China's president wants trip to Tassie

CHINA'S new president Xi Jinping has told Prime Minister Julia Gillard that a visit to Tasmania would be a priority for his next trip to Australia.

Ms Gillard held her first official meeting with President Xi on Sunday, on the sidelines of the Boao Forum for Asia on the Chinese resort island of Hainan.

She told reporters after the meeting that President Xi had lamented the fact that he had visited, in his former political roles, every Australian state except Tasmania.

Ms Gillard, who invited President Xi to visit Australia during the talks, said she would try to include Tasmania on the itinerary.