CRI听力:Australia to Grant More Work and Holiday Visas to Chinese

Under the Work and Holiday Arrangement, Australia will grant visas for up to 5,000 Chinese workers and holiday makers annually.

Visa holders can stay in Australia for up to 12 months and work for up to six months.

The eligible candidates, between 18 and 30-years-old, need to have adequate financial support and pass the IELTS test.

Previously, only New Zealand offered a similar program to about 1,000 Chinese visitors each year. Millions of web users jammed the immigration site every year when the application opened.

Australian authorities say the new visa program will increase demand for tourism services and support the development of Australia's tourism sector, particularly in rural Australia.

As Chinese President Xi Jinping continues his visit in the country, in the province of Tasmania, China and Australia also signed a Memorandum of Understanding on Antarctica.

The deal is designed to strengthen ties between the two countries for continued work in the area.

Meanwhile, the University of Tasmania and the Yunnan Normal University also signed a deal on establishing the China-Australia Cross Cultural Research Center to boost student exchanges between the two countries.

Under the deal, the University of Tasmania will provide five PhD scholarships, with each worth close to 22,000 US dollars.

For CRI, I'm Wang Mengzhen.