On March 31, 2026, Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC) Zhao Leji met with a high-level delegation of the Austria-China Friendship Association led by Austrian Federal Council President Markus Stotter, in Beijing.

Zhao Leji stated that under the strategic guidance of President Xi Jinping and President Alexander Van der Bellen, the connotation of China-Austria relations has been continuously enriched and cooperation in various fields has been steadily advancing. This year marks the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Austria, and China is willing to work with Austria to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, take into account each other’s core interests and major concerns, create new highlights of cooperation in areas such as green transformation and digital economy, enhance people-to-people exchanges, promote mutual understanding, safeguard multilateralism, and advance the in-depth development of the China-Austria friendly strategic partnership. China’s NPC is ready to enhance exchanges with the Austrian parliament, share experiences in legislation and supervision, and foster a legal environment for practical cooperation. Zhao Leji also introduced the outline of China’s 15th Five-Year Plan.

Markus Stotter said the Austrian side attaches great importance to its relations with China and is willing to expand cooperation in economy and trade, cultural and people-to-people exchanges, legislation and other fields, and enhance the friendship between the two peoples.