Tasmania of Australia ready for Xi's landmark visit

Australia's southeast state of Tasmania, widely regarded as "where the world ends," is waiting for Chinese President Xi Jinping's arrival with its famed pure water and high-quality air. [Special coverage]

Xi will be the first leader of major world powers to visit the island state. Local people and media widely believed that the incredible event would be helpful for Tasmania's business and economy, especially tourism.

Tasmania Premier Will Hodgman told Xinhua in an interview that having one of the world's most important leaders setting foot on Tasmania is of great significance to the long standing cooperation and exchanges between the two countries.

"It will be the most powerful demonstration of the connection between us and China, our largest trading partner and a very important cultural partner as well," Hodgman said.

Mark Bacon, a business consultant and son of the late Tasmanian Premier Jim Bacon, told Xinhua that he was "shocked" by the news.

"You just don't see world leaders talk about Tasmania...A visit by the Chinese president can (bring economic opportunities)," he said, "Tasmanians are very excited to welcome the president...We cannot wait for the world's eyes to be on our magical little island."

Tasmania established the "sister state relationship" with China's east Fujian province in the early 1980s. Bacon's father, who regularly visited the province, was granted "honorary citizenship" by Fujian in 2001, when Xi was governor of the province.

In the seventies of the 19th century, 19 Chinese came to make a living by starting mining business in this land, where in the eyes of the Europeans was too remote to live but was called "home" by the eastern settlers. They became the pioneers to develop northeast Tasmania and started a 140-year-long communication between China and this island.

In the northeast part of the island sits a tin ore ruins called "the trail of the tin dragon." The residents said it represents a story of tin mining, boom and bust, hope and despair, and a story of Chinese miners who struggled to survive and contributed a lot to the development of local society.

Xi's upcoming visit will bring the communication between the two sides to a new peak, and made the local Chinese community in Tasmania so proud and excited.

China is Tasmania's top trading partner and also a booming tourism market with nearly 20,000 arrivals last year.

Hodgman also told Xinhua that Tasmania is doing its best to provide a good experience for the guests during their stay, adding he had been working closely with the local Chinese community, which is becoming an important partner for government in continuing to build ties between China and Australia, to get better prepared.