How Hainan is pioneering the future of China's healthcare
2026-04-19 10:41:09 source：CGTN
April 18, 2026
From rare disease therapies to cutting-edge biomedical research, patients are experiencing real changes in China's medical frontier at the Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone in south China's Hainan Province.
On December 18, 2025, China launched island-wide special customs operations in the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP), marking a historic milestone in its ongoing economic reforms. Against this backdrop, the Boao Lecheng International Medical Tourism Pilot Zone has emerged as a model of healthcare innovation. Since its establishment in 2013, Lecheng has grown from underdeveloped land into a modern medical hub, achieving barrier-breaking growth in the field of innovative medicine.
For families struggling with rare diseases, Lecheng is more than just policy on the paper. Liang Jing's son has been diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), a rare genetic condition affecting approximately 70,000 children in China. Such rare diseases gradually rob patients of mobility and strain the heart and lungs. Traditional medicine such as prednisone helps, but it comes with severe side effects, including obesity and stunted growth. At Lecheng, however, Liang's son gained access to Vamorolone, the first DMD therapy approved in both the US and EU, made available in China through Lecheng in April 2024. The results have been remarkable: under careful dosing, her son's disease progression slowed, his growth continued and his mood stabilized.
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