HONG KONG, July 30 -- The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government on Tuesday welcomed a new visa-free policy issued by the National Immigration Administration, saying that the policy would support tourism cooperation between Hong Kong and China's southern island province of Hainan.

Starting Tuesday, people from countries with diplomatic relations with China can visit Hainan visa-free for 144 hours via tour groups registered in Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions, the National Immigration Administration announced.

The implementation of the policy will further promote the integration of the tourism markets of Hong Kong and Hainan, and inject new vitality into the tourism cooperation between the two places, the HKSAR government said in a statement.

The HKSAR government will communicate and coordinate with the relevant authorities of Hainan to ensure the smooth implementation of the policy, it said.