In front of a stack of boxed goods - imported from Australia, Canada, Chile, New Zealand and more, Emania, a Saudi Arabian live streamer, began her day. Her studio, located in Haikou's cross-border livestreaming hub, in Chengmai county, South China's Hainan Province, is buzzing.

"Back when people talked about 'trade,' it always felt like something only big companies and executives did," Emani told the Global Times. "But now, all I need is my phone and my laptop to bring everything from Guangdong-made electronics and Hangzhou silk to Hainan specialties straight to customers in London, New York and Sydney. I chase numbers, and I turn follower data into business opportunities - lighting up orders from the other side of the world."

Emani's story is echoed by many cross-border e-commerce livestreamers who are working in front of the camera sharing great products from China with people from all over the world.

More people are flocking to China's southern island province of Hainan, where a convergence of wireless internet, efficient logistics and pro-business policy has made the island a hotbed for online retailers.

Analysts said the digital infrastructure, streamlined government services, preferential tax policies and regulatory environment offered by Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) give industry players - foreign and local alike - the confidence to serve international consumers in real time.

Buzzing livestream hub

A key part of that confidence comes from government services designed for international markets and businesses. The Hainan government launched a digital platform that moved more than 1,000 high-frequency administrative services online and provides English-language interfaces tailored to overseas businesses. The platform connects 13 key industrial parks, international investment windows, global investment service hotlines and international trade windows.

Emani's day begins with digital operations at her fingertips. "Handling government affairs online is a breeze. Everything is in English. You can handle it in minutes. I do remember I got my work permits superfast thanks to the seamless digital system," she said.

Thanks to the fast-track channel established by Hainan for attracting international talent to the live-streaming industry, she obtained her work permit within days, Emani recalled.

At an e commerce live-streaming base near Haikou, several foreign hosts said their work goes beyond product demonstrations. "We introduce and sell products to people abroad," Ghana host Jeff told the Global Times. "We show the local lifestyle and culture while also presenting the products. Many people don't realize how fast Chinese industries have developed, how good the quality is, and how many great items there are."

"I came to Hainan to build skills and learn how TikTok works in online commerce. There's a big opportunity here, and even before I started livestreaming I knew Chinese products were great — it's just a matter of showing them to consumers. Promoting things from China doesn't feel like work; you just need to find the right way to do it," Jeff said.

Since the base began operations in September, the cross-border e-commerce company where Jeff works has helped over 100 manufacturers export their products overseas. The categories covered by the livestreaming has expanded from consumer goods like tea, apparel, and electronics to industrial products such as automotive parts.

"This demonstrated our ecosystem's highly positive role in driving China's industrial and agricultural supply chains to expand globally through Hainan," said Xu Jie, a co-founder of Hainan Chuangchen Overseas Enterprise Service Co, adding that "we will leverage our live video streaming platform to help Chinese brands reach international audiences."

"We have attracted nine foreign hosts and three bilingual presenters. These anchors come from countries including Congo, Pakistan, Monaco, and Egypt, and many have lived in China as international students for four to seven years. Their extended residence has given them a deep familiarity with Chinese products and culture and enables them to translate those experiences into cultural references and messaging that resonate with foreign buyers," Xu told the Global Times.

Pairing policy incentives, combined with digital and logistical infrastructure, has turned the island into a magnet for cross-border livestreaming entrepreneurs. As of now, Chengmai hosts 3,597 businesses involved in livestreaming, including 1,376 registered enterprises.

"By blending product promotion with cultural exchange, these foreign live-streamers are expanding market access for Chinese goods while building people-to-people links that encourage tourism, nurturing long-term trade relationships with Belt and Road countries and beyond," Zhang Chunsheng, secretary-general of the Hainan Provincial Cross-border E-commerce Association, told the Global Times.

Fresh momentum

Since launching the construction of the free trade port, Hainan's cross-border e-commerce has entered the fast lane.

The province has rolled out a wide range of supportive measures to accelerate trade, services and cross‑border commerce. Policies already in place include tax incentives, dedicated cross‑border livestreaming channels, more flexible work‑visa arrangements for foreign anchors, and the establishment of free trade account (EF account) for clearing funds, Zhang noted.

Meanwhile, China approved a plan in April for island-wide efforts to establish a comprehensive pilot zone for cross-border e-commerce in the province. China on December 18 launched island-wide special customs operations in the Hainan FTP, allowing freer entry of overseas goods, expanding zero-tariff coverage, and introducing more business-friendly measures.

The moves have injected vitality into global trade and encouraged more foreign anchors who had capitalized on new opportunities offered by the Hainan FTP, using livestreaming to introduce Chinese products and culture to overseas audiences, bringing "Made in China" goods to consumers worldwide and expanding the global reach of Chinese products.

According to Zhang, the island-wide special customs operations in Hainan FTP are expected to accelerate the connection between China's manufacturing sector and global consumers.

First, the policy allows exporters to be conducted in Hainan; second, the anticipated tourism dividend. "Hainan now receives roughly 90 million visitors annually. After the implementation of special customs operations, we expect that number could reach about 400 million within two to three years," Zhang said.

Hainan FTP is now implementing a "zero tariffs, low tax rates, and simplified tax system" policy, and the entire island will be included in a comprehensive cross‑border e‑commerce pilot zone. This makes it the first region to test cross‑border trade liberalization through localized customs-clearance operations, which will help attract companies to establish international distribution centers, cross‑border livestreaming bases, brand operation centers, and other high‑value‑added services, said industry analysts.

Zhang pointed out that cross-border e-commerce imports rely on bonded zones, and in the short term the policy is obviously favorable to exporters.

"After implementation of the new policy, market players in all 18 cities and counties in Hainan Province can enjoy the policy dividends of customs clearance, taxation and foreign exchange," said Zhang. The new policy is expected to drive the development of the "cross-border trade e-commerce exports" model, allowing small and medium-sized merchants to export goods without the need for bonded warehouses, he said.

At present, many places in Hainan are accelerating the development of the cross‑border e‑commerce. Hainan's core competitiveness in cross‑border e‑commerce lies in the combined effect of "policy + technology + location."

Meanwhile, given Hainan's strategic proximity to Southeast Asia, it is well positioned to become a leading cross‑border e‑commerce hub.

Industry insiders predicted that after the implementation of special customs operations in Hainan, cross-border e-commerce combined with other forms of business will show the potential for differentiated competition.

For Emani and others like her, the future is promising. "Digital technology makes 'buy global, sell global' largely within reach," she said. "From my livestreaming studio in Hainan, the world is my marketplace."