Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
Bern, 12.11.2024 – State Secretary of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) Alexandre Fasel met Deng Li, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China. This meeting organized in Beijing on November 12 is part of the Swiss-China bilateral political dialogue. The state of play of bilateral relations, including dialogue on human rights; economic relations, including optimization of the free trade agreement; multilateral and international issues, as well as the situation in Ukraine and the Middle East, were on the agenda of the discussions.
The political dialogue on November 12, bringing together the Secretary of State of the FDFA Alexandre Fasel and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Deng Li, ensures the operational follow-up of the strategic dialogue last February, also in Beijing, between Federal Councilor Ignazio Cassis and his counterpart Minister Wang Yi. Since 2017, Switzerland and China have been linked by an “innovative strategic partnership” which provides for the holding of an annual strategic dialogue between Ministries of Foreign Affairs.
This political dialogue was an opportunity to take stock of the main bilateral dialogues between ministries of foreign affairs, in particular human rights, consular relations and various technical cooperation. Discussions also focused on economic relations, in particular the potential for optimization and development of the free trade agreement between Switzerland and China – in force since July 1, 2014. Negotiations on this agreement took place were opened on September 23, 2024 during a virtual meeting at the level of the Ministers of the Economy of the two countries.
MM. Fasel and Li also discussed cooperation within the framework of the United Nations and other regional platforms, as well as current international issues, particularly Ukraine and the Middle East. State Secretary Fasel underlined the importance for Switzerland to take into consideration all dialogue and mediation initiatives in favor of peace in Ukraine, based on international law and the United Nations Charter. He also informed his interlocutor of the work carried out by Switzerland within the Security Council, where it will sit until the end of 2024.
In 2025, Switzerland and China will celebrate 75 years of their bilateral relations. The opportunity for MM. Fasel and Li to review the projects planned for these commemorations placed under the themes of culture and tourism, which both countries welcome.
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Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
