Austria and China are marking 50 years of diplomatic relations with a commemorative stamp, featuring a peony from the Far East and an edelweiss from the Alps, important symbols of both countries. 

The Austrian Post printed 120,000 of these special stamps to mark the 50th anniversary of Beijing-Vienna relations.

China's ambassador to Austria, Li Xiaosi, was on hand to receive the stamp at the postal headquarters in Vienna. "The peony embodies beauty, happiness and joy. The edelweiss embodies courage and eternal love," he said.

It is a floral friendship that also flourishes economically. Following a pandemic-related slump, exports to China are now booming again, making China Austria's fourth most important trading partner, said Margarete Schrambock, Austria's minister of economics.

"It is important to expand these business relations, these relations between the two countries," Schrambock added. "Not only at the diplomatic level, but also to provide concrete help and support to the companies."

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Part of the discussion focuses on the Belt and Road Initiative, with which China is gaining global influence through billion-dollar infrastructure projects around the world. The European Union, of which Austria is a member, launched its own large infrastructure strategy last month.

China's President Xi Jinping recently offered to work together with Austria to advance the Belt and Road Initiative.

"We very much welcome the fact that the EU is also more willing to improve infrastructure in Europe and also to improve infrastructure with the rest of the world," Ambassador Li remarked.

"But we think it is even better if we – China and the EU – work together."

Schrambock thinks Vienna should be aligned with Brussels. "Austria is not going it alone here. But we are the European Union and together we are strong, especially in the global interplay with the U.S. and also with China, and that also applies to the Silk Road," she said.

In the 1960s, the relationship between China and the West was rather cold and distant. Nevertheless, in 1967, Austria delivered its first steel plant to the People's Republic. Then, in 1971, there was finally a rapprochement with the official establishment of diplomatic relations.

"Austria was one of the first countries in Europe to recognize China," Vienna university professor Richard Trappl told CGTN Europe.

"In 1974, I myself was one of the first exchange students in China and at that time China was still poor, you could say, and then, of course, it has now developed brilliantly in the past decades."

A sign of this cooperation is now embodied in a stamp.

Austrian Swarovski and Mozart stamps are already very popular among Chinese collectors. The postal service now hopes the new edelweiss-peony stamp will also become a collector's item.

Cover pic courtesy: Royal Joh. Enschedé