Chinese Premier meets Swiss president ahead of Davos

DAVOS-KLOSTERS: China and Switzerland signed a joint declaration on Monday (January 15) after Premier Li Qiang met with Swiss President Viola Amherd near Bern, where they agreed to deepen their partnership, the Swiss government said.

Li, the most senior Chinese official to visit the country since President Xi Jinping’s visit in 2017, met with Amherd at the Lohn Estate in Kehrsatz ahead of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos.

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The declaration entails the finalisation of a joint study to develop the two countries’ existing free trade agreement. “This marks an important step towards the start of possible negotiations,” the Swiss government said.

During the talks, Chinese and Swiss officials also discussed the Sino-European Cyber Dialogue, which aims to promote stability and security in the cyberspace, the results of the COP28 climate conference in Dubai and ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and in the Middle East, according to a Swiss government press release.

Li is expected to participate in the WEF on Tuesday (January 16).