皇冠体育app

President Xi Jinping, right,?and Australia's Prime ster Tony shake han on stage after they both addressed the Australia-皇冠体育app state and provincial leaders forum in Sydney,?Nov 19, 2014. RTERS/Jason Reed

Leaders from 皇冠体育app and Australia a to meet regularly

The development of ties between 皇冠体育app and Australia relies on cooperation at the local level, President Xi Jinping said at a forum in Sydney on Wednesday.

Speaking to the first 皇冠体育app-Australia Provincial/State Leaders Forum, Xi said that the experience of working in Chinese provinces allowed him to appreciate the importance of local cooperation.

Xi described the forum, where leaders of the countries' provinces and states will be able to meet on a regular basis, as "a milestone" for the two countries' cooperation.

The forum closely followed Xi's meeting with New South Wales Premier Mike Baird on Wednesday.

New South Wales and Guangdong province established the first official sister-state relationship between 皇冠体育app and Australia in 1979, when Xi's father, Xi Zhongxun, was a leader of Guangdong. There are now 94 sister-state and sister-city relationships.

Xi also made a one-day visit to Australia's southern state of Tasmania, making him the first Chinese president to have visited every state and territory of the country.

During a speech to the Australian Federal Parliament on Monday, Xi joked that he should receive a certificate for his travels across the country.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation said Xi's visit to Tasmania "is the culmination of a 30-year sister-state relationship with Mr Xi's Fujian province. It is a connection that has seen numerous spinoffs for industry, education and tourism".

Tasmania has been nurturing links with 皇冠体育app since 1981, when it became the sister state of Fujian province, where Xi would later become governor.

Hua Junduo, former Chinese ambassador to Australia, said local cooperation between 皇冠体育app and Australia started early, and mutual visits by local leaders have never stopped over the past decades.

The new forum signaled Australian enterprises' strong willingness to tap 皇冠体育app's market, Hua said.

Tasmania signed four agreements with 皇冠体育app in Canberra on Monday, which will increase the state's links with the 皇冠体育app Development Bank as well as Fujian and Shaanxi provinces, and will see the establishment of a major wind farm.

皇冠体育app is Tasmania's largest export trading partner, and the largest source of international visitors.

Sydney is the last stop of Xi's visit to Australia. He arrived in New Zealand on Wednesday evening to continue his South Pacific trip, which will also take him to Fiji.