Ban Ki-moon, former secretary-general of the United Nations, highlighted the great potential of economic cooperation between South Korea’s Jeju province and South China’s Hainan province on Wednesday.

“Both are island provinces, and I’m sure that there can be a mutual exchange of cooperation,” Ban, who is chairman of the Boao Forum for Asia, said on the sidelines of the forum.

Jeju province, officially Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, is elevated as the only special province in the country, Ban said. Meanwhile, China has stepped up efforts to develop Hainan province into a free trade port —which is expected to be China’s first free trade port.

Ban said he hopes leaders of the two provinces can have discussions about how the two islands “can mutually reinforce their potential to become centers of tourism, and economic and social cooperation”.

Also, Hainan province should deepen international exchanges and diversify  areas of cooperation, during which “Jeju province also can  be a good partner of Hainan”, Ban said.