Spokesperson Guo Jiakun addressed a regular press conference of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China on 16 January. Responding to questions on the programme of Chinese Vice-Premier He Lifeng's visit to Switzerland and the overall state of bilateral relations, he said that He Lifeng would meet the Swiss Federal President and also the Minister of Economy, Education and Research, Guy Parmelin, during his trip.
Guo Jiakun stressed that Sino-Swiss relations have been steadily strengthening in recent years thanks to the joint efforts of both sides. Practical cooperation is yielding new results, negotiations on the modernisation of the FTA are progressing smoothly, and the two countries jointly support multilateralism and the reform of the global governance system.
The year 2026 will mark the tenth anniversary of the China-Switzerland Innovation Strategic Partnership and the beginning of China's 15th Five-Year Plan period. According to the Chinese ministry, the cooperation is thus entering a new phase. The visit of Vice-Premier He Lifeng is expected to help expand the areas of cooperation and achieve further concrete, mutually beneficial results.