Due to the WEF in Davos, Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan visited Switzerland for several days. Besides attending the forum, he also took some time to meet with Federal Council Ueli Maurer in Zurich and even made a trip to the Habsburg in the canton of Aargau.
On the 21st, Vice President Wang Qishan and Federal Council Ueli Maurer attended a business dialogue for digitalisation in Zurich. During the discussion, Wang Qishan pointed out the excellent relationship between China and Switzerland to promote further cooperation between the two countries. Switzerland is an interesting partner for China because it not only has a highly-developed economy but is also seen as one of the world’s most innovative countries. Developing a more innovative economy is currently one of China’s main priorities. Wang also meant that both countries have a lot in common, for example, diligence, courage and pioneering spirit. Federal Council Maurer agreed that China and Switzerland share many similar attributes and stated that his country could be a “calming pole” which serves as a bridgehead for Chinese companies planing to enter Europe.
On the 22nd, Wang Qishan made a somewhat unexpected visit to the Habsburg castle in the canton Aargau. Wang Qishan is a historian and very interested in the Habsburg dynasty; thus he wanted to visit their ancestral homeland. At the Habsburg, he received a warm welcome from Aargau’s Landammann Urs Hofmann.
On the 23rd, vice president Wang Qishan addressed international heads of state at the WEF in Davos and urged the US to seek a win-win relationship for the long-running trade war, he feels that confrontation harms the interests of both sides and also stated that Chinese and US economies are in a state of being mutually indispensable. Wang Qishan also spoke about the growth rate of China’s economy, which is the lowest since 1990. He said 6.6 percent is still a high growth rate and China will continue to grow in the future, but it will be a more sustainable growth.
