Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping on Sunday morning opened Australia's first Chinese Medicine Confucius Institute at the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) in Melbourne.

The Confucius Institute is a collaborative project between RMIT and the Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, supported by the Confucius Institute Headquarters in Beijing.

The institute is designed to promote the study of Chinese culture and language, with a focus on Chinese Medicine, one of the world's oldest and longest standing healthcare systems tracing back more than 2,500 years.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Xi said the establishment of the institute is "another vital achievement" for China and Australia in the field of people-to-people and cultural exchange and cooperation.

The Chinese vice president said the vital value of cultural and education exchange lies in the heart-to-heart communication, noting that fruitful achievements have been scored in the cultural exchange and cooperation between China and Australia, despite different historical and cultural tradition.

Xi also spoke highly of the Chinese medicine, saying it is the gem of ancient Chinese science, and it is also a key to open the treasure of Chinese civilization.

Study of Chinese medicine is of vital significance to enriching global health research and promote the life science worldwide, he added.

As the RMIT Chinese Medicine Confucius Institute integrates the traditional and modern Chinese medicine study with Chinese language learning, Xi said such approach would "open a new window for the Australian people to know the Chinese culture," and build a "new bridge" linking the heart-to-heart communication between Chinese and Australian peoples.

RMIT President Professor Margaret Gardner said at the opening ceremony that the Chinese Medicine plays an increasingly important role in global health.

"The Chinese Medicine Confucius Institute is a significant highlight in our long-term relationship with China," she said.

"Since 1993, RMIT has worked with the Chinese Government and the World Health Organization to develop education and research in the Asia Pacific region," Gardner said.

On Sunday morning, Xi visited the headquarters of Telstra, a telecom giant of Australia and paid a trip to a farm in the outskirts of Melbourne.

On Sunday afternoon, Xi and the Chinese delegation flew from Melbourne to Canberra, continuing his official visit to Australia.

(Xinhua News Agency June 20, 2010)