Xi commits to Antarctic deal with Australia on first visit to Tasmania

President Xi Jinping committed to greater Antarctic co-operation with Australia yesterday, while fulfilling a long-held dream to visit the nation's smallest state in a trip that included a close encounter with a Tasmanian devil.

Xi supported the use of Australia and particularly of Tasmania as a gateway to the frozen continent in an agreement with Prime Minister Tony Abbott in the state capital, Hobart, where the flagship of China's Antarctic programme, the Xue Long, is docked.

The memorandum of understanding also reaffirmed China's promise to respect the icy region as a natural reserve that will not be exploited, while committing the two countries to collaborate on scientific projects.

"Antarctica's unique geographical, climatic and ecological conditions have offered an opportunity to gain an understanding of the evolution of earth," Xi said.

The deal to collaborate in the hostile, remote and fragile Antarctic came three decades after China's first expedition to the region and follows reports last month of plans to build an airfield there to support its four research stations.

About 30 nations operate permanent research stations in Antarctica including the US, Russia, Australia, Britain, France and Argentina. Hobart, which is home to the Australian Antarctic Division, is a key shipping gateway to the area. The pact capped a whirlwind trip to the so-called Apple Isle by China's leader, who has visited every other Australian state and territory and joked on Monday that he should receive a certificate for his travels across the country.