GENEVA, May 19 -- Sun Chunlan, a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC), who is on a visit to Switzerland, met with Swiss Federal Councilor and Economic Minister Johann Schneider-Ammann on Monday in Bern, capital of the central European country.

During the talks, Sun said China-Swiss relation has continued to develop positively over the years and the pragmatic cooperation in all sectors have yielded concrete achievements.

Sun hailed the China-Swiss Free Trade Agreement, which is going to enter into force on July 1, as a new milestone in the bilateral relationship between the two countries, and stated that it will inject new dynamic impetus into the economic ties between China and Switzerland.

Sun said that China will make joint efforts with Switzerland in taking the opportunity to promote the friendly cooperation between the two countries in all walks of life and in all sectors.

Schneider-Ammann said that the free trade agreement would be mutually beneficial and rewarding for China, one of the world's largest economies, and Switzerland, a country with advanced economy and technologies.

Schneider-Ammann noted that Switzerland will take the opportunity provided by the free trade agreement to further pragmatic cooperation with China in economic and social fields and promote the bilateral relation to a higher level.

During her visit, Sun, who is also the secretary of the CPC Tianjin Municipal Committee, also met with Guy Morin, president of the government of the canton of Basel-Stadt, and exchanged views on communication and cooperation at the local level.