China-Swiss Economic Forum was held to celebrate the 60th anniversary of China-Swiss diplomatic relations in Beijing on August 14. Leuthard, President of the Swiss Confederation and Head of Federal Department of Economic Affairs, and Chen Deming, Minister of Commerce of China, attended the forum and delivered a speech respectively.

Chen said that since the establishment of China-Swiss diplomatic relations 60 years ago, bilateral trade and economic relations had always kept good development momentum. Particularly, the total value of bilateral trade has increased by 27 times since China’s reforms and opening-up. In the first half of 2010, China-Swiss trade value doubled compared with that of the previous year, the growth rate ranked the first in China’s trade with European countries. Bilateral cooperation in investment covers many sectors like electricity, machinery, food, pharmaceutical chemicals, energy and telecommunication. Despite the financial crisis in 2009, Swiss investment in China still rose by 25%. Additionally, Swiss is China’s important import source of technologies.

According to Chen, while realizing steady and rapid development of domestic economy, the Chinese government actively implemented policies on promoting China’s import, which made great contributions to the world trade and global economic recovery. In the first 7 months of 2010, China’s import value amounted to US$766.6 billion, up by 47.2% year on year, with 11.6 percentage points higher than its export growth rate.

In his speech, Chen stressed that for a robust, balanced and sustainable development of the world economy it was necessary to have efforts made by all countries. He put forward four suggestions on further enhancing bilateral trade and economic cooperation: firstly, consolidate trade and investment as well as cooperation, expand open market, reduce trade barriers, promote trade liberalization and facilitation, and oppose trade protectionism in all forms through combining each other’s demands with advantages. Secondly, deepen the hi-tech cooperation. As China is accelerating to build an innovative country, vigorously developing strategic emerging industry, and promoting the transformation of its economic development pattern and structural adjustment, China welcomes more Swiss hi-tech enterprises and R&D institutions to settle in China. Thirdly, expand mutual cooperation in energy-saving and environmental protection. Owing to Swiss advanced technologies in waste treatment and clean energy in the world, China hopes to enhance exchanges between Chinese and Swiss enterprises, discuss to establish China-Swiss ecological parks, and boost to make the substantive progress in relevant cooperation. Fourthly, promote China-Swiss FTA cooperation. China hopes that the official FTA Negotiations could be launched as soon as possible after the Feasibility Study on FTA jointly made by China and Swiss.

On China’s investment environment, Mr. Chen elaborated on three points: firstly, adhering to the basic policy of opening-up, China will continue deepening its exchanges and cooperation with other countries with a more open approach; secondly, China will continue providing great investment environment for foreign-funded enterprises so as to make them share business opportunities in China’s economic development; thirdly, China will continue strengthening IPR protection and law enforcement based on existed IPR legal system.

Leuthard stated that she agreed on Chen’s opinions. With the rapid development of China’s economy, China had become one of the most important trading partners of Switzerland. And areas of common interest are on the increase. China’s transformation of economic development pattern and the complementarity in economy of the two countries provided more cooperation opportunities for Chinese and Swiss companies.

Witnessed by Leuthard and Chen Deming, companies of the two countries signed a series of trade and economic cooperation agreements and MOUs. China-Swiss Economic Forum focused on mechanical manufacture, finance, life sciences and clean technologies. About 250 representatives from the two governments and business communities participated in the forum.