BEIJING, May 12 -- The following is description of China-Austria Relations:
I. Political relationsundefined
Chinaestablished formal diplomatic relations with Austriaon May 28, 1971and
in September that year, the two sides appointed respectively its own ambassador
to the other side. The setting-up of diplomatic relations between Chinaand
Austriahas opened up a broad perspective for the development of the relations
between the two countries. In April 1974, Austrian foreign minister
Kirchschlager paid a visit to China. It is the most important delegation from
Austrian side to visit Chinaat the beginning of the establishment of diplomatic
relations between the two countries.
In 1980s, Chinabegan to implement the policy of reform and opening to the
outside world in which Chinatook the strengthening of diplomatic relations with
western European countries including that with Austriaas an important component
part of its foreign policy and so it has injected in new vitality for the
development of Sino-Austrian relations. The two countries have witnessed a
speedy increase of exchanges in every field with an increasing expansion of
cooperation. In April 1984, Member of the State Council and concurrently
minister of foreign affairs Wu Xueqian visited Austria, being the first visit of
Chinese foreign minister to Austriaafter the establishment of the diplomatic
relations between the two countries. In September 1985, Austrian president
Kirchschlager paid a visit to Chinawho's the first Austrian President ever
visited Chinain history.
In 1990s, the relations of the two countries showed a tendency of favorable
development with the cooperation of the two countries in every field to see a
speed-up development. In October 1991, Member of the State Council and
concurrently minister of foreign affairs Qian Qichen paid an official visit to
Austria. Speaker of the Austrian National Assembly Fischer visited Chinain
January 1992. In April 1993, Austrian Prime minister Vranitzky visited China,
the first Austrian prime minister who visited Chinain the history after the
setting up of the diplomatic relations between the two countries. Chairman of
the NPC Qiao Shi and Premier Li Peng paid respective visit to Austriain January
and June 1994. In September 1995, Austrian President Klestil visited China.
Chairman of the NPPCC Li Ruihuan visited Austriain September 1996. And in
October that year, Austrian Prime minister Vranitzky visited Chinafor the second
time. In March 1997, Speaker of Austrian National Assembly Fischer visited
Chinafor the second time. In March 1998, Austrian Deputy prime minister and
concurrently minister of foreign affairs Schussel visited China. And in May that
year, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, Secretary of
the Secretariat Ding Guangen paid a visit to Austria. In March 1999, President
Jiang Zemin of the PRC paid a state visit to Austria, the first visit by the
Chinese head of the state to Austria, thus forming another high tide in the
history of relations between the two countries.
In May 2001, the two sides gave a grand celebration on the 30thanniversary
of the founding of the diplomatic relations between the two countries and
Austrian President Klestil paid his second visit to China. In April 2002, Member
of the State Council Simayi Aimaiti visited Austriaand July the same year,
alternative member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC
Central Committee, Secretary of the Secretariat, Chief of the Organization
Department of the CPC Central Committee Zeng Qinghong and Minister of Foreign
Affairs Tang Jiaxuan paid respective visit to Austria. In August that year,
Speaker of the Austrian Federal Assembly Bieringer visited China. In September
Premier Zhu Rongji visited Austria. In November, Austrian Vice-prime minister
and concurrently minister of public affairs and sports, Lady Ries-Passer visited
China. In April 2003, Deputy speaker of the Austrian Federal Assembly, Lady
Haselbach paid a visit to China.
II. Trade relations and economic-technological
cooperation
In September 1964, Chinaand Austriasigned an exchange of letters on
mutually setting up a commercial representative office. In October 1972, the two
countries signed the "Agreement on Trade and Payment", which helped upgrade the
trade relations among the people to that between the two governments. And
afterwards the trade relations of the two countries witnessed a constant
development.
In September 1996, the two governments signed a new "Agreement for
Cooperation in the fields of Economy, Industry, Techniques and Crafts and
Technology". The trade value of the two countries came to US$ 1.37 billion in
2002, an increase of 35.3 percent as compared to that of the year before. The
Chinese exports to Austriamainly include textile goods, garments, grain and oil
foodstuff, animal husbandry products, arts and handicrafts, nonferrous metals
while the Chinese imports from Austriamainly cover technological equipment,
machinery, products of minerals, chemical and light industry products.
Multifarious cooperation has been carried out between Chinaand Austriain
hydropower, railway, metallurgy, machine-building and environment protection and
highway construction and manufacturing of special vehicles as well.
