Recently, a tourism development plan for the South China Sea was approved and includes visits to the remote Xisha Islands.

A report in Hainan Special Zone News, quoted a Hainan provincial tourism bureau source, said it planned to permit tour companies to organize visits to the islands.

The Xisha Islands are more than 180 nautical miles away from Sanya, the southern end of Hainan Island.

The islands are known for their tropical beauty and the opening of the islands to tourists has been long awaited. The Hainan provincial government proposed to tap the islands' tourism resources back in 1994.

The islands are considered even more beautiful than the Hainan island. The seawater is very clear and the islands have tropical plants everywhere, and there are rare birds that you cannot find elsewhere.

"Tourists will be traveling to the islands on board cruise ships", said a researcher, who participated in the preparatory study of the plan. "The scarcity of food and water would not be a problem", he added.

The plan's delay was due to getting various parties to agree to it, the researcher said. According to an official, the plan's implementation date has yet to be decided.