Fujian, Tasmania mark 45 years of friendship

Fujian province and Tasmania, Australia, celebrated 45 years of sister-province relations on July 8 with a cultural and tourism promotion event in Hobart, Tasmania's capital.

The event was organized by the Fujian Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the Fujian Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism, and the Fujian Provincial Foreign Affairs Office.

More than 160 guests attended, including Fang Xinwen, Chinese consul general in Melbourne; Li Lin, director general of the Fujian Provincial Foreign Affairs Office; Madeleine Ogilvie, a member of the Parliament of Tasmania, and representatives from governments, business groups, tourism companies, tea enterprises, cultural organizations and overseas Chinese communities.

Fang said Fujian and Tasmania have maintained close exchanges in areas including culture, tourism, trade, and education over the past 45 years, and called for continued efforts to deepen cooperation.

Tasmania MP Madeleine Ogilvie pointed to shared values between Fujian and Tasmania in protecting the natural environment, as well as their complementary cultural and tourism resources. The Australia-China Friendship Society (ACFS) National President Jan Everett congratulated the two sides on the anniversary and acknowledged Fujian's contribution to strengthening Fujian-Tasmania and China-Australia friendship.

The event featured Fujian cultural performances, intangible cultural heritage displays, tea tastings, tourism presentations, and traditional crafts such as wooden puppet art, paper cutting, and zanhua (flower hairpins), as well as the launch of three inbound tourism routes and the promotion of travel products.