President Xi Jinping visits the Golden Gulf Mangrove Ecological Protection Zone in Beihai, South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, April 19, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

President Xi Jinping has stressed the need to protect rare plants and build up the maritime biodiversity wetland ecological zone.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks while inspecting the Golden Gulf Mangrove Ecological Protection Zone in Beihai city in South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region on Wednesday.

The president paid much attention to the protection of the mangroves, and listened to a detailed briefing about their important function as "ocean safeguard" and "maritime forests".

Xi stressed the importance of the research and protection of rare plants like mangroves, and he urged developing the maritime biodiversity wetland ecological zone into a successful one.

The Golden Gulf Mangrove Ecological Protection Zone, with 400 hectares of mangroves, plays an important role in the protection of the maritime ecological environment.