China, Switzerland vow to expand ties under Belt and Road

World
Europe

01:33

Chinese President Xi Jinping met with his Swiss counterpart Ueli Maurer on Monday in Beijing. The two leaders agreed to deepen bilateral ties in trade and investment and pledged to promote cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).

Maurer is currently paying a state visit to China, he also attended the second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, which concluded on Saturday (April 27) in the Chinese capital.

The two countries signed a series of bilateral deals after Monday's meeting. No further details on the deals have been released yet.

Xi said China's relations with Switzerland have moved faster than its relations with other European countries, and that China established its first-ever strategic innovative partnership with Switzerland in 2016.

China is willing to deepen the strategic partnership, enhance political mutual trust and increase high-level contacts, he added.

Swiss enterprises have benefited from China's reform and opening-up in the past decades, and they have also benefited from the new round of opening-up of China, President Xi noted.

China will continue to provide an open and transparent environment for foreign capitals, he said.

Xi also called on joint efforts to explore cooperation under the BRI.

Maurer praised the BRI and President Xi's speech at the opening ceremony of the second Belt and Road Forum. Maurer said the BRI is a great and peaceful proposal that connects different regions, nations and culture and it will strongly boost the world's economic growth and prosperity.

Switzerland supports the initiative and wants to promote the project in Europe, and it hopes to promote more cooperation in trade, investment and innovation under the framework, he added.