Rights activists want Swiss-Chinese trade deal to be overhauled
Campaigners are urging the Swiss government to renegotiate a six-year-old free trade agreement with China to try to improve human rights and labour conditions for its Uighur Muslim minority.
This content was published on
3 minutes
Keystone-SDA/Reuters/sb
On Monday, the Society for Threatened Peoples, the Swiss Uighur Association and Campax handed in a petition to the Federal Chancellery in Bern signed by 23,000 people demanding the renegotiation of the free trade deal with China.
The activists claim that at least one million Uighurs are being held in internment camps in Xinjiang province in northwest China and that tens of thousands of Uighurs are forced to work in factories on behalf of well-known international brands.
The groups warn that some medical masks used to combat Covid-19, for example, may have been made in labour camps in China.
They demand that the Swiss government introduce “binding clauses that demand respect for human rights” and “strong control mechanisms” into the free trade pact, which came into force in 2014. They also want employment and labour disputes to be brought before an arbitration tribunal.
“The situation of the Uighurs in East Turkestan is absolutely dramatic,” Lisa Mazzone, president of the Society for Threatened Peoples, told Swiss public radio, RTS, on Monday.
“It must be written down in black and white that human rights are respected, that forced labour is banned, and that a control mechanism must be set up to monitor this respect, as well as the possibility of bringing labour disputes before an arbitration tribunal,” Mazzone said.
“Training centres”
The demand to the Swiss government comes as France, the United States and others also pressure China over the treatment of Uighurs in its Xinjiang region.
United Nations experts say at least a million ethnic Uighurs and other Muslims are held in detention centres in Xinjiang.
China calls them vocational education and training centres helping to halt terrorism and extremism and teaching new skills.
Switzerland enjoys important trade flows with China. It exported CHF21.4 billion ($23.4 billion) in goods to China in 2019, while importing goods worth CHF15.1 billion from China, according to official data.
The Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) told Reuters that there were already mechanisms to address concerns like those being raised, without the trade deal being overhauled.
“The Free Trade Agreement Switzerland-China already has several indirect references to human rights, so a revision is not necessary,” it said in a statement. “Human rights initiatives that have a link to the free trade agreement can be brought up in the agreement’s mixed committee.”
In an interview last month, Swiss Foreign Minister Ignazio Cassis declared that human rights violations were “on the rise” in China. He said relations were being put to the test and added that “if China abandons the ‘one country, two systems’ principle in Hong Kong, it will affect Swiss companies invested there”.
Switzerland gives CHF60 million to Ukraine for digitalisation
This content was published on
The Swiss government has agreed to give war-ravaged Ukraine CHF58.7 million ($65.5 million) towards the digitalisation of its public administration.
Three people arrested in Switzerland in international drug gang crackdown
This content was published on
International co-operation led to 17 people being arrested in six European countries and large quantities of drugs also being seized.
Federal Council banks on R&D to strengthen Swiss solar industry
This content was published on
The Swiss government opposes the deployment of special industrial policy or measures to help boost the domestic photovoltaic industry.
Swiss president envisions follow-ups to peace summit
This content was published on
Swiss President Viola Amherd hopes the first Ukraine peace conference will build trust and seek solutions for safety and security issues.
This content was published on
With use of drugs such as crack on the rise, the government wants to invest in additional facilities for people suffering from addiction.
Alleged French spy tied to Swiss NGO arrested in Russia
This content was published on
The man, who Russia has claimed was trying to obtain information about the Russian military, was confirmed to be a French citizen working for a Geneva-based NGO.
This content was published on
Plaintiffs in a class-action lawsuit are claiming that Switzerland prioritised national interest over its legal obligation to bondholders.
This content was published on
Most Swiss people are planning at least one holiday this year in spite of rising costs and inflation, according to a study.
Italian busted smuggling alcohol in milk and shampoo bottles into Switzerland
This content was published on
An Italian motorhome driver has been caught trying to smuggle 135 litres of pure alcohol disguised in various bottles into Switzerland.
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.
Read more
More
Swiss explore renewal of ‘secret deal’ with China
This content was published on
Swiss authorities want to renew a discreet agreement allowing Beijing officials to enter the country and question Chinese citizens residing here illegally.
China slams Switzerland for ‘interfering in internal affairs’
This content was published on
China has attacked Switzerland and 26 other countries for criticising a sweeping new national security law imposed on Hong Kong.
This content was published on
Seventy years ago, Switzerland was one of the first Western nations to officially recognise the People’s Republic of China.
This content was published on
The Swiss president is in China, where he will sign a memorandum of understanding focusing on finance and trade. What’s in it for both countries?
‘Glass half full’ rating for Swiss-Chinese trade deal
This content was published on
The Sino-Swiss free trade agreement saved companies CHF100 million in customs duties last year, but not all firms are convinced.
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.