Chinese, Austrian top leaders vow stronger ties

President Xi Jinping called on Friday for heightened cooperation between China and Austria to jointly build the Belt and Road and bring their bilateral friendly strategic partnership to a new level as the two sides celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties.

In a message exchanged with his Austrian counterpart Alexander Van der Bellen for the celebration, Xi noted that the two nations have adhered to mutual respect, trust and win-win cooperation to move the bilateral relationship forward over the past 50 years.

The two sides welcomed new development opportunities in 2018 with the establishment of a bilateral friendly strategic partnership, which further strengthened political mutual trust and expanded pragmatic cooperation in various areas, he said.

The joint fight against COVID-19, during which both nations offered each other assistance, also deepened the friendship between the two peoples, he added.

Xi said he attaches great importance to bilateral relations, and he is willing to work with the Austrian president to bring more benefits to the peoples of both countries.

Van der Bellen hailed the establishment of the bilateral friendly strategic partnership as a milestone for Austria-China relations.

Austria and China have supported each other during their pandemic response, which not only exemplified the high level of bilateral relations but also showcased the importance of joint response to global challenges, he said.

He added that China is an important partner of Austria, and there is immense potential for bilateral cooperation in various fields.

Premier Li Keqiang also exchanged messages with Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz on Friday, in which Li expressed China's readiness to take the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations as an opportunity to ramp up win-win cooperation, expand friendly exchanges and take bilateral ties forward.

Kurz said he is willing to make positive contributions to further advance cooperation between the two nations.