According to Basel University, Ralph Weber’s studyExternal link is the “first work to explore tactics of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) influence and United Front activitiesExternal link in Switzerland”. It focuses on personal and institutional networks, and lists efforts to exert influence on “issues Beijing regards as sensitive, including questions concerning Tibet, Taiwan, or Xinjiang”.
Based on the study, the NZZ am Sonntag newspaper highlights a “spin doctor” living in western Switzerland: Yuming Yang, who is currently on the board of the Bern-based Swiss China Investment Platform Association – along with Hans-Ulrich Bigler, the director of the Swiss Trade Association (SGV).
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Rights activists want Swiss-Chinese trade deal to be overhauled
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Campaigners are urging the Swiss government to renegotiate a six-year-old free trade agreement with China over human rights concerns.
When contacted by the Sunday newspaper for a comment, Henrique Schneider, SGV’s vice director, replied, “It is not up to us to judge how China or Chinese groups assess cooperation or use it in their communication, just as it is not up to our partners to assess our communication. As long as Switzerland treats the second-largest trading partner as a strategic partner, China is also a partner for the largest umbrella group of the Swiss economy”.
In his 70-page Sinopsis studyExternal link, Weber writes that several Swiss-based actors, including SGV, “operate under the assumption of a false equivalence, mistaking CCP-controlled bodies for civil-society associations and for their ‘counterpart’. This finding points to the need for increased awareness building at all levels of Swiss society, economy and politics, and establishing a more solid knowledge base on the structure and functioning of the Chinese party-state”.
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Why a controversial Chinese-Swiss agreement has been left to expire
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The Swiss have put on hold a deal to identify Chinese nationals but questions about the nature of the arrangement continue to dog authorities.
Human rights and trade dominate Swiss-Chinese talk
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Switzerland is worried about human rights violations in China, a topic broached during a remote political dialogue between the nations on Monday.
Is reforming the Swiss pension system still possible, and if so, how?
Solutions still need to be found to meet the challenge of an ageing population and to improve the pensions of low-paid workers, the majority of whom are women.
Swiss to reduce administrative burden on farms from 2026
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From 2026, the number of inspections of farms is to be reduced, without any loss of quality, said economics minister Guy Parmelin.
Swiss insurance boss proposes Singapore-style healthcare system
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CEO of Swiss health insurer Sanitas has said that healthcare costs could be reduced if Switzerland were to follow the Singapore model.
Swiss minister talks crime and security in visit to the Netherlands
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Swiss justice minister Beat Jans spent two days in the Netherlands discussing security, police cooperation and justice with international bodies.
Study finds more heavy metal detected in Swiss grassland
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Copper and zinc can be expected to accumulate in the soil, particularly if farmyard manure is used for several years and is greater than the amount of nutrients absorbed by the grass. This was announced by the Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) on Friday. The findings are based on the results of the seventh National Soil Monitoring of Switzerland (Nabo).
Lilo Baur wins Swiss Grand Prix for performing arts
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The Swiss actress and theatre director Lilo Baur has received this year's Swiss Grand Prix for Performing Arts, also known as the Hans Reinhart Ring.
Court rules al-Qaeda supporter can stay in Switzerland
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A Kurdish supporter of the Islamist terrorist network al-Qaeda can stay in Switzerland, the Federal Administrative Court has ruled. It has withdrawn the annulment of the man’s provisional admission.
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The Office of the Attorney General of Switzerland (OAG) has closed criminal proceedings relating to the Swiss owners affected by the Volkswagen “Dieselgate” emissions scandal.
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The employment outlook in Switzerland will remain stable towards the end of 2024, according to the KOF Swiss Economic Institute at ETH Zurich.
Swiss woman accuses Donald Trump of sexual assault
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A former Miss Switzerland candidate has accused Donald Trump of sexually assaulting her in New York in 1993. The US Republican candidate’s campaign team has denied the accusations.
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