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'Switzerland will not pick sides between China and the U.S.'

Switzerland's new "China Strategy" is not a sign that the country is changing its course on the policies toward China, said Ignazio Cassis, a member of the Swiss Federal Council and the Swiss Foreign Minister.

Cassis made the remarks in an interview with news outlet Neue Zürcher Zeitung on March 18. The interview was published on the outlet's website in German on March 21.

The minister made it clear to journalists that Switzerland is not siding with China or the U.S., emphasizing that interrupting the current ties with China is against Switzerland's national interest.

On China's human rights record, Cassis said it's the court, not the government, that decides if China has committed the so-called "genocide" in Xinjiang, adding that China is doing good deeds to move its people out of poverty.

Cassis insisted that Switzerland should be patient with China and give time for the country to improve its political system. He said Switzerland is trying to go along the right direction with the new China strategy.

On business side, the minister did not criticize Swiss enterprises for not withdrawing from the Chinese market, but said that the government is actively monitoring the situation.

Cassis also promised that Switzerland will send delegations to attend the Beijing Winter Olympics. The country will not follow other countries to boycott the event, or follow the U.S. to put sanctions on China.

After all, Switzerland makes its own decisions, he said.

(Cover: A file photo of Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis. /CFP)

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