China has released a plan to permit foreign higher education institutions and those from the Hong Kong and Macau special administrative regions and Taiwan to independently set up and run universities and higher vocational schools in the Hainan Free Trade Zone (FTZ).
Previously, universities outside the Chinese mainland needed to cooperate with a local partner to run schools on the mainland.
Reputable overseas universities specializing in the fields of science, engineering, agriculture and medicine can open campuses in Hainan, according to the plan released by the Ministry of Education and the provincial government of Hainan.
The universities are encouraged to introduce advanced courses and teaching materials and admit foreign students, and they can also enroll students from the mainland through the national enrollment policy.
