A commemorative envelope was issued in Beijing on Monday, celebrating the 69th anniversary of diplomatic ties between China and India. Exchanges between the two started as early as the 1st Century A.D. The release also marks the upcoming 70th birthday of the People's Republic of China. 

Wang Hua, representing the China Foundation for Peace and Development, and Acquino Vimal, the Indian Embassy's deputy chief of missions, unveiled the envelope. 

The stamp on the envelope is named the "Peace Angels" and was designed by Chinese artist Mao Daizong and Indian painter Shatrudhan K. Gupta. A graduate of the Art and Crafts College of Lucknow University in India, Gupta joined in the Senior Scholar Research Project at the China Academy of Art in 2016. He drew the modern architecture and auspicious clouds on the canvas while professor Mao Daizong of Shandong University of Arts added the flying apsaras.

"I think the team is very good. They have brought a mix of modernity and certain historical value. They have two apsaras on the image which is from Dunhuang. I think it is a very good initiative to get the artists here and do this event,” Vimal said.

India was the first non-socialist country to enjoy diplomatic relations with China. Hua said the relationship is very special, and it is going to continue.

"Two to three months ago, my workmates and I had a discussion and decided to celebrate the 70th birthday of the People's Republic of China in a rather traditional way. It is possibly the first time that we get renowned artists from both China and India together and combine their inspirations together and complete an art piece. We wish we could finish 70 commemorative envelopes by the end of this year," said Hua. 

China has issued commemorative envelopes with the Maldives, France, Russia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Uruguay, Colombia and Ecuador.