Sanya expands sister-city ties with SCO members to boost tourism and trade

HAIKOU /China/, September 3. /TASS/. The resort city of Sanya in south China’s Hainan Province is strengthening sister-city and friendly ties with cities in member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), Sanya Daily newspaper reported.

The newspaper noted that local authorities are steadily expanding cooperation with Russia’s Far East and Central Asian countries. It said that increasing the number of Sanya’s sister cities is “not simply about adding to its list of international contacts,” but is a deliberate step aimed at supporting China’s official diplomatic agenda, tapping the potential of the Hainan Free Trade Port and advancing efforts to link the “Land and Maritime Silk Roads.”

In particular, the newspaper noted that Khabarovsk is one of the Russian cities actively maintaining friendly ties with Sanya (the two cities established sister-city relations in 2011 — TASS). In addition, in mid-August, the administration of the Kyrgyz city of Karakol signed a memorandum of intent with the Chinese resort to establish similar ties. As a result, the list of key cities in SCO countries with which Hainan is strengthening friendly contacts continues to grow.

The article noted that the SCO marks its 25th anniversary in 2026 and that throughout the organization’s history, the “Shanghai Spirit” has continued to reinforce the principles of mutual trust, mutual benefit, equality and mutual respect, helping advance cooperation and promote the shared development of the organization’s member states. Sanya is expected to play a leading role in cooperation between these countries and China’s southernmost province.

Sanya’s network of ties with Central Asian countries is expected to continue expanding in the near future, while the city’s profile across Eurasia as a participant in the Belt and Road Initiative is expected to grow. At the same time, trade, economic, cultural, and people-to-people ties with countries in the region are expected to strengthen. Particular emphasis is expected to be placed on expanding the tourism potential of this cooperation.

Cooperation with Russia

The newspaper also noted that Sanya has attracted a large and rapidly growing number of Russian tourists in recent years. In January-April alone, the number of registered trips from Russia to the resort rose 118% year-on-year. As a result, visitors from Russian-speaking countries have become the main group driving Hainan’s positive trend in inbound tourism. The number of hotel rooms they booked during the reporting period quadrupled.

After Hainan switched to a new offshore customs regime in December 2025, sister cities began to play an even more important role for Sanya, the newspaper stressed, given the increased potential for expanding open cooperation. This is expected in the foreseeable future to strengthen partnerships, step up cooperation on exhibitions, intensify youth exchanges, expand cross-border consumption and promote each other’s goods in Eurasian markets.

Sanya is one of China’s leading resort cities, with a population of more than 1.1 mln. Its gross regional product exceeded 103 bln yuan (about $15 bln) in 2025, up 4.8%. The average annual temperature is 25.4 degrees Celsius, while its coastline stretches for about 260 km. The surrounding waters are home to 19 bays and roughly 40 islands suitable for tourism, providing favorable conditions for yachting, cruise tourism, beach vacations and family travel. Last year, the number of foreign tourists visiting the city rose 41.4% to more than 1 mln.