The Kingdom of Tonga has become a tourist destination for Chinese citizens, after a memo of understanding was signed Wednesday in Nuku'alofa, the capital of Tonga.

Tonga's Deputy Prime Minister and Tourist Minister James Cecil Cocker, who signed the memo of understanding on Chinese tourist groups visiting Tonga, said he was grateful to the Chinese government for choosing this Pacific islands country as a tourist destination.

He said the upcoming Chinese tourists in Tonga will help promote the country's tourist industry as well as its economic development.

Chinese ambassador to Tonga Gao Shanhai, who signed the document on behalf of the Chinese government, said large numbers of Chinese tourists will soon come to visit this beautiful islands country and to enjoy the special culture and tradition here.

Tonga, an islands state located in the western part of the South-Pacific region and a neighbor of Fiji, is well known for its tropical rain-forest landscapes.

(China Daily April 14, 2005)