Chinese premier's visit to Switzerland sends signal of enhanced high-level exchanges, political trust: ambassador (GT)
2024-01-17

Cooperation with Switzerland in Development of Winter Tourism Discussed (Montsame)
2024-01-17

Investing in China an opportunity, says Premier in Davos (China Daily)
2024-01-16

China, Switzerland to Discuss Upgrading 2013 Trade Deal (Caixin)
2024-01-16
China and Switzerland are planning to upgrade the free trade agreement (FTA) between the two countries, with official talks to be started “as soon as possible,” the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said after Premier Li Qiang met with Swiss President Viola Amherd in the European nation. China will also grant Swiss nationals unilateral visa-free treatment, the ministry said in a statement published following the Monday meeting that took place in Bern. It did not mention the implementation date or other details of the policy. The meeting, the first at such level between the two countries since the pandemic, came during Li’s official visit this week to Switzerland, where he will also attend the 2024 World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos. “The two sides announced the completion of the joint feasibility study on an upgrading of the Sino-Swiss FTA,” and agreed to support a prompt launch of formal talks, the foreign ministry’s statement said. In 2013, Switzerland became the first continental European country to sign an FTA with China, which officially entered into force in July 2014. Currently, China is Switzerland’s third-largest trading partner after the U.S. and the European Unionm, while Switzerland is China’s sixth largest trading partner in Europe, according to information from the two governments. During Monday’s meeting at the Lohn Estate in the Swiss capital, Li said the two sides should strengthen cooperation in areas including trade and customs as well as in environment, finance and the digital economy. China is also willing to continue high-level exchanges with Switzerland, Li added. The two sides agreed to carry out a new round of strategic dialogue at the foreign minister level, while holding meetings of the finance and energy working groups as well as a dialogue on education policy by the end of the year, the ministry statement said. “A common goal for 2024 is to continue bilateral dialogue and further deepen the ‘innovative strategic partnership’ agreed in 2016,” the Swiss government said in a press statement released following the meeting. It added that the dialogue between foreign ministers will cover areas including “development cooperation, mediation and human rights,” while the subjects of science, employment, intellectual property, health and environment will be included in other bilateral dialogues. As Switzerland is likely to be added to a list of countries whose residents benefit from visa-free entry to China for stays of up to 15 days, the Alpine country also agreed to streamline the visa process for Chinese citizens and Chinese investors, the Chinese statement said. The previous highest-level engagement between the two countries took place in 2019, when the then Swiss President Ueli Maurer visited China. President Xi Jinping’s made a state visit to Switzerland in 2017. Li will wrap up his four-day Europe trip Wednesday with a stop in Ireland.

China to continuously develop bilateral ties with Switzerland for more practical results in mutually beneficial cooperation (Xinhua)
2024-01-15

China and Switzerland to revive push to upgrade free-trade agreement (SCMP)
2024-01-15

Hong Kong’s Paul Chan aims to ‘clear up doubts about city’ at World Economic Forum in Davos (SCMP)
2024-01-15

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Wang Yi starts trip to LatAm after ‘new year visits’ in Africa (GT)
2024-01-18

China reaffirms increased open-up commitment in premier's first overseas trip of new year (Xinhua)
2024-01-18

South China Sea: Beijing, Manila agree to manage differences ‘to better deal with urgent situations’ (SCMP)
2024-01-18

China, Iran sign policing pledge during Iranian police chief’s Beijing visit (SCMP)
2024-01-17

Philippine President should read more to develop a proper understanding of the Taiwan question: Chinese FM (GT)
2024-01-16

China strongly rebukes US’ remarks on Nauru severing ‘diplomatic ties’ with Taiwan region (GT)
2024-01-16

Israel-Gaza war: Chinese FM Wang Yi opens Africa tour with jab at US-led strikes on Houthi in Yemen (SCMP)
2024-01-15

Senior CPC official, San Francisco mayor discuss implementation of outcomes of Xi-Biden summit (Xinhua)
2024-01-14

Myanmar fulfills truce under China's mediation (China Daily)
2024-01-13

Belgian prime minister meets Xi Jinping in Beijing, vows to oppose decoupling (SCMP)
2024-01-13

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Foreigners living in, visiting China pick up in 2023 as they share real China to dispel misperceptions (GT)
2024-01-18

Academic institute releases China's first oral history of victims and survivors of terrorism (GT)
2024-01-18

China’s population falls by 2.08 million to 1.4097 billion in 2023 as births tumble, adding to demographic concerns (SCMP)
2024-01-17

China releases naming guidelines for social organizations (Xinhua)
2024-01-17

Xi makes important speech at study session on promoting high-quality development of financial sector (Xinhua)
2024-01-17

China jobs: youth-unemployment rate returns, adjusted, stands at 14.9% (SCMP)
2024-01-17

Son of former Chinese president Hu Jintao promoted to deputy minister after a decade in regional posts (SCMP)
2024-01-16

Xi Jinping urges loyalty from China’s courts and law enforcers to ‘defuse’ social and financial risks (SCMP)
2024-01-15

New climate envoy to continue work for global green transition: Chinese FM (GT)
2024-01-15

Over 700 Chinese border outposts connected to national power grid, boosts defense capability (GT)
2024-01-14

