China and Switzerland agree to strengthen their relationship
On Monday, Premier Li met with Swiss President Viola Amherd in Bern, and they signed a joint declaration to strengthen their partnership.
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The backstory: In 2013, China and Switzerland teamed up to strengthen their economic ties. They signed a free trade agreement that year, which also marked Beijing’s first deal of the kind with a country in Europe. China is Switzerland's third-largest trading partner after the US and the EU. The alpine nation has also become a hotspot for major Chinese tech players like Huawei and Neusoft, bringing in big investments. Meanwhile, Swiss giants ABB, Nestle and Roche are expanding in the vast Chinese market.
Switzerland, known for its diplomatic finesse, chose not to support Brussels in 2022 when it came to sanctions on Chinese officials over alleged human rights issues. And, in its first China foreign policy strategy in 2021, the government called it a “priority country for its foreign policy.”
More recently: In 2017, China's President Xi Jinping visited Switzerland. This week, Premier Li Qiang, who started his role last year, is the highest-ranking Chinese official to visit Switzerland since President Xi's trip. Li is also participating in this week's World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, alongside leaders from various countries.
The development: On Monday, Premier Li met with Swiss President Viola Amherd in Bern, and they signed a joint declaration to strengthen their partnership. The two nations agreed to formally start talks to upgrade their free-trade agreement. This comes after announcing that a long joint study on the matter, which began in 2017, was completed, and they were both ready to move forward.
In practical measures, China said it would allow visa-free entry for Swiss citizens, while Switzerland will simplify visa processes for Chinese individuals and businesses. Looking ahead, both nations are optimistic about celebrating the 75th anniversary of their diplomatic ties next year.
Key comments:
"China hopes that Switzerland can exclude any man-made interference and work with China to move in the same direction," said former China's foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian in a regular press briefing back in 2022.
"This marks an important step towards the start of possible negotiations," said the Swiss government about the meeting.
“The two sides announced the completion of the joint feasibility study on the upgrading of the China-Sweden FTA and agreed to support the launch of formal upgrading negotiations as soon as possible,” said the Chinese foreign ministry in a statement after a meeting between Li and President Amherd
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