Premier Li Keqiang sent congratulations on the opening ceremony of China-Australia Tourism Year, which was held on Feb 5 in Sydney.

Affirming cultural exchange as one of the significant pillars of a bilateral relationship, the Premier said he hopes both countries can expand cultural and people-to-people exchanges through the China-Australia Tourism Year.

He also mentioned that China and Australia are popular tourism attractions, with over 2 million trips made between the two countries in 2016.

Both China and Australia respect the diversity of world civilization, the Premier said, adding that China is willing to promote the cooperation with Australia based on mutual respect and openness, to improve the bilateral relationship that has been established for 45 years, and bring more benefits to the people of both countries.

In his congratulations letter, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said he appreciated the achievements in tourism cooperation that both countries have made for over 20 years. China has become the most valuable tourism market for Australia, and the number of tourists visiting his country reached 1.2 million in the last year, he said.

He said the China-Australia Tourism Year marks a milestone of the bilateral relationship and believed that both countries will share the opportunities of future development.

Over 2,000 people, including officials, tourism businessmen and local residents, attended the ceremony and enjoyed a concert and fireworks show.