Monaco and China celebrate 30 years of diplomacy with joint stamp issue
Marie-Pascale Boisson, Monaco's Ambassador to China, He Youlin, Consul General of China in Marseille and Lara Terlizzi-Enza, Director of the Monaco Stamp Issues Office © Monaco Tribune
Late on Wednesday afternoon, the Musée des Timbres et des Monnaies (Stamp and Coin Museum) hosted the cancellation ceremony for a first day issue by both the People’s Republic of China and the Principality of Monaco.
To mark the 30th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Monaco and China, Monaco’s ambassador to China Marie-Pascale Boisson officially cancelled two stamps commemorating three decades of relations between Monaco and China, on Wednesday 15 October. Alongside Consul General He Youlin, she emphasised in her speech the symbolic significance of this first joint issue, illustrated by a Chinese artist: “It was on the initiative of Prince Rainier III that relations between China and Monaco came into being on 16 January 1995.”
She looked back over the highlights of this cooperation, from “Princes and Princesses of Monaco” in Beijing’s Forbidden City in 2018 to the historic visit by President Xi Jinping in March 2019: “It was the first visit to Monaco by a Chinese head of state, and I think it will be remembered for a long time.”
The two vignettes show a Monegasque bellflower and a cymbidium orchid. Chinese artist Yan Ping, a professor at the People’s University of China, created the two drawings, which feature “free brushstrokes and different colours,” said Lara Terlizzi-Enza, director of the Monaco Stamp Issues Office.
Strengthening links between Monaco and China
“These stamps are already particularly precious. Precious for the artistic beauty of their designs, the quality of their execution and the rare and exceptional nature of this cover. They are precious because of the symbol they bear, two artistically stylised flowers, emblematic of each of our two countries: a magnificent Chinese orchid and the Principality’s endemic bellflower. Lastly, they are precious because they are the result of several months of work and cultural and artistic cooperation between the teams at the Principality’s Stamp Office and its Chinese counterpart, China Post,” said ambassador Marie-Pascale Boisson.
“We share similar concerns about protecting the environment. It seemed natural to us to reflect our shared commitment through the stamps, by choosing a floral theme,” added Lara Terlizzi-Enza. In conclusion, the ambassador emphasised that the stamps “represent a common desire on the part of China and Monaco to continue to strengthen the ties that bind us.”
Monaco is printing 55,000 copies compared with 4.5 million for China Post: “We don’t have the same demographic or the same market!” smiled the director of the Stamp Office, who hopes that “these stamps will last throughout the years and eras and will be very popular.” The ceremony ended with a cocktail reception and cake to celebrate the collaboration.