The ongoing 7th China International Import Expo (CIIE) serves as an important platform for foreign businesses to enter and expand their presence in the Chinese market, Swiss Ambassador to China Jurg Burri told the China Central Television (CCTV) on Tuesday while visiting Swiss exhibitors at the expo. This year marks Switzerland's seventh consecutive participation in the CIIE, with nearly 80 Swiss companies showcasing their products, a record high.
The Swiss pavilion exhibits a broad range of items, from food and beverages to high-end intelligent manufacturing.
In addition to well-known global brands, the pavilion also features over a dozen Swiss small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that are attending the CIIE for the first time and hoping to tap into the vast Chinese market.
The ambassador spent over four hours visiting more than 20 Swiss exhibitors, both multinationals and SMEs.
He took the time to learn about their operations and growth plans in China.
Burri emphasized that the CIIE, one of the world's largest trade expos, has served as a key platform for foreign companies to enter the Chinese market and share China's development opportunities.
"The CIIE is the CIIE. It's one of the biggest fairs in the world and I am particularly happy here today because it's so successful for Switzerland. There are the big, established Swiss companies who have [their] own factories in China and big production. They take the CIIE for what it is - a good place to meet local governments, good customers and so on," he said.
Since Nov 1, the 2024 version of the negative list for foreign investment access has been implemented, lifting restrictions on foreign investment in China's manufacturing sector.
The move offers new opportunities for Swiss SMEs which are looking forward to expanding their businesses in the Chinese market.
"This is definitely a tremendous commercial opportunity for us Swiss healthcare SMEs. The opening up of relevant industries means we now have the chance to directly engage in production and research and development [in China]," said a CIIE exhibitor.
Official data showed that China is Switzerland's largest trading partner in Asia. In the first half of this year, bilateral trade between the two countries reached 40.73 billion U.S. dollars, a 23.8-percent increase from the previous year, significantly outperforming the trade growth between China and other major European economies.
The ambassador hoped that the ongoing negotiations to upgrade the China-Switzerland Free Trade Agreement will further enhance bilateral trade and investment and strengthen the economic ties between the two countries.
He also visited the live studio of the China Media Group (CMG) at the expo.
Running from Tuesday to Sunday under the theme of "New Era, Shared Future," the 7th CIIE has attracted participants from 152 countries, regions, and international organizations to participate in its country exhibition and business exhibition.
CIIE serves as key platform to explore Chinese market potential: Swiss ambassador
