Dear Members and Friends

It seems that China is in the news more than ever. We are informed about Covid-19 measures, the economic impacts of the pandemic, the logistical challenges posed by the combination of pandemic and war, and the initiatives of Chinese Foreign Ministry in the Pacific and elsewhere. We are also pleased that Beijing and Shanghai are ending their lockdowns and that life in these cities is returning to normal.

Chinese Government officials are active on many fronts. This reflects the sense of urgency that the Chinese state faces in the wake of health issues caused by the pandemic and economic drawbacks due to external and internal factors.

To what extent is the international community involved in finding solutions together with the Chinese government? Despite all the Chinese government’s statements that multilateral coordination is of high importance, it seems that China is less likely to coordinate initiatives and policies before they are launched. It was also notable that at the recent WEF 2022 in Davos had the smallest Chinese delegation in many years – an event where stakeholders from all parts of the world come together and sound each other out.

Its further evidence that cultural, political, and economic exchanges between China and other countries took have declined dramatically over the past 27 months. Compared to the usual speed of change in China, this period seems like an eternity.

The risks that solutions to China’s challenges will not be aligned with the interests of other stakeholders increases, not because this is intentional, but because it is not possible to discuss, share, and align these ideas. If we compare the current situation with the 2008 financial crisis, the differences are stark. In the future, this may lead to situations where national policies are contradicting each other and make economic cooperation and exchange difficult or even impossible. It is important for Swiss SMEs that product, quality, and testing standards are harmonized, otherwise market access will become prohibitively expensive. This is not only a loss for Swiss SMEs, but also for Chinese market players, as they will not have access to the most innovative market players and their products.

Therefore, the role of SCCC as a bridge builder between China and Switzerland is more important than ever. This was also evident at the Chinese New Year event on May 20, where exchanges lasted well into the night. Many of these conversations led to meetings and further discussions.

The upcoming 42nd AGM is another opportunity to discuss and share ideas on how to further strengthen the bridge-building capability by identifying differences and addressing risks before they become liabilities.

In the July newsletter, we will update you on the AGM resolutions and the new board should you not be able to join us in person. We look forward to seeing you at the chamber events and wish you a warm and successful month of June.

wàn wù jiē yǒu qí měi, dàn fēi rén rén suǒ jiàn.

Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it.