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John Lee appeals to Hong Kong’s media to promote need for national security and combat ‘smears and attacks’ from Western news organisations (SCMP)
2024-01-17

Jimmy Lai trial: Chinese Communist Party mouthpiece calls Western politicians ‘shameless liars’, accuses them of glorifying Hong Kong tycoon (SCMP)
2024-01-16

Hong Kong finance minister discusses deeper cooperation with Saudi counterpart in Davos, calls on Arab firms to expand into Asian markets (SCMP)
2024-01-16

The University of Macau is to Build a New Campus in Hengqin (Caixin)
2024-01-16
The University of Macau is to build a new campus in Hengqin, a small island in Guangdong under development as part of China’s Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area plan, the school’s rector Song Yonghua revealed Sunday at the university’s open day. The new campus will cover about 1.09 square kilometers, half the size of the original campus, Song said. The plan is seen as a successful trial of the cooperation model between Hengqin and Macao. The Macao government has obtained a 50-year lease on land use rights for the relevant plots on Hengqin island for 1.2 billion Macanese Pataca ($149 million). This model is easy to operate, and the development of these plots is under direct management by the Macao government, effectively expanding the jurisdiction area of Macao, a person involved in the Guangdong-Macao cooperation told Caixin. Hengqin is a small island to the west of Macao and a district of Zhuhai city in Guangdong. The Hengqin Guangdong-Macao Deep Cooperation Zone, rolled out in 2019, aims to create synergies between Macao and Hengqin by allowing business, trade and the movement of people across borders. The development of Hengqin is part of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area plan, an ambitious project unveiled in 2017 to transform the Pearl River Delta into a world-class city cluster to rival famous bay areas centered on Tokyo, New York and San Francisco. At the end of 2023, the National Development and Reform Commission issued an overall development plan for the Hengqin Guangdong-Macao Deep Cooperation Zone, which backed the University of Macau’s plan to build the new campus in the cooperation zone. Students enrolled in these Hengqin schools will be regarded the same as those studying in Macao.

Communist Party must ‘win the hearts’ of people in Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan: Xi Jinping (SCMP)
2024-01-15

HK’s tourism continues rebound in 2023 with 34m visitors, with mainland travelers remaining largest source (GT)
2024-01-14

Hong Kong’s own Article 23 national security law on the cards for 2024, legislative agenda for year reveals (SCMP)
2024-01-12

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PLA warplanes, warships spotted in nighttime patrols around Taiwan island (GT)
2024-01-18

Beijing’s spy agency accuses Taiwan of pushing election interference rumours (SCMP)
2024-01-17

In Taiwan election wake, PLA resumes regular military activities near island (SCMP)
2024-01-16

South Pacific nation Nauru cuts diplomatic ties with Taiwan in boost to China (HKFP/AFP)
2024-01-15

Results of Taiwan regional elections spur concerns over cross-Straits business, trade (GT)
2024-01-15

Election result can't change fact that Taiwan is part of China, says Chinese FM (Xinhua)
2024-01-15

Taiwan elections: Beijing dials up cross-strait message after Blinken, US allies applaud president-elect William Lai (SCMP)
2024-01-14

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Economy set to pick up pace in 2024 (China Daily)
2024-01-18

Explainer: China emits fresh signals on building a financial powerhouse (Xinhua)
2024-01-18

China unearths million-tonne lithium deposit, heating up global resource race as Thailand also boasts big find (SCMP)
2024-01-18

China reports 5.2% GDP growth for 2023 (China Daily)
2024-01-17

China’s hi-tech manufacturing faces ‘extraordinary pressures’ as 2023 output stalls (SCMP)
2024-01-17

Chinese yuan outpaces US dollar to become most traded foreign currency in Russia (GT)
2024-01-17

Passenger trips during Spring Festival rush to reach 9b, as China's economy on course to recover (GT)
2024-01-16

Xinjiang FTZ urged to make most of strengths (China Daily)
2023-01-16

China EVs: CATL, world’s top battery maker, plans first plant in Beijing to supply Li Auto and Xiaomi (SCMP)
2024-01-15

China to stress openness at WEF, defy trade protectionism (GT)
2024-01-14

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Urgent: DPRK conducts test of underwater nuclear weapon system (Xinhua)
2024-01-19

DPRK raises possibility of constitutional revision to envision possible war scenario with South Korea (Xinhua)
2024-01-16

Meet Kim Ju-ae, Kim Jong-un’s tween daughter and North Korea’s possible next leader: Dennis Rodman revealed her existence in 2013, and she’s now often out with her father following her debut in 2022 (SCMP)
2024-01-16

DPRK test-fires intermediate-range solid-fuel ballistic missile: KCNA (Xinhua)
2024-01-15

North Korea fires ballistic missile, foreign minister to visit Russia as tensions with the South spikes (SCMP/AFP)
2024-01-14

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Prime Minister of Mongolia Meets Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea (Montsame)
2024-01-18

National Committee for the Implementation of the National Anti-Corruption Program to be Established (Montsame)
2024-01-17

Mongolia's foreign trade up 15 pct in 2023 (Xinhua)
2024-01-16

Prime Minister of Mongolia Taking Part in the World Economic Forum (Montsame)
2024-01-16

First meeting of Mongolian Armed Forces’s Women’s Council held (UB Post)
2024-01-15

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Embassy of Switzerland