Berne: Applauded by Switzerland’s business sector, the country’s free-trade deal with China is heavy with symbolism, coming as Beijing locks horns with the European Union in a raft of commercial disputes. The Dispatch News Desk (DND) reported.
The staunchly non-EU Swiss inked a preliminary accord on Friday during Chinese Premier Li Keqiang’s first visit to Europe since taking the helm in March’s once-in-a-decade power transfer. The final Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is set to be signed in July, capping two years of talks.
“This has huge meaning for global free trade,” Mr Li said in Switzerland, explaining that it sends the world “a strong signal about the fight against trade and investment protectionism, as well as the liberalisation and facilitation of trade”.
