Beihai, a coastal city in south China, will never seek tourism income rise from the gambling industry, a local official said on Wednesday.

The city now enjoys booming tourism development, and it does not and will never allow the existence of the gambling industry, Li Jinzao, deputy chairman of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, which administrates Beihai, said at a press conference held on the sidelines of the annual session of the National People's Congress (NPC).

"If you want a sun bath or want to see a beautiful beach, you are welcome to the Silver Beach in Beihai. But if you want to bet your money, please go to Las Vegas," Li, an NPC deputy, said in response to a question on whether the city will legalize the gambling industry to boost its tourism.

An attracting tourism destination on the coast of the Beibu Bay, Beihai attracts millions of tourists each year. Tourism income of the city, which has a population of about 1.35 million, amounted to two billion yuan in 2005.

Gambling was outlawed on the Chinese mainland after the People's Republic of China was founded in 1949. However, there have been calls to legalize the industry to help rein in underground casinos and stop money outflow into foreign casinos that attract the country's new-rich and corrupt officials. But the possibility has been ruled out by public security authorities.

Source: Xinhua