Hainan's US$3b injection to turn itself into medical tourism hotspot

Haikou

CHINA'S Hawaii plans a US$3 billion medical tourism hotspot. On the tropical island of Hainan, local officials and companies are investing billions of dollars to transform a string of riverside villages into a medical tourism destination.

Their aim? To lure wealthy Chinese patients, who might otherwise venture overseas, to this province in the South China Sea known for its beach-front resorts.

To do so, they are making an unusual promise: The hub will bring in cutting-edge treatments for diseases like cancer that are available abroad, but don't yet have regulatory approval in China.

There's plenty of demand. The travel site Ctrip.com estimates about half a million Chinese travelled abroad for medical services last year. Millions are dying from cancer …