Photo: Chinese President Xi Jinping pats a baby Tasmanian devil at Hobart's Government House in 2014. (News ltd/pool)

Chinese president Xi Jinping's encounter with a Tasmanian devil has inspired new research efforts to save the marsupial.

Mr Xi got up close and personal with a baby devil during a visit to Tasmania last year.

He was moved by the devil's plight, prompting discussions about how China could help.

The Tasmanian Government is on a trade mission to China and has signed a new agreement with the Chinese government.

It will see China join the fight against the deadly facial tumour disease which has devastated Tasmania's wild devil population.

More than 90 per cent of devils have been wiped out in the worst disease-affected areas, including the east coast.

The agreement will see the Chinese Academy of Sciences collaborate with Tasmanian scientists and work on an agreed program of research.

Environment Minister Matthew Groom said he hoped it would build on great work locally on possible vaccines.

"This agreement will be furthering research to advance those efforts and try and find a way to save the Tasmanian devil," he said.

"The MOU will enable research collaboration with the various institutes of the academy and provide access to a tissue bio-bank to help understand devil facial tumour disease and the development of a vaccine.

"I think this affords an opportunity not just for collaboration in science and research but also a growing friendship between China and Tasmania."

The State Government's trade mission to China wraps up today. (abc.net.au)