers on the red list benefit from conveniences such as expedited processing and the acceptance of applications with supplementary materials pending, while those on the gray list receive closer guidance and supervision.

More accessible services

In recent years, Haikou has established work permit service stations in major industrial parks and districts, including Fullsing Internet Industrial Park, Jiangdong New Area, Haikou Comprehensive Bonded Zone, Haikou National High-Tech Industrial Development Zone, and Longhua, Xiuying, and Meilan districts. It has also delegated preliminary review authority to local service points. Longhua District has piloted a coordinated model that combines municipal-level guidance, district-level implementation, and platform-based services. Its international talent, innovation, and entrepreneurship base has helped eight foreign talent-led companies establish operations in local industrial parks.

Jiangdong New Area has also introduced measures to attract and support foreign talent, establishing an end-to-end service system that covers entrepreneurship, daily life and government affairs. The Haikou International Talent Home has assisted foreign talent on more than 500 occasions and helped over 70 foreign professionals take vocational qualification exams or have their professional qualifications recognized.

From faster approvals and credit-based management to service networks reaching industrial parks and local communities, Haikou is adopting more targeted institutional measures to help foreign talent work, live, and start businesses in the city.