China and Switzerland: Partners of 65 years

Sixty-five years ago today on 14 September 1950, the People's Republic of China and the Swiss Confederation officially established diplomatic relations. The history of the bilateral relations in the past decades has shown two defining features of this relationship: one is its pioneering spirit, and the other is the depth and width of bilateral cooperation.

Switzerland is one of the first Western countries to recognize the PRC. In 1980, Schindler Group of Switzerland and its Chinese partners set up the first industrial joint venture in China. In 2007, Switzer-land became one of the first European countries that recognized China as a market economy. This laid the groundwork for the China-Switzerland Free Trade Agreement that came into effect last year. The agreement set a good example of free trade cooperation between China and countries on the European continent.

Asia, China in particular, is one of the most dynamic regions in the world. China's development and rejuvenation will have far-reaching impact for the 21st century. Such a remarkable transformation has presented new challenges in social, economic, political, legal and environmental areas. As China's friend and partner, Switzerland supports and encourages a stable, prosperous and fast modernizing China. The two countries work closely with each other in coping with climate change and developing a low-carbon economy. We also enjoy active bilateral exchanges, a big part of which have been the multiple dialogue mechanisms set up between the two countries. We cherish these exchanges as they offer a platform of dialogue and mutual learning in the fields of political affairs, environmental protection, sustainable development, immigration and education. The two sides, under the framework of human rights dialogue, have carried out specific and prudent exchanges on questions including minority groups on an equal footing and in the spirit of mutual respect.