倡导多边贸易体系

《中瑞自由贸易协定》自2014年7月生效以来，为两国多领域合作的提质升级作出重要贡献。目前，中国为瑞士在亚洲最重要的经济伙伴。2017年，两国间包括稀有金属在内的贸易总额高达370亿瑞士法郎，位居瑞士同欧盟和美国的贸易额之后。中国也因此成为瑞士企业在亚洲投资首选目的地。

现在，《中瑞自由贸易协定》面临改进提升的阶段，瑞士希望在哪些方面进行升级？目前，全球贸易和投资体系正在发生重大变化。世界贸易与投资体系应该向哪个方向发展？中瑞合作潜力重点在哪些领域？针对这些问题，9月初，来华进行工作访问的瑞士联邦经济、教育和研究部部长，约翰·施耐德-阿曼（Mr.Johann
N. Schneider-Ammann）在北京接受本刊记者独家专访。

中瑞自贸协定需要升级

《中国投资》：中国与瑞士的自由贸易协定已经于2014年7月1日正式生效。在过去的五年中，自由贸易协定在促进双边经贸关系中发挥了哪些重要作用？取得了哪些成就？就目前看来，它还存在哪些不足之处？瑞士希望在哪些方面对自由贸易协定进行升级？中国方面又有哪些需要改进的地方？

约翰·施耐德-阿曼部长：瑞士与中国签署的自由贸易协定确实有力地推动了双边贸易的共同发展。即使将黄金这个我们两国间最重要的贸易商品排除在外，瑞士对中国的出口也提高了近30%，从2014年的88亿瑞士法郎增长到2017年的114亿瑞士法郎。同一时期，瑞士从中国的进口增加了7%，从121亿瑞士法郎增长到129亿瑞士法郎。更为重要的是，自由贸易协定为双方之间建立起了直接联系的渠道。这种便捷的沟通方式对于迅速解决问题和应对日常经营中遇到的各种技术障碍是极其宝贵的。尽管如此，对于一些瑞士生产的高科技产品，中国公司仍需支付很高的关税。对我来说，尽快解决这一问题很重要。

《中国投资》：许多西方人士认为，由于我们两国间签署了自由贸易协定，中国在利用瑞士这一贸易渠道向欧盟市场出口中国产品，情况是这样的吗？

约翰·施耐德-阿曼部长：过去十年的贸易状况可以清楚地表明，所有的公司都会在各地寻求最具效益的生产和装配基地。欧洲的一体化生产模式和

“中国制造”开始向东南亚转移都可以充分说明这一点。我们的确已经进入了全球化价值链的时代。所有的自由贸易协定都应该有助于使这些价值链更具效率——只要制造商们能够严格执行各自的原产地规则。

着眼全球贸易体系

《中国投资》：最近，美国总统特朗普表达了退出世贸组织的意愿。你认为美国会这么做吗？如果他们退出的话，会对全球贸易体系产生怎样的影响？

约翰·施耐德-阿曼部长：美国对世贸组织框架内的多边贸易体系还是感兴趣的。世贸组织现在有164个成员国，同时还有更多的国家正在申请加入。对美国来说，与这些国家单独签订双边贸易协定的任务太繁重和复杂了。我们不认为美国会退出世贸组织。美国确实对世贸组织的某些发展进程不满意，而且在我们看来，世贸组织在维护和完善贸易体系方面也的确有需要改进的地方。

《中国投资》：今年7月25日，欧盟委员会主席容克与美国总统特朗普达成共识，美国与欧洲将签署一项零关税的贸易协定。你对这项美欧协定的前景有哪些看法？这会是一个成功的协定吗？

约翰·施耐德-阿曼部长：瑞士不可能不密切关注其第一和第二大贸易伙伴之间的关系发展，但经验告诉我们，对于这样一个重大协议，在谈判达成前，除了关税，还有许多细节和议题需要磋商。

《中国投资》：瑞士是全球经济体系中一个非常重要的国家，现在国际贸易和投资制度也正在发生一些重大变化。从瑞士的角度看，当前制度的发展方向应当是什么？怎样的贸易和投资制度更符合全球利益？

约翰·施耐德-阿曼部长：在全球价值链中，纯粹的双边、二元贸易观必须有非常充分的理由才可能存在。意识到这一点后，我们更看好多边贸易体系的意义和能够取得的成就。任何试图摆脱全球价值链的国家，充其量是非常短视的，而且会严重削弱自身在国际体系中的信任度，甚至有可能遭遇被遗弃的后果。因此，瑞士坚定地主张加强以世贸组织为核心的国际体系。我们愿与所有成员国一道，共同努力在世贸组织框架内制定和采取一些有创意的新方法——包括在执行现有的协议、解决出现的争端和协商新协议内容等方面。因为正是依靠这些规则，国际贸易和投资才有了法律保障和可预测性。

加强一带一路框架下的合作

《中国投资》：在中国与瑞士的经济合作方面，哪些领域具有发展潜力？在这些领域，瑞士有怎样的规划？

约翰·施耐德-阿曼部长：我强烈反对政府对私营部门制定任何的规划。我们的职责是为它们提供最好的框架结构，比如瑞士与中国所签署的自由贸易协定，然后让私营部门充分利用它，找到自己的发展路径。我深知瑞士的公司非常具有创新理念，因此我相信他们一定能够取得成功。

