Excellencies,

Ladies and gentlemen,

Dear friends,

Let me extend to you all a very warm welcome you to this latest Sino-Swiss Economic Forum here in Beijing.

Thank you very much for joining us.

Last year, I represented the Swiss Federal Council during the foundation ceremony of the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank and I met with President Xi Jinping. When he invited me to visit China during my presidential year, I did not hesitate to accept. As head of the Federal Department of Economic Affairs, Education and Research, there are reasons enough to visit this big country on a regular basis.

Despite the relative slow-down of its economy, China continues to play an important role in economic affairs as well as education and research. For the President of the Swiss Confederation, fostering the good relations and promoting our country's interests here in China is even more obvious. As a result, I am spending the two intensive days of official meetings here in Beijing and will continue my trip on to Shanghai tomorrow.

In the course of my meetings with President Xi Jinping, Premier Li Keqiang and the Chairman of the National People's Congress, Zhang Dejiang, as well as with my colleagues of ministerial rank, I will pursue the following goals:

I want to promote the image of Switzerland as a destination – not only for the many Chinese tourists who enjoy the beauty of our country, but also for investments in our innovative economy.

An important part of any such mission «the Swiss style» is also to give the high-ranking members of the private sector and of scientific and educational institutions who accompany me a voice.

This is the spirit of Switzerland my colleagues in the Federal Council and I are working for. The topic of today's Sino-Swiss Economic Forum, «Connectivity for Innovation», follows this spirit of openness. In recent years, we have built many connections to China.

Not only do Swiss companies continue to invest significantly, making China the most important destination for FDI in Asia for the first time. With a bilateral trade volume of about 31 billion USD last year, China is also clearly the most important trading partner of Switzerland in Asia.

In fact, China is our third most important trading partner overall after the European Union and the United States. I believe that on the government side, we have done well to improve the framework conditions for this success, and I promise you, we will continue to do so together with our Chinese partners.

The bilateral Switzerland-China Free Trade Agreement, which entered into force almost two years ago, is a good example for this. Both sides saw an opportunity, identified their interests and negotiated hard. As a result, Switzerland has an agreement with China ahead of almost all other European countries. Never before have we seen such an interest for a new FTA, and several hundred consignments leave our country every day for China making use of it.

I'm well aware that not all is perfect though. A complex agreement like this needs a bit of time and experience on all levels to run as smoothly as possible. I can assure you, our experts continue to work together towards this goal. There will always be issues to tackle as in all FTAs. After all, we are still discussing issues with our most important trading partner – and the Free Trade Agreement with the EU dates back nearly 50 years…

The outcome of every real negotiation also leaves room for improvement, as no party can dictate its terms and push through all interests. The Free Trade Agreement with China gives us the instruments to address this, and we are willing to negotiate further trade liberalisation.

As much as we have done in improving the framework conditions for trade during the last years, our cooperation in science and research goes back even further. Already in 1989, our two countries laid the groundwork for it in an agreement.

Since then, many researchers and institutions continue to cooperate in smaller and bigger projects on all manner of topics. And they should continue to do so in academic freedom without the say-so of governments. Who knows to which innovations this research will lead?

Of course, innovation is tougher than that. When Thomas Edison said

None of my inventions came by accident. I see a worthwhile need to be met and I make trial after trial until it comes.
What it boils down to is one per cent inspiration and ninety-nine per cent perspiration.

he not only gave the credo of a good engineer – something close to my heart. I believe he also gave us a hint about innovation: There are many inspired people with good ideas, there may even be many geniuses. The innovation, however, is the idea that led to a successful product on the market.

Genius inventor that he doubtlessly was, even Edison could not successfully sell all his inventions, also because his mind was not always in the business. What he successfully pioneered besides the lightbulb or the phonograph, however, was cooperation in research and development. He had the knack of assembling people of different backgrounds and skills towards a common goal.

As you all know well, nowadays neither research nor development may be done singlehandedly anymore. Cooperation is essential, and in that sense provides «connectivity for innovation» too.

Research, development, marketing – all these need freedom to be efficient. Academic freedom from interference with research topics, the free flow of information without censorship, the economic freedom to be an entrepreneur, to found, to build, to operate and even to fail with an enterprise.

It is here that governments like ours have to tread carefully not to kill innovation but to build the necessary framework conditions for innovative entrepreneurs to succeed. This is the point where you all come in, Ladies and Gentlemen, and this is where I hope that today's Sino-Swiss Economic Forum can play a role.

Before you will spend an intensive afternoon with discussions, I believe you deserve some fortification. This lunch is meant to give you the opportunity to relax and to get to know your neighbours. By all means, please mingle.

I know, networking is also working, but it is my hope that you will be able to enjoy yourselves as well.

Enjoy your meal –
Mànyòng – En guete!

Es gilt das gesprochene Wort

Sino – Swiss Economic Forum