Ignazio Cassis meets with Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi

(CONNECT) Ignazio Cassis, Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), met the Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi at an official summit held to mark 75 years since the start of bilateral relations between Switzerland and the People’s Republic of China. According to a press release, the talks focused on modernizing the free trade agreement in addition to touching upon issues such as global economic challenges and current geopolitical events in Ukraine, the Middle East and East Asia. At the meeting, the two foreign ministers underlined the importance of multilateral cooperation in addition to reiterating their support for respecting the UN Charter and international law.

The modernization of the free trade agreement was at the heart of the talks and is considered an important element of Swiss foreign policy in China. Updating the agreement is intended to provide Switzerland with improved market access for goods, services and investments, thereby optimizing the framework conditions for Swiss companies in China.

As a member of the Federal Council, the Swiss federal government, in addition to the summit Ignazio Cassis dropped by the Swiss pavilion at the industrial trade fair China International Machine Tool Show in Beijing, at which a total of 46 companies were representing Switzerland. In Shanghai, the head of the FDFA also held talks with the Swiss business community and visited the Swiss company Schindler. Back in 1980, Schindler Holding AG became the first western industrial company to enter into a joint venture with a Chinese partner firm, and in so doing played its part in opening up the Chinese economy to the rest of the world. ce/nta