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From the desk of the President


Dear Members and Friends

Autumn is upon us, the leaves are turning colorful, the Moon Festival is just behind us, and you are reading this newsletter as China enjoys the Golden Week holidays that follow the National Day celebrations.

Personally, I like this time of the year best because we reap the fruits of hard work in spring and summer. Autumn also reminds us that everything has an end, and we should prepare for the harsh winter conditions.

As far as the global pandemic is concerned, we have made further progress, and more countries have now access to sufficient quantities of vaccine. This is a positive outlook for the winter season in the northern hemisphere.

At this year’s Joint Economic Dialogue between China and Switzerland, which took place virtually, we received the information that a special office within Mofcom has been set up for facilitating business travelers in obtaining their visa more rapidly. If you have any such need, you can contact the Chinese Embassy in Berne or us. Quarantine regulations remain unchanged and must be followed as required by national and respective local government institutions. This is good news and will alleviate one of the biggest economic pain points of the global pandemic.

However, we would like to point out that permission is only one factor for travel to China. It has been noted that no seats are available on direct flights between Switzerland and China until January 2022.

Restriction-free travel to China, i.e. the resumption of travel regulations as before February 2020, is a topic that both the Swiss and Chinese governments are discussing. With the Chinese government’s zero-case policy in place and being followed with vigilance, we can expect this to happen in spring 2022 at the earliest.

Companies have become more and more used to conducting their activities virtually. However, shipping documents to China must be carefully planned, as we have observed documents being "quarantined" for two weeks and then sprayed with disinfectant before being delivered to the recipient in mainland China. Therefore, it is advisable to seal important documents in waterproof plastic bags to protect them from the sprayed liquids.

In the next few days, a cultural event that has its famous roots in Switzerland, will make its debut in China. The Montreux Jazz Festival China will take place in Hangzhou. The festival has been scaled down to address the current Covid situation in China. But it will take place and will feature performances of great musicians as well as state-of-the-art immersive technology – a proof that every mountain can be climbed step by step. We wish the team in China good luck and congratulate them on their success.



Kind regards and stay healthy,


Felix Sutter

In this Newsletter

Upcoming Events Announcements News Past Events New Members

Webinars & Events

 register

Monthly Virtual Get-Together

Online (Zoom)
October 26, 2021 | 17:00-18:00 | Add to calendar
Participate in our monthly get-together and enjoy casual conversations with fellow SCCC and SHKBA members.

SAVE-THE-DATE Fact or Fiction - China Outlook 2022

Swiss Re Centre for Global Dialogue and online
November 23, 2021 | 16:00-19:30 | Add to calendar

Announcements

22nd Hong Kong Forum: Referral Campaign

The 22nd Hong Kong Forum will be held online between November 30 and December 1, 2021. In order to attract more new faces to join this global family, the Federation of Hong Kong Business Associations Worldwide is offering special incentives for non-members to take part in this online Hong Kong Forum:
  • Free admission is offered to young members (aged under 35) to join the full Hong Kong Forum programme including the Young Executive Programme (YEP).
  • Each member who registers and pays before October 29 can nominate 3 non-members to enjoy free admission.
As an SHKBA member, please register here.
As a non-member, please register here.

Participate Online in the China Import and Export Fair

The China Import and Export Fair ("Canton Fair") is taking place from October 15 to 19, 2021. This year, the fair offers the possibility to attend online as well as offline. This offers foreign companies who are unable to travel to China a virtual platform: "Exhibitors on live".
The exhibition is open to all levels of companies engaged in international trade activities.
Moreover, you also have the possibility to benefit from exclusive online financial services and comprehensive financial products tailored for international clients by ICBC.
Please contact us at info@sccc.ch for more information on the participation in the online Canton Fair and on the ICBC exclusive services.

News Switzerland - China

         
 
Sep 30, 2021 / News
‘Golden Week’ travel unlikely to return to pre-pandemic levels

China’s “golden week” holiday, the seven-day holiday from October 1 to mark the founding of modern China, is unlikely to see domestic travel rebound to pre-Covid levels, industry estimates show, hurt by uncertainty over pandemic curbs and consumer fears about the health of the economy.

 
Sep 30, 2021 / News
China’s Guangdong slashes foreign investment barriers

China’s southern Guangdong province, the nation’s biggest manufacturing hub, has loosened foreign investment barriers to attract more multinational companies. The measures by the Guangdong government include new subsidies and more lenient investment rules.
 
         
 
Sep 29, 2021 / News
Beijing Games to allow spectators only from mainland China

Tickets for the Beijing 2022 winter Olympics will be sold to spectators from mainland China only, while unvaccinated athletes must spend 21 days in quarantine ahead of the Games. The Beijing Games start on Feb. 4 and the Chinese capital will become the first to have hosted both summer and winter editions after also staging the Beijing 2008 summer Games.
 
Sep 27, 2021 / News
Why China is facing a power crunch and what it means

A power crunch across China has rippled from factory floors to homes. Part of the problem is that the economic rebound after Covid lockdowns lifted has boosted demand, while lower investment by miners and drillers has constrained fossil fuel production. It is also partially due to the government’s environmental agenda of de-carbonizing the economy.
 
     
 
Sep 18, 2021 / News
Smart & Sustainable Solutions: the Swiss way doing architecture and technology

The Embassy of Switzerland in China and the Bureau of International Exchanges and Cooperation of China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism jointly opened the ‘Smart & Sustainable Solutions’ exhibition, exploring innovative solutions from Switzerland for tackling sustainability challenges.
 

Past Events

SCCC Legal Chapter 2021 Forum

The SCCC Legal Chapter tackled topical issues from both, the Swiss and the Chinese side at its Forum 2021 and provided valuable insight and knowledge to SMEs and business owners.
September 22, 2021 | 14:30-19:00
  To gallery

New Silk Road Forum VI

This year's New Silk Road Forum provided an update on the status quo of the Belt and Road Initiative, taking a look at several BRI projects, while discussing the impact of recent developments on the New Silk Road.
September 28, 2021 | 15:00-17:00
  To gallery

New Members


We welcome our new Company Members of the SCCC:
         
 

VidiVinum

VidiVinum is a wine trader and retailer, offering premium wine from Ningxia, China and enriching wine experiences for your clients and events in Switzerland.
 

Circular Industries

Circular Industries applies novel biotech and chemical processes to generate sustainable substances as a replacement for petroleum-based materials.
 
     
 

Carl F. Bucherer

Carl F. Bucherer has been synonymous with excellence, innovation, and passion since 1888. It is one of the few remaining independent family-owned Swiss watch manufacturers and is now headed in the third generation by Jörg G. Bucherer. Committed to technical innovation, Carl F. Bucherer is the market leader in peripheral technology with patents for not only a peripheral winding system but also for other innovative functions.
Carl F. Bucherer – Rooted in the heart of Switzerland but at home everywhere in the world
 

We welcome our new Individual Member of the SCCC:
  • Mario Michel

Not a member yet?
Apply for membership HERE.

Proverb of the month

凡人不可貌相,海水不可斗量。


Fán rén bù kě mào xiàng, hǎi shuǐ bù kě dòu liàng

Don’t judge a book by its cover.


Partners

The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China is the largest bank in the world. Its Swiss branch was entered in the Commercial Register on 11 December 2017 and officially opened in Zurich on 21 June 2018. ICBC Zurich offers valuable networks and comprehensive services and advice to Swiss investors intending to invest in China.

Swiss-Chinese Chamber of Commerce

Kappelergasse 15, 8001, Zurich, Switzerland
Phone: +41 44 421 38 88, Fax: +41 44 421 38 89

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