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Premier pledges to nurture budding China ties

TASMANIA’S Premier hopes the Year of the Goat will further strengthen the state’s ties with China.

Helen Leung 23 of Sandy Bay poses in a Lion costume at the Lunar New Year celebrations on Parliament House Lawn
Helen Leung 23 of Sandy Bay poses in a Lion costume at the Lunar New Year celebrations on Parliament House Lawn

TASMANIA’S Premier hopes the Year of the Goat will further strengthen the state’s ties with China.

A mass Chinese cultural celebration took place in Hobart yesterday as part of the Lunar New Year Festival.

Premier Will Hodgman, who will next month make his second visit to China as Premier, said Tasmanian-Chinese relations were on a high after President Xi Jinping’s visit to the state in November.

“There’s no doubt the visit of the president last year demonstrated the strong relations we have between the People’s Republic of China and the state of Tasmania,” Mr Hodgman said.

“We intend to build on that over the year ahead, that is why I am leading a delegation to China next month to further strengthen those relationships.”

Mr Hodgman said the China trip was important to forge ahead with agreements signed during Mr Xi’s visit.

“It’s really important that we go back and not only renew those connections but progress the agreements that were struck,” he said.

“We have strong ties with the Chinese community economically, socially, culturally. Our focus in the coming weeks and over the year will be to further deliver great outcomes for key sectors in agriculture, aquaculture, mining, energy and also international education.”

The Lion dance at the Lunar New Year celebrations.
The Lion dance at the Lunar New Year celebrations.
Zhou Fen playing the Pipa (Chinese lute).
Zhou Fen playing the Pipa (Chinese lute).

Lunar New Year Festival chairman James Lee said the turnout to yesterday’s festival was bigger than expected.

“It’s been wonderful, it’s been totally unexpected and it’s blown our minds,” Mr Lee said.

Shade was in demand among the large crowd at the Lunar New Year celebrations on Parliament House Lawns.
Shade was in demand among the large crowd at the Lunar New Year celebrations on Parliament House Lawns.

Originally published as Premier pledges to nurture budding China ties

Read related topics:China

Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/national/tasmania/premier-pledges-to-nurture-budding-china-ties/news-story/75b4c66185c65628354ea9438e466a8b