Ease Chinese visa requirements: Packer

It is too hard for Chinese tourists who want to spend money in Australia to get visas, billionaire casino owner James Packer says.

In an interview with the Herald Sun, Mr Packer said Australia should make it easier for Chinese tourists to get visas.

"I think over 70 countries can apply for an Australian tourist visa online but China isn't one of them," Mr Packer told the Herald Sun.

"Why should the visa requirements for a wealthy Chinese visitor wanting to come to Australia be any harder than the visa requirements for a wealthy American?

"Visa applications are done in English, not Mandarin, that's stupid. And they are not done online, that's stupid."

Mr Packer owns casinos in Macau, the only place in China where gambling is legal.

He said Australia needed to embrace its links with Asia.

"We're not in a Cold War anymore. The dollar's at 91 cents because of China, not America, and we all benefit. So let's not be hypocrites," he said.

"The visa processing system for Chinese tourists has improved recently. But there is more work to do in this area and each day we waste, costs Australia a great amount of tourism dollars."

Mr Packer also told the Herald Sun he was looking forward to going to Asia with Prime Minister Tony Abbott's trade delegation.