MELBOURNE (AFP) - Chinas leader-in-waiting Xi Jinping began a five-day tour of Australia Saturday, with Beijing seeking assurances over a proposed 40 percent tax on mining industry profits. Xi, widely tipped to succeed President Hu Jintao in 2013, arrived in Melbourne Saturday afternoon, the last stop of a four-nation tour that also took him to Bangladesh, Laos and New Zealand. His visit to Australia is the first high-level Chinese visit to the country since Marchs jailing of Rio Tinto mining executive Stern Hu and the resumption of free-trade talks between the two economic partners. Xi is expected to take a particular interest in the centre-left Labor governments 40 percent tax on the so-called super profits of mining firms, which has prompted a furious backlash from the key export sector. Chinese companies are interested to see the development of the resource tax. They will express that, said Chinese ambassador Zhang Junsai. As long as they see a stable political situation and legal framework (and) they know they can make money here, they dont have to worry, he told The Australian newspaper. Raw materials such as iron ore and coal are key to Chinas industrialisation and it is one of the largest importers of Australian resources, the target of Labors controversial tax reform. Xi is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Kevin Rudd in Canberra on Monday, after which both leaders will address an economic forum at Parliament House. Zhang said Xis visit was a sign that the relationship between China and Australia had moved on from strains linked to the arrest of Hu, an Australian passport holder, and Rios rejection of a huge Chinalco deal. Hu, former head of Rios Shanghai office, was jailed for 10 years for taking kickbacks from Chinese steel firms and stealing corporate secrets. Tensions over his July 2009 arrest were inflamed with a visit to Australia by exiled Uighur leader Rebiya Kadeer which was strongly opposed by Beijing, who claim she is a terrorist. We shouldnt be afraid of problems coming up, said Zhang. We have different social systems, different views on international issues. We are different nations, thats understandable. We can agree to disagree, the diplomat added, accommodating to each others core interests. Xi will attend an Australia-China chief executives round-table and a trade forum during his visit, which takes in Melbourne, Canberra and the Outback Northern Territory region.