HAIKOU - A center for the purpose of conducting research on legal issues regarding the South China Sea was founded in South China's Hainan province on Monday.

The center is the first established in China for the research on such issues, local authorities said.

The center is aimed at promoting the country's strategy of development in the South China Sea and help construct a legal system for this region, and it will act as a think tank for resolving relevant maritime issues, according to Liu Kangde, secretary of the Chinese Communist Party (CPC) Committee of Hainan University.

The center is co-founded by Hainan University and the Hainan Federation of Social Science Circles.

Liu said the center will carry out researches on areas related to the South China Sea such as marine economics, petroleum and gas exploration, tourism development and marine environmental protection.