Switzerland will be slow to harden its China position

Significance Among the priorities in the declaration is updating the Swiss-Chinese free trade agreement (FTA) and simplifying travel procedures between the two countries. Switzerland’s commitment to deepening relations with China is in notable contrast to the increasingly hostile position that Bern’s Western partners have adopted towards Beijing. Impacts Bern will press for inclusion of clauses on human rights in the talks to update the FTA, which could weaken the chances of an agreement. There is little prospect in the short term of Switzerland taking action to reduce Huawei’s influence in the domestic roll-out of 5G. Switzerland’s 2025 China paper will be a key barometer of how Bern’s views towards China have evolved since 2021.