Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, May 28: On May 28, President Xi Jinping and Austrian President van der Bellen exchanged congratulatory messages to celebrate the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Xi Jinping pointed out that since the establishment of diplomatic relations 55 years ago, China-Austria relations have weathered all storms and maintained healthy and stable development. In 2018, President van der Bellen and I jointly established the new positioning of China-Austria friendly strategic partnership and opened a new stage of development of bilateral relations. In May last year, a new pair of "Panda Envoys" appeared in Vienna to further deepen the friendship between the two peoples. At present, the international situation is intertwined with events. As promoters of world peace, supporters of multilateralism, and defenders of free trade, China and Austria should jointly adhere to mutual respect, mutual trust, openness, inclusiveness, and win-win cooperation. I attach great importance to the development of China-Austria relations and am willing to work with President Van der Bellen to take the celebration of the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations as an opportunity to push China-Austria relations to a new level and make greater contributions to world peace and development.
Van der Bellen said that in 2018, I paid a state visit to China and worked with Mr. President to upgrade the relationship between the two countries to a friendly strategic partnership, which is a major milestone in bilateral relations. Over the past 55 years, cooperation between Austria and China has continued to deepen, with frequent exchanges in various fields such as humanities, education, scientific research, culture, and economy, and the foundation of bilateral friendship has been continuously consolidated. The current international situation is turbulent, and it is particularly important for Austria and China to maintain extensive contacts, jointly maintain stability, and enhance understanding. It is hoped that both sides will work together to promote the continuous in-depth development and upgrading of bilateral relations.
