Swiss President Parmelin visits China Oct 30–Nov 1, meets Xi and signs upgraded China-Switzerland FTA.
China’s foreign ministry announced on 28 October that Swiss Federal President Guy Parmelin will pay a working visit to China from 30 October to 1 November. Spokesperson Guo Jiakun told the regular briefing that President Xi Jinping will meet him, noting this year marks the 10th anniversary of the two countries’ innovative strategic partnership and that Switzerland in August became the first European country to conclude talks on upgrading its free trade agreement with China. Switzerland’s Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research said on 26 October that Parmelin will meet Xi on 30 October, after which the two sides will sign the optimised bilateral free trade agreement (a protocol amending the deal in force since 2014); he is also due to meet Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and other ministers and open the 10th Swiss-Chinese Economic Forum, accompanied by a business and science delegation.
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