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.
12,000 fish to be transferred by helicopter in Swiss river cleanup operation
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Some 12,000 fish are being removed from the River Spöl in the Swiss National Park. This operation is necessary before cleaning up the riverbed, which was contaminated by PCBs during maintenance work in 2016.
Swiss parliament approves due diligence for high-risk consultancy activities
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On Thursday, the House of Representatives accepted the draft of the Senate, which was largely watered down compared to the government's original proposal.
Zurich Film Festival will show 114 films and honour Russell Crowe
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The 21st Zurich Film Festival (ZFF) will screen 114 films, including 16 Swiss productions and 41 European or world premieres, from 25 September to 5 October. Actor Russell Crowe will receive an honorary lifetime achievement award.
Emergency financial aid authorised for Swiss village buried by landslide
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The Valais Grand Council gives the green light for a solidarity contribution of CHF 10 million for the village of Blatten, which was destroyed by the landslide. The aid is to benefit the population, companies and associations.
New attempt to regulate assisted suicide in Switzerland fails
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Assisted suicide will not be regulated in Switzerland. On Thursday, the Senate rejected a motion from its Legal Affairs Committee.
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