A delicate brushstroke of diplomacy is being applied in the form of two commemorative stamps. Around 15 October 2025, at the Musée des Timbres et des Monnaies in Monaco, Marie‑Pascale Boisson, Monaco’s Ambassador to China, and He Youlin, the Chinese Consul General in Marseille, came together to frank these small emissaries of friendship, celebrating thirty years of formal diplomatic relations between the two states.
It was He Youlin’s first visit to the Principality and he expressed how it was a great pleasure ifor him to be here, celebrating such close ties. Meanwhile, Ambassador Boisson emphasised that these stamps mark more than a collectible, they mark a shared vision.
Roots of a Growing Partnership
Diplomatic relations between Monaco and China were officially established around 16 January 1995. Over the ensuing decades, cooperation grew steadily, on environmental initiatives, culture, tourism and economic ties, all anchored by mutual respect and trust. As President Xi Jinping had in essence observed , “Over the past 30 years, China and Monaco have made significant progress … treating each other as equals.”
In recent years, Monaco has welcomed Chinese visitors in growing numbers, reflecting a broader opening of exchange and trust.
The Stamps: Small in Size, Huge in Meaning
The two stamps, each priced at €2.10 in Monaco, were launched concurrently by Monaco’s OETP (Office des Émissions de Timbres-Postes) and by China Post. Designed by the Chinese artist Yan Ping, the visuals skilfully weave botanical symbolism and aesthetic dialogue: the Monégasque campanula paired with the Chinese cymbidium orchid. As the OETP director Lara Terlizzi-Enza explains, the orchid has long been associated in Chinese culture with modesty and virtue, part of the revered “Four Noble Plants.”
Production numbers underscored the asymmetry of the two nations’ markets: Monaco issued 55,000 copies; China printed 4.5 million. “We do not share the same demography or market,” noted OETP, pointing out that the rarity of the Monégasque version only heightens its value for collectors and symbol-seekers.
Why Stamps? Why Now?
Stamps are more than postage, they are miniature canvases of diplomacy, culture and shared history. Ambassador Boisson remarked that philately began for both Monaco and China in the late 19th century, and that today, “these pieces are precious because they mark the common desire of China and Monaco to further strengthen the ties that unite us in order to pursue together the objectives of shared interest of our bilateral cooperation in mutual respect and friendship.”
Indeed, the joint issue arrives at a moment when the two countries aim to deepen their ties: as Prince Albert II and President Xi extended congratulatory messages, they declared the 30th anniversary a “new starting point” for expanded cooperation.
On top of the diplomatic and cultural dimensions, Ambassador Boisson reminded that “if philately is an art that allows the preservation of historical and cultural heritage, it is also a market that amounts to billions of dollars. It is difficult to know today what will be the destiny of the two stamps … But they are already very precious to us.”
