Developing ties with China benefits Switzerland

It is very important to develop ties between Switzerland and China, said a key Swiss lawmaker on Wednesday.

Bruno Zuppiger, president of the Security Committee and Economy Committee of the Swiss Federal Parliament told Xinhua that he always thought cooperation with China is beneficial to the development of Switzerland, as Switzerland is a small country and China has a vast territory and enormous potential.

Zuppiger, who is also chairman of the Swiss-Chinese Committee of the Parliament, was shortly back from a trip to Tibet in August which he termed as a "rewarding experience."

He said communication and exchanges are important for building and enhancing trust and cooperation.

Zuppiger started preparing for the visit in August 2009. He wanted to see the reality in Tibet himself so as to verify the credibility of some Swiss media reports, which said the Tibetan people were living under the pressure of the Chinese government and that their life was difficult.

His entourage included nine Parliament members and 20 support staff.

"Our visit in Tibet was unrestricted. We could walk freely in either urban districts or temples. There were no restrictions whatsoever. The streets of Lhasa were not 'heavily guarded' as claimed by some in the West, but were rather peaceful and tranquil," he said.

Opening a photo album of the tour, Zuppiger showed photos of the Potala Palace Square where people from different part of Tibet gathered. There was a heavy festive atmosphere and there was also a fireworks display.

Source:Xinhua
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