Abstract: Uninhabited islands are an important component of China's natural resources. The implementation of the Island Protection Law of the People's Republic of China demonstrates that China's development and utilization of uninhabited islands have entered the stage of gradual standardization and centralized management. By reviewing the management status of these islands, this study analyzes four urgent problems related to the development and utilization of island resources, including the imperfect classification management system, the lagging comprehensive survey of resources, the lack of scientific and technological support and difficulty in solving historical problems. This study proposes countermeasures which include improving the island management system, promoting orderly the systematic resource investigation, optimizing the classification management of development and utilization activities, establishing a scientific planning system, solving the dilemma of multiple management and etc. The suggestions can be taken as references to further improve the management system of the development and utilization of uninhabited islands in the context of national institutional reform.