HAIKOU, Sept. 22 (Xinhua) -- In 2009, Ruslan Tulenov came to the island province of Hainan in south China because of a childhood dream.
"I dreamed of seeing the sea when I was a kid. The sea means an infinite space and boundless opportunities for me," he said. "That was why I came to Hainan to study."
Tulenov, 30, hails from Kazakhstan. He recently joined forces in the anti-epidemic efforts as a volunteer in the resurgence of COVID-19 infections in Sanya, a coastal resort city in Hainan. Speaking fluent Russian, English, and Chinese, he helped trapped foreign tourists in Sanya get back home.
His connection with Hainan goes way back. After attending a language program for two years at Hainan University, he continued studying business administration at the university. After that, he was enrolled in the University of Science and Technology Beijing for a master's degree.
After graduation, a job opportunity drew his attention back to Hainan, as China announced a decision to develop Hainan into a pilot free trade zone while gradually exploring and steadily promoting the establishment of a free trade port (FTP) with Chinese characteristics in 2018.
At that time, the Hainan Provincial Bureau of International Economic Development was recruiting talent worldwide. Tulenov seized the opportunity and came back to Hainan in 2019.
"I knew that getting back to Hainan must be a great chance for me," he recalled.
After joining the bureau, he was assigned in charge of social media accounts to help companies around the world know more about the preferential policies in the fledgling Hainan FTP.
Tulenov is good at communications with international firms.
"I uploaded favorable policies of the FTP on social media platforms to let overseas investors know more about the information in Hainan," he said. "Lots of global investors have contacted me via online platforms because they want to enter the Chinese market."
Thanks to his great efforts and outstanding performances, Tulenov has become a global media officer of the bureau. He was in charge of attracting global companies to participate in the China International Consumer Products Expo over the past two years.
"I hope that more foreign talent and enterprises will come to China to seize opportunities," Tulenov said. ■
