On Friday, the politicians from the Swiss-Taiwan parliamentary friendship group lauded Taiwan’s “huge potential” and called for it to be better integrated in major international bodies like the World Health Organization.
Switzerland should meanwhile “deepen cooperation with Taiwan on trade, innovation, culture, technology, research, and education”, the group wrote.
During their visit this week, the five Swiss politicians met government and parliamentary representatives as well as Taiwan’s president Tsai Ing-wen.
The visit attracted attention last year after being mooted, especially as it came at a time of geopolitical tension around Taiwan, and a high-profile visit by (at the time) US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The visit was opposed by China, which sees Taiwan as one of its provinces, and without the right to state-to-state relations.
“Disregarding the One-China principle amounts to a violation of China’s sovereignty, a meddling in its domestic affairs, and an infringement of its fundamental interests,” the Chinese consul general in Zurich told the Schaffhauser Nachrichten newspaper last October.
Not political
On Friday, the group also expressed support for democracy in Taiwan. But it distanced itself from the politically charged nature of the trip, given that Switzerland – like many other countries – does not recognise Taiwan as a sovereign independent state.
“We are awaiting a report by the [Swiss] government on Taiwan, which is to appear in the coming weeks,” said the group’s co-president Fabian Molina to the Keystone-SDA news agency.
The Green Party’s Nicolas Walder meanwhile proposed a more formal cooperation between the Taiwanese and Swiss parliaments, as a step towards a possible future economic partnership between the two states.
Taiwan minister wants louder Swiss backing
In an interview with Italian-language Swiss broadcaster RSI on Thursday, Taiwan’s foreign minister Joseph Wu called for a more robust Swiss backing of the island in its quarrels with China. Although Switzerland is neutral, and should remain so, it could also stand up for universal rights by “opposing China’s aggressive attitude towards Taiwan”, Wu said. The minister also called for an intensification of exchanges and dialogue between Bern and Taipei.
This content was published on
“Enormously important to stand up for multilateralism and democracy worldwide,” says Swiss parliamentarian currently visiting Taiwan.
How is your country dealing with the return of stolen artifacts?
Western nations like Switzerland often have to deal with the process of recovering or returning looted artifacts which have been illegally imported. What’s the situation like in your country?
What do you think Switzerland’s Alain Berset can bring to the Council of Europe?
The former interior minister is to become the first Swiss Secretary General of the Council of Europe – which issues should his five-year term focus on?
Sylvain Saudan, ‘skier of the impossible’, dies aged 87
This content was published on
The Swiss father of extreme skiing pioneered descents from the Alps to the Himalayas – and became the sport’s first star.
Hayek family buys additional Swatch shares for nearly CHF11 million
This content was published on
Following the acquisition of registered shares worth over CHF20.6 million on Monday, the Hayek family made another purchase on Tuesday.
Suicide capsule to be used in Switzerland this year, says euthanasia organisation
This content was published on
The organisation “The Last Resort” has confirmed that the suicide capsule Sarco is to be used in Switzerland. This should happen this year, it said.
Ukrainian children flown to Switzerland for cancer treatment
This content was published on
The Swiss air rescue service Rega flew two Ukrainian children with cancer to Switzerland from a hospital in Kyiv hit by Russian missiles.
Swiss Solidarity raises over CHF10 million for victims of extreme weather
This content was published on
The money raised will be used to help those affected by the recent storms and flooding in the cantons of Ticino, Graubünden, and Valais.
Swiss giant Roche given green light for lung cancer drug in Canada
This content was published on
According to a recent study, Roche’s Alecensaro reduced the risk of recurrence or death by 76% compared to chemotherapy alone.
Swiss luxury watch market hit hard by China-led slump
This content was published on
Sales of Swiss-made luxury watches are in sharp retreat as nervous consumers reconsider splashing out on expensive timepieces and demand slumps.
This content was published on
Five Swiss parliamentarians plan to travel to Taiwan in February to meet with Taiwanese politicians and ministry representatives.
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.