Information
The Swiss government said that China and Switzerland signed a joint declaration Monday to bolster an existing free trade agreement and deepen bilateral ties. The free trade agreement between the countries was first signed in 2013, marking the first free trade deal between Beijing and an economy in continental Europe. Efforts to strengthen the deal over concerns about China’s human rights records had stalled. Swiss President Viola Amherd wrote on X, formerly Twitter, that her meeting with Chinese Premier Li Qiang entailed discussions to develop ties and “development cooperation, mediation & human rights.” A dialogue between the Swiss and Chinese foreign ministries will resume this year and is set to include human rights. The joint declaration between Switzerland and China entails finalising a joint study to develop the free trade agreement. “This marks an important step towards the start of possible negotiations,” the Swiss government said. Besides moving to upgrade the free trade deal, the countries also agreed on simplifying visa procedures for travel, China’s state media outlet Xinhua reported. The Xinhua report said that China agreed to provide visa-free entry for Swiss citizens. China is Switzerland’s third-biggest trading partner after the United States and the European Union. The Swiss and Chinese leaders met as global leaders and top executives gathered in Switzerland for the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum.
Source: Reuters, AFP
Assessment
The timing of this deal is interesting, with the majority of Euro countries distancing themselves from China, Switzerland clearly still sees some benefit in the relationship. While the relationship at this stage is unlikely to pose a threat to the EU, it is possible that if China/EU relations worsen, Switzerland could be a way for them to move spies into other countries. It is also possible that China will look to use Switzerland as a third party state for the transfer of sanctioned goods such as microchips. Only time will tell how the relationship will work, but China is likely looking for new inroads into Europe.
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