Federal Councillor Berset meets Vice Premier Ma Kai in Beijing and signs social security agreement
Bern, 30.09.2015 - On his three-day visit to China, Federal Councillor Alain Berset held talks in Beijing with Vice Premier Ma Kai, social security minister, Yin Weimin, and culture minister, Luo Shugang. He also signed agreements on social security and cultural cooperation.
Discussions between Federal Councillor Berset and Vice Premier Ma Kai focused on social security issues. They agreed to continue with the current productive exchange of views. Also present at the meeting was the social security minister, Yin Weimin, who had earlier signed a social security agreement with the head of the Federal Department of Home Affairs (FDHA).
The agreement exempts employees posted abroad from the obligation to pay social security contributions in the other state for a maximum of six years. In this way, employees working temporarily abroad can avoid having to pay contributions in both states or to change social security system. This should make it easier for international companies to move staff between the two countries. Since 2010, China has been Switzerland’s most important trading partner in Asia. Over 600 Swiss businesses currently operate in China, with over 200,000 employees.
Culture minister Luo Shugang and Federal Councillor Berset signed a letter of intent on increased cultural cooperation. This marked the start of negotiations on an agreement on cultural cooperation. The two ministers also discussed the cultural exchange that is already under way and their first experiences with the bilateral agreement on cultural assets, which the countries signed two years ago.
Federal Councillor Berset also attended the Sino Swiss Business Awards, organised in China by the Swiss-Chinese Chamber of Commerce, where he gave a speech on innovation and economic cooperation between the two countries. This was the second year that these awards have been presented, the previous occasion being in 2013.
The head of the FDHA was also shown round a resettlement project in the Province of Ningxia. In addition, he visited an agriculture project related to the impact of climate change. The aim of the project is to stem advancing desertification and reclaim arable land.
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Peter Lauener, FDHA media spokesperson,
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