Upholding true multilaterism

China and Switzerland should continue cooperating on the principle of mutual respect, injecting positive energy into world peace and development

China-Switzerland relations have become a model of friendly cooperation between countries of different social systems, development stages and sizes.

China and Switzerland formally established diplomatic relations on Sept 14, 1950. By far, their ties and friendly cooperation have seen extraordinary years. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties 73 years ago, especially in the past decade, the two sides have continued to deepen political mutual trust, promote exchanges and cooperation in various fields, made considerable progress in bilateral relations and established an innovative strategic partnership in 2016.

The head-of-state diplomacy has guided China-Switzerland relations to advance in the right direction and high-level exchanges have continued. At the beginning of 2017, President Xi Jinping made a state visit to Switzerland, the first Chinese head of state's visit to the Alpine country in the 21st century.

President Xi and President of the Swiss Confederation Doris Leuthard attended eight important bilateral events, jointly witnessing the signing of 10 bilateral agreements, strongly promoting the upgrading of practical cooperation in various fields between the two countries and injecting new vitality into the China-Switzerland innovative strategic partnership.

In the past 10 years, China and Switzerland have maintained close high-level contacts and exchanged visits nearly 50 times. Since 2021, the two foreign ministers have made three phone calls to maintain strategic communication on bilateral relations and international issues of common concern. By maintaining close high-level exchanges, the two countries have reached many consensus in consolidating political mutual trust, strengthened strategic coordination, and enhanced cooperation on international and regional affairs.

They have seen fruitful economic, trade and financial cooperation. Switzerland is the first European continental country to sign a free trade agreement with China, and the two sides are promoting joint research on upgrading their free trade agreement.

Switzerland is a supporter and active participant of the Belt and Road Initiative. China has been Switzerland's third-largest trading partner for seven consecutive years. In 2021, the bilateral trade volume between the two countries reached $44.11 billion, with a year-on-year growth of 96.7 percent. This year, it is expected to exceed $50 billion.

At present, Swiss enterprises have made a total investment of more than $9 billion in more than 2,000 projects in China. In 2022,10 plus Chinese enterprises have applied or are planning to issue global depository receipts on Switzerland's SIX Swiss Exchange. These enterprises cover the fields of machinery, medical care, and new energy. Financial cooperation between the two countries is still developing.

There is a promising future for the cultural exchanges and people-to-people bonds between the two states. According to the cultural agreement inked by the two sides, China will set up a Chinese cultural center in the Swiss capital Bern. After deliberate preparation, the center is expected to be unveiled this year.

Before the COVID-19 outbreak, China and Switzerland witnessed 1.37 million visits, and the number of person night stays in Switzerland reached 1.71 million. Although the epidemic affected personnel exchanges, the enthusiasm for people-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two countries has never diminished.

In the winter of 2021, China's embassy in Switzerland held a promotional event themed on the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne. Artists from Switzerland, which is known as the kingdom of ice and snow sports, expressed their blessing for the sports event in Beijing in their unique way. It is believed that with the global epidemic situation improving, people-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two countries will become more frequent.

Under the new situation, the two sides should continue to cooperate on the principle of mutual respect, equal treatment and win-win cooperation, build a bilateral relationship with a stronger foundation of mutual trust and deep integration of interests, promote their relations to usher in a better future, and inject positive energy into world peace and development.

First, they should cherish the hard-won achievements of bilateral relations. Since the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Switzerland more than 70 years ago, Switzerland has been at the forefront of China's relations with Western countries, reflecting both sides' vision and extraordinary courage to seize development opportunities.

The most important experience gained from these achievements is to adhere to the equality of large and small countries, mutual respect and mutual trust. China and Switzerland must seek common ground while reserving differences, adhere to the main tone of win-win cooperation, properly handle differences and jointly safeguard their bilateral friendly cooperation.

Second, they should continue to deepen their innovative and practical cooperation. The two countries enjoy highly complementary advantages and huge potential for cooperation. China has a large consumer market with a population of 1.4 billion and a middle-income group of over 400 million.

The economy has been improving for a long time, and is accelerating the high-level opening-up and establishing a unified national market. Switzerland is an export-oriented economy and a global innovation highland.

The two countries have broad prospects for cooperation in the Belt and Road construction, economy and trade, finance, science and technology, sustainable development and more. They should keep pace with the times to promote innovative and pragmatic cooperation, and deepen and expand it and share the dividends.

Third, they should jointly defend multilateralism and the free trade system. As advocates of globalization and multilateralism, both China and Switzerland play a constructive role in promoting the political settlement of international disputes in their own ways.

The two countries should work together to practice true multilateralism, take a clear stance against "camp confrontation" and "zero sum games", jointly safeguard the international system with the United Nations at its core, preserve the international order based on international law and the multilateral trading system with the World Trade Organization at its core, and inject confidence and contribute to global development and security.

The author is China's ambassador to Switzerland. The author contributed this article to China Watch, a think tank powered by China Daily. The views do not necessarily reflect those of China Daily.

Contact the editor at editor@chinawatch.cn