亚利桑那州立大学雷鸟全球管理学院全球领导力教授兼中国主任道格·古瑟利长期从事中国经济和历史文化研究，对中国经济发展进程拥有信心并参与了一系列中美双边交流合作项目。古瑟利认为，中美关系在两国经济发展中具有重要地位，从长期经验来看，贸易对于推动双边关系稳定发展发挥着关键作用，各国在经济发展的大环境中有条件实现积极互动。中国曾经对世界经济发展和人类文明贡献了一系列重要力量和发明创造。自上世纪70年代末起，中国进入伟大的改革开放进程，总设计师邓小平在深圳设立经济特区，标志着中国改革开放进程开启，自贸港建设则表明现阶段中国进一步对外开放的决心以及中央与地方政府共同推进改革的尝试。海南自贸港的发展，必将对中国对外开放战略格局调整发挥重要作用，也将带动新一轮贸易投资、旅游消费、科技教育等领域创新发展。
Based on his long study of China’s economy, Professor Doug Guthrie from Thunderbird School of Global Management at The Arizona State University stressed the significance of trade for two countries in that trade could help achieve stability of bilateral ties and avoid conflicts. China had contributed a number of major inventions to human progress. And now, after 4 decades of reform and opening-up, the construction of Hainan FTP not only shows China’s determination of further opening up, but also the attempt of decentralization during the economic development. The development of Hainan FTP, will play an important role in China’s opening up strategy, and bring new growth to the development of trade and invesment, tourism and consumption, sci-tech and education.