(Observation of the Two Sessions) China will implement visa-free trial for 6 countries including Switzerland, which will further benefit China’s opening up to the outside world.

　　China News Service, Beijing, March 7 (Xu Xueying, Bo Wenwen, Xie Yanbing) Regarding China’s trial visa exemption for six countries including Switzerland, many experts said in interviews with reporters from China News Service on the 7th that this move shows China’s open and inclusive attitude. It will help increase personnel exchanges between China and Europe and close cooperation between the two sides in economic and trade and other fields.

　　On the same day, Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs, stated at the press conference of the two sessions that starting from March 14, China will further pilot a visa-free policy for six countries: Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, and Luxembourg.

On March 7, the second session of the 14th National People's Congress held a press conference in Beijing. Wang Yi, member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs, answered questions from Chinese and foreign reporters on issues related to China's foreign policy and external relations.

Photo by China News Service reporter Cui Nan

　　"China's unilateral visa exemption reflects its open and inclusive attitude." Gao Fei, vice president of the China Foreign Affairs University, said that China promotes people-to-people and cultural exchanges and personnel exchanges through visa exemption and other means, demonstrating its ability to promote its own openness and strengthen international cooperation. policy orientation.

　　Wang Yiwei, the "Jean Monet" Chair Professor of the European Union and Director of the EU Research Center at Renmin University of China, believes that consumption, tourism, culture and sports, etc. have become important economic growth points in China, and it is also necessary to increase scientific and technological self-reliance and develop new productive forces. Interactive exchanges of talents, actively expanding opening up, strengthening personnel circulation, and talent flow will benefit both China and Europe.

　　Last year marked the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and the EU, and exchanges and dialogues between the two sides at all levels were fully restarted.

There are 17,000 China-Europe freight trains running, connecting 219 cities in 25 European countries.

Wang Yi pointed out at the meeting, "The correct positioning of China-EU relations should be that of partnership, the mainstream tone should be cooperation, the key value should be independence, and the development prospects should be win-win."

　　"There is a high degree of industrial complementarity between China and Europe. As the major economies at both ends of the Eurasian continent, cooperation between the two parties will help promote the integration of the Eurasian market." Researcher and Director of the Cooperative Research Department of the Chongyang Institute for Financial Research at Renmin University of China Liu Ying believes that China-EU cooperation has huge prospects and space in areas such as trade and investment, climate change, digital economy, science and technology, and education.

Entering the era of digital economy, the two sides have formed cooperation in industrial innovation, technological innovation, and the development of new productive forces, which will help promote rapid economic growth.

　　Cui Hongjian, a professor at Beijing Foreign Studies University’s Institute for Advanced Studies in Regional and Global Governance, also pointed out that China’s openness to the outside world has once again brought benefits, and its trial visa exemption for six countries including Switzerland shows China’s accurate understanding of the China-EU comprehensive strategic partnership. China and Europe are important trade and economic Investment partners should have close contacts, communicate with each other, and enhance their well-being.

　　Liu Ying pointed out that the current world economy is under great downward pressure and the challenges of geopolitical conflicts are severe. Some countries are trying to "decouple and cut off links" and "remove risks", which is essentially deglobalization, but China is doing the opposite. This is both China's Measures to build institutional opening-up are also an integral part of promoting high-quality joint construction of the "Belt and Road" and will help promote an economic globalization that is open, inclusive, universally beneficial, balanced, and win-win.

　　"People-to-people bonds rely on personnel exchanges, and strengthening people-to-people and cultural exchanges between China and foreign countries will also greatly promote and enhance political mutual trust and cultural integration between countries." Liu Ying said.

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