Tourists walk along the road within the Boao Green Inn in Hainan province, March 26, 2013. [Photo by Meng Zhongde / Asianewsphoto]

HAIKOU - Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for faster development of Hainan province as an international resort island.

Xi, also general secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks during an inspection tour from Monday through Wednesday of the island province in South China, where he chatted with fishermen returning from work in the South China Sea, visited a rose farm and a major cruise terminal, among other events.

"Accelerating the development of Hainan as an international tourism island is a key decision made by central authorities and also offers the biggest opportunity and the biggest comparative advantage for Hainan," Xi stressed.

He called on local authorities to make greater efforts in freeing up minds, and carrying out reform and opening-up to fully stimulate people's initiative to create a better future through hard work.

As China's biggest special economic zone that was approved by China's top legislature in 1988, the island province enjoys late-comer advantage and has great development potential, according to Xi.

He urged the island to make a leap in development by focusing on building Hainan into an international resort site, thus contributing to the development of a beautiful China.