China, Switzerland eye deepened economic cooperation

BEIJING -- Beijing and Geneva have been developing economic cooperation that has resulted in a boost in trade volume, a Beijing government official said on Monday.

At the Geneva-Beijing Economic Forum, Cheng Hong, deputy mayor of Beijing, said around 220 Swiss enterprises have invested in Beijing, and the total trade volume from January to June between Beijing and Switzerland has surpassed $16.3 billion.

Swiss Ambassador to China Jacques de Watteville said that the two countries have developed cooperative relationships in fields such as education, medical care and luxury industries.

In May, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang visited Switzerland for furthering bilateral trade. The two nations inked a free trade pact in July, the first such agreement signed between China and a country in continental Europe.

More than 40 Swiss enterprises took part in the forum and a Geneva-Beijing cooperative agreement was signed between the two governments before the event.