I'm an American who has been working and living in China for almost 16 years. I'm fortunate to have spent the past 12 years on the sumptuous, tropical island province of Hainan.

Hainan is a very special place I get to call home. I came for the beaches and weather, but stayed for the people and community. You may have seen Hainan in the headlines these past couple of years as we're constructing a world-class free trade port. I say "we" because the construction of the Hainan Free Trade Port has been a global community effort.

Central and local governments have continuously rolled out preferential policies for our lovely island, in turn attracting international talents, companies, and entrepreneurs to the area. The transformation has been stark. I've witnessed firsthand the modernization process of our quiet, sleepy, coconut isle. Examples abound. Just a stone's throw from my home, they are finishing up Asia's largest duty-free mall. You'd be forgiven if you mistook it for a state-of-the-art international airport—we have one of those, too.

When I first arrived here, getting around was a pain. It used to take me half a day to travel to the pristine beaches on the southern part. Today, this trip takes less than two hours by high-speed rail. In addition, Hainan now boasts more than 1,200 km of expressway looping around the island.

Mid-April gave me another reason to be proud of our little community as we rallied together to combat a recent COVID-19 resurgence. We've been pretty sheltered from the virus here so I was surprised at the speed and efficacy of the measures taken. Overnight, streets were transformed into makeshift nucleic acid testing (NAT) sites. Health workers, local civil servants, and volunteers worked hand in hand around the clock to prevent the further spread of the virus.

Thanks to a volunteer activity organized by the Haikou Municipal Foreign Affairs Office, I also had the opportunity to give back to local society.

I noticed a message in a social meida group chat looking for volunteers to help at the NAT sites. At first, I was reluctant to sign up. Thoughts were racing through my mind, "What if you come in close contact with the virus? What if you have to quarantine?" Yet fear quickly gave way to a sense of duty.

I remembered how blessed I am to be able to call Hainan home. I remembered the happiness the island had brought me over the years. I remembered meeting my lovely wife here. It was here that our son was born; it was here that I established so many worthwhile friendships. This island in the sun has given me so much, and I'm glad that I could do a little bit to give back to my second hometown.

As Hainan continues to open up and develop, I hope more foreign friends will come and join our community. On behalf of our local community, I welcome you to come here and be a part of this beautiful and vibrant place. 

Copyedited by Elsbeth van Paridon

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