The Chinese embassy in Bern has said that a vote by the Swiss parliament this week to deepen relations with Taiwan amounts to a meddling in its internal affairs.
During the debates in parliament on Tuesday, which led to the approval of a motion calling for better cooperation with lawmakers in Taipei, some Swiss politicians made “irresponsible statements”, the Chinese embassy wrote on its website on Wednesday.
“All these acts grossly interfered in China’s internal affairs,” the embassy said.
The One-China policy “forms the basis of bilateral relations with Switzerland”, it added, requesting that the House of Representatives adhere to this principle, which precludes any recognition of Taiwan as a sovereign state.
Parliamentary bodies should be obliged to fully and precisely implement the foreign policy set by the federal government, the message further demanded. “Separatists”, calling for “Taiwan’s independence”, should not be backed.
The motion on Tuesday aimed to boost democracy and promote peace in Taiwan, and comes after a five-member Swiss-Taiwan parliamentary friendship group visited the island in February, meeting government and parliamentary representatives as well as Taiwan’s president Tsai Ing-wen.
That visit had also been criticised by a Chinese representative in Switzerland.
The official Swiss position on Taiwan indeed does not recognize it as a state, due to the One-China policy in force since 1950. In addition to diplomatic relations, however, Switzerland maintains diverse economic and other relations, with contact – including high-level contact – happening at a technical level.
The motion meanwhile does not affect the government’s policy towards China, its backers said on Tuesday; nor does it need the backing of the second chamber, the Senate, given that it relates solely to inter-parliamentary relations involving the House of Representatives, the Tages-Anzeiger newspaper reports.
Popular Stories
More
Swiss oddities
Mennonite movement turns 500 in Zurich, where it all began
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
This content was published on
The Fête de l'Epouvantail (scarecrow festival) is celebrating its 30th anniversary and returns to Denens in canton Vaud for its seventh edition from July 10-20.
This content was published on
A 35-year-old man has died in a work accident at the valley station of the Heimwehfluh toboggan run in Matten near Interlaken, canton Bern.
This content was published on
The Swiss embassy in Tehran re-opened on Sunday after being closed on June 20 owing to the unstable situation in the country.
This content was published on
Queen Maxima of the Netherlands and her youngest daughter Princess Ariane attended the Netherlands' women's European Championship football match against Wales in Switzerland on Saturday.
Swiss want to better protect military airfields from spying
This content was published on
Swiss Defence Minister Martin Pfister says he wants to better protect Swiss military airfields against espionage activities.
Man charged with flying drone at women’s Euro 2025
This content was published on
A man flew a drone around the venue on Wednesday evening during the first match of the Women's EURO 2025 in St. Gallen. The 30-year-old violated the absolute ban on flying during match days. He was reported to the police.
More than 250 Swiss companies sign CO2 reduction initiative
This content was published on
A total of 257 companies from Switzerland have signed up to the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi). In doing so, they are committing to CO2 reduction targets that are compatible with the Paris Climate Agreement.
Swiss accident prevention group sees federal targets at risk
This content was published on
The Swiss government's target for accident figures is at risk, reckons Mario Cavegn, member of the executive board of the Swiss Council for Accident Prevention.
Feminicide: Swiss justice minister calls for electronic monitoring
This content was published on
Swiss Justice Minister Beat Jans has called for electronic monitoring and an ankle bracelet warning system for perpetrators of violence against women.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.