Xi calls for greater openness, closer China-Switzerland cooperation

Chinese President Xi Jinping said China stands ready to work with Switzerland to uphold openness and inject greater certainty into global economic development as he met with President of the Swiss Confederation Guy Parmelin in Beijing on Friday.

During their meeting at the Great Hall of the People, Xi extended a warm welcome to Parmelin, who is on a working visit to China from Friday to Sunday, and stressed the strong ties between the two sides.

"Switzerland is an important partner for China in Europe, and its cooperation with China has always been at the forefront among European countries. Openness brings progress, while closure inevitably leads to stagnation. When the economies of different nations are interconnected, they advance together. When they are closed off, they fall behind. It is neither possible nor in line with the tide of history to force the vast ocean of the global economy to recede back into isolated, small lakes and streams," he said.

"China is willing to work with Switzerland to uphold openness, strengthen cooperation, promote a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, and jointly inject confidence and more certainty into economic and trade cooperation between China and Europe, as well as into global economic development," said Xi.

Parmelin highlighted the enduring partnership between the two countries and the significance of a newly-upgraded free trade agreement.

"Last year, we celebrated the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Switzerland and China. We take great pride in the fact that Switzerland was among the first nations in the West to recognize the People's Republic of China, a step that paved the way for a solid and enduring partnership between our two countries. Today, it is once again a great honor for me to attend the signing ceremony for the protocol on upgrading the Switzerland-China free trade agreement, which marks a new phase in our bilateral relationship," Parmelin said.

Hundreds of paddleboarders made a splash as they raced along a river in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality for the latest round of the 2026 China National Stand-up Paddle Boarding (SUP) U Series.

The two-day gathering was held in Chongqing's suburban Qijiang District from Oct. 24-25 and welcomed around 800 athletes to compete in a host of events.

This marked the third year in a row that Qijiang has hosted a leg of the flagship water sports event, with this year's edition also seeing kayaking and open water swimming added for the first time.

The demanding program of events saw the staging of 200-meter kayak sprints and 1,500-meter open water races, while the different age grades spanned youth categories from under-9s to under-18s, as well as open and masters' groups for more seasoned participants.