Scott No: 2412-13
Serial number: 1992-10
Values in set: 2
Date of issue: September 29, 1992
Designers: Li Ru
Size: 40*30mm
Perforation: 11.5
Sheet composition: 50
Printing process: offset

The commemorative stamp set 20th Anniversary of the Normalization of China-Japan Diplomatic Relations, catalog number 1992-10, was issued on September 29, 1992. It consists of two stamps, produced using the photogravure process. The stamps measure 40×30 mm, with a perforation gauge of 11×11.5 degrees. Each sheet contains 50 stamps. The stamps were designed by Li Ru and printed by Beijing Stamp Printing Works.

Thematic Focus of the Set

This stamp set was issued to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between China and Japan. In 1972, the China-Japan Joint Statement was signed in Beijing, formally establishing diplomatic relations between the two countries and ending the long period of abnormal relations. The stamps adopt a concept contrasting scenery and humanistic elements. One stamp integrates the iconic landscapes and auspicious red-crowned cranes of both countries, and the other uses the images of children from both nations to express a vision. The set reviews the friendly exchanges between the two sides in economic, trade, and cultural fields over the past twenty years and conveys the beautiful hope for peaceful coexistence and lasting good-neighborliness from generation to generation.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background

20th Anniversary of the Normalization of China-Japan Diplomatic Relations

On the left side of the design is Japan's Mount Fuji, and on the right is the silhouette of the Great Wall. Two red-crowned cranes fly through the air. The red-crowned crane is a symbol of peace and auspiciousness in Eastern culture. The Great Wall and Mount Fuji are respectively the landmark symbols of the two countries, echoing each other from east to west, symbolizing the two countries separated by a strip of water, connected across mountains and seas and friendly in communication.

Friendship Through Generations

In the image, a Chinese girl and a Japanese child stand side by side. The Chinese girl holds a peony, and the Japanese child holds cherry blossoms. The peony and cherry blossom are representative famous flowers of the two countries, respectively. Children represent the future, symbolizing that the seeds of friendship are passed down through generations, with the hope that Chinese and Japanese youth will know and befriend each other and maintain the bond of peace and friendship for a long time.

Artistic and Design Features

The overall style is fresh and lively, with a strong decorative feel. The colors are soft and festive, and the two stamps share a uniform format, with images echoing each other. It combines symbols of friendship such as natural landmarks, national flowers, living creatures, and children, making it straightforward and warmly understated. It is a highly representative set among 1990s China-Japan friendship-themed stamps.