III. Exchanges and cooperation in the fields of culture, science
and technology, education and military affairs
Along with the development of the political and trade relations between
Chinaand Austriathe cultural exchanges of the two countries became quite active
with frequent mutual visits of cultural groups. The Chinese acrobatic, children'
and Tibetan artistic troupes paid visits to Austria one following the other and
also held there was the "Chinese Modern Painting Show" while Austria held its
"Painting Show of Austellung Max Weiler", etc. Straus Philharmonic Orchestra,
Vienna Boys' Choir and Wiener Philharmonie and Vienna National Opera House paid
their visits to China. Starting from 1998, the Chinese Central Folk Melody
Troupe began to stage "Spring Festival Concert" every year in the Vienna Golden
Hall. In October 1999, The CCTV together with the Austrian National TV held an
Evening Party of Artistic Stage for Musicians in front of the Meridian Gate of
the ImperialPalacewith almost 1000 artists from China, Austria, Germanyand
Switzerlandtaking part in the performance and the program was televised live by
the TV of the four countries. In November 2001, the two countries signed
agreement for cultural cooperation.
In 1984, after the Chinese and Austrian governments signed "Agreement on
Sci-tech cooperation", the two sides carried out extensive project cooperation
in the fields of medicine, remote-sensor, forestry, new materials and
environment protection and for exchange of sci-tech personnel. In September
2001, the two sides held the 6thjoint meeting for intergovernmental sci-tech
cooperation with 44 items for cooperation made known at it. The newly increased
ones mainly cover such high-tech aspects as IT industry, nanometer science and
biology, etc. The health, environment protection, agriculture, forestry, patent
rights and tourism departments signed agreements with each other's counterpart
for exchange and cooperation. In September 2002, the departments concerned of
the two countries signed an "Agreement on Sino-Austrian Cooperation for Research
and Proliferation of Giant Pandas". In March 2003, A pair of pandas Chinaleased
to Austriawas transported to Viennawith a grand ceremony for handing over the
giant pandas held in the Schonbrunn Zoo with Austrian Prime minister Schussel
and Minister of Health Rauch-Kallat and others of over 2000 people attending the
ceremony.
The Chinese Ministry of Education and the Austrian Department for Sci-tech
Researches began to exchange personnel for postgraduate studies. The cooperation
between the institutes of higher learning of the two countries witnessed a
favorable development with 15 Chinese institutes and colleges and 8 on the
Austrian side having cooperation relations set up, and sending scholars and
language teachers to lecture has become a sort of mechanism.
In July 1973, Chinasent its first military attaché to Austria. In July
1997, Austriasent its first military attaché to China. In May 1997, the Austrian
Minister of National Defence Fasslabend paid a visit to China, this being the
first time for Austrian minister of national defence to visit Chinaafter the
establishment of the diplomatic relations between the two countries. In May
1998, Member of the Central Military Commission, Chief of the General Staff of
the PLA, General Fu Quanyou visited Austria. In March 1999, the 3rdAustrian
Vice-minister of national defence, General Probst visited Chinaand In May 2001,
the 4thAustrian Vice-minister of national defence General Corrieri visited
China. In November 2001, Political Commissar of the General Logistics, General
Zhou Kunren paid a visit to Austria. In September 2002, Assistant to Chief of
the General Staff, Lieutenant General Li Yu visited Austria.
Since 1983, Chinese cities and provinces formed into friendly cities and
provinces with those of Austria. They are as follows: Chengduwith Linz,
Guizhouprovince with Styria, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region with Karnten,
Xuzhouwith Leoben, ShandongProvince with Upper Austria, Henanprovince with
Tirol, Hunanprovince with Burgenland, Hainanprovince with Salzburg, Jinhua with
Hollabrunn, Nanningwith Klagenfurtand Zhejiangprovince with Lower Austria.
In June 1994, Chinaand Austriareached an agreement on the mutual setting up
of general consulate in Salzburgand Shanghai. The Austrian General Consulate was
opened at the end of that year.
IV. Important bilateral agreements
In September 1985, the governments of the two countries signed "Civil
Aviation and Air-transportation Agreement"; In May 1989, China and Austria
signed "Agreement on Cooperation of Health Work"; In July 1994, the two
ministries of agriculture signed "Memorandum of Technological Cooperation in
Agricultural Field"; In June 1997, the Sino-Austrian governments reached
Agreement on the Exchange of Notes about the Retaining of Austrian General
Consulate in Hong Kong after July 1, 1997; In October 2000, China and Austria
signed the "Agreement for Tourism Cooperation between the Government of the
People's Republic of China and the Austrian Federal Government", In November
2001, the two governments signed the "Agreement on Cultural
Cooperation".undefined
(Source: Ministry of Foreign Affairs website)
