MAPPING OUT THE FUTURE

Girls perform a bamboo pole dance in Sanya， south Chinas island province of Hainan， on October 5.

The State Council rolled out a plan to develop Hainan into a pilot free trade zone （FTZ） on October 16.

Under the plan， the island will be granted more autonomy to reform， speed up the fostering of a law-based， international and convenient business environment， as well as create a fair， open， unifi ed and efficient market environment. The future FTZ is also expected to display the countrys ecological progress， build an international tourism and consumption center and a zone offering services and support for the countrys major strategies.