Hey there! Have you ever wondered how countries become friends? Let’s talk about the amazing friendship between China and Switzerland!
On February 25, 2025, the Swiss Ambassador to China, Mr. Jürg Burri, gave a special speech in China. He talked about how China and Switzerland have been good friends for 75 years! That’s a really long time—longer than your grandparents might have been alive!
🌟 A Friendship That Started Long Ago
The friendship between China and Switzerland began way back in the 1600s and 1700s. They started trading things like watches, chocolate, silk, and tea. In 1950, Switzerland officially recognized the People’s Republic of China, becoming one of the first European countries to do so. Pretty cool, right?
🤝 Working Together
Since then, they’ve worked together a lot. They signed their first trade agreement in 1975, and in 2014, they made a Free Trade Agreement. This means they agreed to trade goods more easily, which helps both countries. Over the past ten years, trade between China and Switzerland grew by 70%! Now, China is Switzerland’s third-largest trading partner.
💡 Sharing Ideas and Innovating
Switzerland is known for being super innovative. They have great schools and are always coming up with new ideas. Ambassador Burri mentioned something called the “innovation triangle”. This means education, training, and research all work together to make amazing things happen!
🚗 Cool Cars and Technology
Did you know that Chinese electric cars might be coming to Switzerland? Ambassador Burri said that Swiss people are excited about new energy vehicles (that’s a fancy way of saying electric cars). There are no barriers, which means Chinese car makers can sell their cars in Switzerland freely!
🎉 Looking Forward to 2025
In 2025, China and Switzerland will celebrate their 75th anniversary of being friends. They’ll have a Cultural and Tourism Year, which means lots of fun events where people can learn about each other’s cultures, food, music, and more!
Ambassador Burri believes that the friendship between China and Switzerland will keep growing. By working together, they can make the world a better place!
Isn’t it wonderful how countries can be friends just like people? Maybe someday you’ll visit China or Switzerland and see this amazing friendship yourself!
Reference(s):
Swiss ambassador to China highlights Sino-Swiss relations as a model
cgtn.com
