On November 20, 2020, Swiss Ambassador in China, Mr. Bernardino Regazzoni stated at the 2020 Sino-Swiss Economic Forum that Switzerland would continue to maintain stability and economic predictability in the current uncertain environment. This year marked the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Switzerland and China. Switzerland looks forward to further strengthening the bilateral relations between Switzerland and China by continuing to support private enterprises, strengthening the construction of free trade agreements, and leveraging on the innovative strategic partnership established between the two countries.

The Sino-Swiss Economic Forum was founded in 2010 and is held in Beijing every two years. This is the largest economic summit between China and Switzerland.

In view of the special circumstances of this year and in the face of difficulties, we must uphold the spirit of innovation, respond flexibly, maintain interaction, and strengthen the close ties between economic fields. Due to the epidemic, travel restrictions have also forced some Swiss companies to turn to the Internet to find opportunities. This forum will be presented in a combination of online and offline. From April to October 2020, the forum organized a total of 4 online seminars, and various stakeholders communicated and exchanged on multiple topics.

Public and private institutions in Switzerland and China actively formulate policy frameworks and design blueprints for industry development to promote the realization of the vision of the Paris Agreement and the United Nations sustainable development goals. Governing global problems requires global solutions. In order to cope with climate change, the goals set by countries in the 2015 Paris Agreement have become particularly important.

Many Swiss companies are actively working to achieve these goals. Swiss companies in China have also established coordination mechanisms to bring sustainable solutions to global concerns.

These commitments well reflect the development of Swiss companies in China. Swiss companies take root in China, carry out investment and research and development, and are committed to achieving long-term and sustainable development goals. They collaborate with local Chinese companies, consumers, partners and suppliers to jointly develop shared solutions.

The Chinese market provides Swiss companies with great development opportunities, which is why Swiss companies choose to settle in China.

At the same time, doing business in China is equally challenging. How do these companies respond, and how will we help these companies continue to develop in China in this period of uncertainty? Market access, the rapidly changing regulatory environment, the implementation of regulations, and intellectual property rights are issues that these companies are more concerned about.

The new crown epidemic has also exacerbated some of the problems faced by Swiss companies, especially travel restrictions have brought a series of consequences. In addition, certain permit audits and approval procedures have been delayed, some important meetings have been cancelled, and talent recruitment and retention have also been affected.

We are very happy to see that the Swiss business community in China has shown sufficient resilience and pragmatism.