The State Council has approved a plan that will see Pingtan, an island in southeastern Fujian Province, developed into an international tourist destination, a statement said on August 23.

The plan was submitted by the the National Development and Reform Commission, the top economic planner, and the Fujian government, according to the State Council's website.

Pingtan should develop its tourism development model, foster an industrial system pillared by tourism, promote cooperation between the mainland and Taiwan, while playing an active role in the Belt and Road initiative, the cabinet said.

Pingtan is 126 kilometers from Taiwan, a bridgehead in cross-Strait cooperation and crucial to the Belt and Road initiative.

Launched in late 2013, the initiative is an umbrella term for the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-Century Maritime Silk Road. It will be a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Europe and Africa along the ancient trade routes.

Prior to Pingtan, in 2010 the central government approved the southern island of Hainan to be developed into a top international tourism destination.