It all started with a telegram in the 1950s. Now, 75 years later, China and Switzerland are marking a milestone in their diplomatic and economic partnership. Our correspondent, Julia Lyubova, reported from Bern.
#China #Switzerland #Diplomacy #Anniversary
#China #Switzerland #Diplomacy #Anniversary
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00:00The Chinese Embassy in Bern, a symbol of friendship between China and Switzerland that now spans three-quarters of a century.
00:09In January 1950, then President of the Swiss Confederation, Max Petitpierre wrote a telegram to Chinese leader Mao Zedong,
00:18expressing Switzerland's willingness to establish diplomatic relations.
00:23Together the two sides have cultivated a spirit of equality, innovation and win-win cooperation, but with different social systems.
00:35It's a model for developing friendly relations between countries at different stages of development and of different sizes.
00:44There have been many high-level visits by Chinese officials to Switzerland, including President Xi Jinping in 2017,
00:52which saw the signing of several important agreements.
00:56In January 2024, China's Premier Li Jiang renewed high-level contacts on a visit to Bern.
01:04In my time what was remarkable was the intensity of those official visits.
01:09I mean almost every week we had an important delegation from Switzerland coming to China
01:16and we were asked to also lend a hand to organize visits from the Chinese side to Switzerland.
01:23We sensed that innovation, development, economic advancement was the order of the day for all.
01:33China and Switzerland have been historically connected through trade in pharmaceutical and chemical sectors,
01:39the machine industry, as well as watches and precision equipment.
01:44A free trade agreement between China and Switzerland came into force in 2014.
01:50The two sides are currently negotiating an upgrade to their free trade agreement,
01:55which signals further cooperation and strong relations between the two nations.
02:00Market access is one area that both China and Switzerland will be hoping to enhance,
02:06while also covering new fields like e-commerce.