Briefly

CHINA

Colombian leader to pay three-day state visit

Colombian President Gustavo Francisco Petro Urrego will pay a three-day state visit to China starting from Tuesday, his first trip to the country since taking office. China-Colombia relations have seen smooth growth and bilateral pragmatic cooperation has achieved fruitful outcomes in recent years, Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters on Monday. During the visit, President Xi Jinping will host a welcome ceremony and a banquet for his Colombian counterpart, and the two heads of state will hold talks to draw blueprints for the development of bilateral ties in the new era, Mao said. They will also jointly attend the signing ceremony for cooperation documents, she said.

Beijing welcomes Australian PM's trip

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Monday that China welcomes Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to visit China and attend the 6th China International Import Expo in Shanghai next month. Mao told reporters at a news conference that sound and stable China-Australia relations are in the fundamental interests of both countries and the two peoples, and is conducive to regional and global peace and stability. China stands ready to work with Australia to step up high-level exchanges and enhance communication and cooperation in various areas, in order to promote continued improvements in bilateral relations and bring more benefits to the two peoples, she said.

SWITZERLAND

Populist right bounces back in general election

The anti-immigration Swiss People's Party rebounded from searing losses four years ago, expanding its hold as the largest parliamentary faction, while environmentally-minded parties lost ground despite record glacier melt in the Alpine country, official election results showed. The final tally late on Sunday showed the people's party, known as SVP by its German-language acronym, gained nine seats compared to the last vote in 2019, and climbed to 62 seats overall in parliament's 200-member lower house. The Socialists, in second place, added two seats to reach 41 in that chamber, known as the National Council.

China Daily - Agencies