BEIJING -- Buddhist master Hsing Yun, founder of Taiwan's influential Fo Guang Shan Monastery, has spoken highly of the "Chinese Dream," the much-discussed concept widely understood to mean a renewal of the Chinese nation.

"It is a big dream and a great one," the 86-year-old told Xinhua in an exclusive interview on Saturday morning in the town of Boao, in south China's island province of Hainan.

Talking about his views of the phrase, he said, "It means making China a strong and harmonious country, where justice and fairness is honored, people are happy and the social environment is safe and comfortable."

In February, Hsing Yun accompanied Lien Chan, honorary chairman of the Kuomintang, on a visit to Beijing, where they were received by Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, whose speeches have brought the "Chinese dream" to prominence.

The Buddhist master gifted Xi a calligraphic piece featuring the four Chinese characters "Denggao Wangyuan" (meaning "Ascending a height to enjoy a distant view.")

Recalling the meeting, Hsing Yun said the calligraphy aptly demonstrated his hope that the leadership of the Chinese mainland can have a farsighted vision about the future of the country as well as the development of the international situation.

"They can help boost China's national strength, making it on a par with the world's powerful nations," he said.

Concerning mainland-Taiwan ties, he told Xinhua that no efforts should be spared in accumulating friendliness and extending goodwill among people from both sides, so as to avoid discord.

As a personage who has long pushed for exchanges in religious circles across the Taiwan Strait, Hsing Yun hailed the warming ties between the mainland and Taiwan, urging both sides to accumulate common understanding and refrain from "being too politically stubborn or economically calculating."

"Peace and friendliness across the Strait lies more in the people," he said, adding that increasing personnel exchanges will help solve differences between the mainland and Taiwan and make people on both sides a true family.

This is his third time to visit Hainan. He said, "In combination, Hainan and Taiwan are two eyes of China watching the sea, and also the country's two arms that are guarding the national gateway."