Chinese President Xi Jinping held a welcome ceremony on Sunday for visiting Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen in Beijing. The two agreed to establish a Sino-Austrian friendly strategic partnership and advance bilateral pragmatic cooperation to a new level.

The Austrian president is in Beijing for a state visit, and will then travel to Boao in Hainan Province to attend the annual Boao Forum for Asia conference.

Leading a 250-strong delegation of business representatives, cultural and scientific delegates as well as federal ministers, the Austrian president and Chancellor Sebastian Kurz arrived in China on Saturday and will stay until Friday.

Xi said the collective visit of Austrian heads of both state and government has set a diplomatic record in the country's modern history and shows Vienna's determination to tap the potential of comprehensive cooperation with China.

Xi said both sides should take the opportunity to establish a friendly strategic partnership and carry out more extensive exchanges and dialogues in various fields, and promote cooperation between the two countries in justice administration, security enforcement and anti-corruption.

Xi said China appreciates Austria's open mind toward China's investments and will continue to open its market and welcome more Austrian companies to invest in China. 

Xi said this year marks the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the China-EU Comprehensive Strategic Partnership. Austria has a constructive role in enhancing China's relations with Central and Eastern European countries. 

He added China will continue to strengthen cooperation with Austria in areas such as cooperative research in giant pandas and tourism so as to make the friendship between the two countries more deeply rooted in the people.

The Austrian president said China has made great achievements since it began its reform and opening-up. It has also provided a lot of development opportunities for Austria. He said Austria will continue to work with China in trade and the economy, investment, science and technology, environmental protection, renewable energy, culture and sports. He also spoke highly of China's role in combating climate change and handling international issues.

He said Austria will take over the rotating six-month presidency of the EU in July and is willing to play an active role in deepening EU-China cooperation.

After the talks, the two sides released a joint statement on establishing the friendly strategic partnership. The two leaders witnessed the signing of various agreements, including cooperation under the framework of the "Belt and Road Initiative," law enforcement, innovation, transportation, culture, sports and intellectual property rights.

(CGTN's Su Yuting also contributed to the story.)