BEIJING - Chinese President Xi Jinping has stressed efforts to build higher-level pilot free trade zones (FTZs), urging FTZs to take the lead in breaking new ground and tackling tough challenges.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in a recent instruction on advancing the construction of pilot FTZs.

FTZ construction has been a key strategic move of the CPC Central Committee to promote reform and opening-up in the new era, he said.

Over the past decade, FTZs have served as comprehensive test platforms for reform and opening-up by ushering in a large number of fundamental and trailblazing related policies and achieving many landmark and leading institutional innovation results, Xi said.

He highlighted strategies to upgrade FTZs on the country's new journey, based on a decade of experience, saying they should take the lead in breaking new ground, tackling tough challenges and undertaking broad and deep explorations.

He said FTZs can play further exemplary roles by committing to high-level opening-up, centering on institutional innovation, coordinating development and security, aligning with global economic and trade rules, promoting institutional opening-up, and promoting the innovative development of the whole industrial chain, among others.

Xi's instruction was conveyed by Vice Premier He Lifeng at a meeting held in Beijing on Tuesday to mark the 10th anniversary of the establishment of China's first FTZ.