ZURICH: Chinese Premier Li Keqiang sees a looming free-trade deal with Switzerland as a touchstone for Beijing’s growing ties with foreign nations, he told a Swiss newspaper yesterday ahead of a landmark visit to Europe.
Li was scheduled to arrive in Switzerland late yesterday for trade-focused talks in what is the first stop on his debut visit to Europe since taking over in a once-in-a-decade power transfer in Beijing.
In an opinion piece published in the Zurich daily Neue Zuercher Zeitung, Li wrote that the upcoming deal and his trip itself were “symbolic of China’s openness to the outside world”.
Li, who took charge as premier in March, is on his maiden foreign tour and arrives in Switzerland fresh from talks with neighbours India and Pakistan, before heading to top European trade partner Germany at the weekend.
Economic issues are set to be sharply in focus in his meeting with the Swiss — who are not members of the European Union — as the two countries move to sign a free-trade accord which has been under negotiation since 2011.
“Switzerland will be the first continental European country, as well as the first in a list of the 20 largest global economies, to have conclude a key free-trade deal with China,” Li wrote.
“This will not only enhance our economic and trade cooperation, but also send the world a strong signal about the fight against trade and investment protectionism, as well as the liberalisation and facilitation of trade,” he underlined.
The core of Li’s talks with Swiss leaders are scheduled for today.
AFP