《中国投资》：你认为在一带一路倡议下，中国与瑞士的合作有哪些机遇和挑战？

约翰·施耐德-阿曼部长：对于一带一路倡议，我们的态度非常明确：瑞士赞成一带一路倡议，瑞士的企业也对一带一路倡议很感兴趣。我认为他们会积极参与一带一路倡议下的项目——只要这些项目在采购方面具有足够的透明度，同时符合国际规范和标准。而且，它们在融资和对环境影响方面也应当是可持续的。

《中国投资》：现在许多欧盟国家都在对外国投资采取严控的措施，瑞士如何看待来自中国的投资？

约翰·施耐德-阿曼部长：瑞士投资者是世界上最重要的投资者，但无论他们投资哪个国家，他们都需要对方能够提供开放的市场准入和互惠的政策。我希望瑞士可以敞开国门欢迎境外投资者，特别是来自中国的投资，就如同我们期望其他国家能够接纳瑞士的投资一样。只是在一些领域还需要保持国有，它们指的是战略基础设施，比如配电和通信。

⬆瑞士联邦政府所在地伯尔尼的街景（CFP）

Since
the entry into force of China-Switzerland Free Trade Agreement in July
2014, it has made important contributions to the upgrading of bilateral
cooperation in various fields. At present, China is Switzerland’s most
important economic partner in Asia. In 2017, the total trade between
China and Switzerland, including rare metals, amounted to 37 billion
Swiss Francs, ranking just behind Switzerland's trade with European
Union and the United States. Besides rare metals, Switzerland's main
exports to China are pharmaceutical products, machinery and watches;
while at the same time, it also imports machinery, electrical appliances
and textiles from China. China's total investment in Switzerland has
exceeded 21 billion Swiss Francs, and China has also become the
preferred destination for Swiss enterprises to invest in Asia. The legal
framework of bilateral trade and investment between China and
Switzerland has been further confirmed through the bilateral tax
reduction and exemption, the signing of investment protection agreements
and the implementation of China-Switzerland Free Trade Agreement (FTA)
since 2014.

Now,
China-Switzerland Free Trade Agreement is entering into a stage of
improvement and upgrading, so in what areas does Switzerland hope to
upgrade? Furthermore, as the current global trade and investment system
is undergoing major changes, in which direction will it develop? And
what are the key and potential fields for the cooperation between China
and Switzerland? In early September, when Mr.Johann N. Schneider-Ammann,
who is the Swiss Federal Councillor and Head of the Federal Department
of Economic Affairs, Education and Research, came to China for a working
visit, he accepted an exclusive interview with China Investment in
Beijing, particularly talking about these issues.

China Investment:
China-Switzerland FTA has been officially implemented since July 1,
2014. Over the last five years, what is the important role of the FTA in
facilitating bilateral economic and trade relationship? What have we
achieved in these years? What are the shortcomings of FTA for now? Which
aspects of the FTA does your country would like to upgrade? In Which
areas do we need to improve? 

Mr. Johann N. Schneider-Ammann: The
Switzerland-China FTA has indeed given a boost to bilateral trade in
both directions. Even excluding gold as the most important traded good
between our two countries, Swiss exports to China have risen by almost
30% from 8.8 billion Swiss Francs to 11.4 billion between 2014 and 2017.
Imports of goods from China grew by 7% over the same period, from 12.1
to 12.9 billion. Even more importantly, the FTA has established direct
contact channels between competent authorities on both sides. Such
preferential contacts are extremely valuable when it comes to addressing
problems and swiftly solving all kinds of technical difficulties
encountered by economic operators in their daily business.

Having
said this, there are still important Swiss high-tech products for which
Chinese companies have to pay high tariffs. It is important for me to
address this shortcoming in the near future.

China
Investment:  Many Westerners believe that based on the FTA, China are
relying on Switzerland as a trade channel to import Chinese products
into the EU market. Is this the case?

Mr.Johann N. Schneider-Ammann: If
the last decade has shown us anything in trade, it is that companies
seek the most sensible route of production and assembly over many
territories. Developments like the integrated production in Europe or
the shift away from Made in China towards South-East Asia exemplify
this. We have truly entered the age of global value chains. Any FTA
should help making these value chains more efficient – as long as
manufacturers can fulfil the respective rules of origin.

China Investment: 
Recently, US President Trump expressed his intention to withdraw from
the WTO. Do you think the United States will withdraw? If they did
withdraw, how would this affect the global trading system?

Mr. Johann N. Schneider-Ammann: The
US also has an interest in a rules-based multilateral trading system
within the WTO. The WTO now has 164 member states, and more countries
are in the process of joining. For the US, too, the effort of putting in
place bilateral trade agreements with all these states is likely to be
too great. We do not expect the US to leave the WTO. The US is not
satisfied with certain developments in the WTO. From our point of view,
there is indeed a need for certain reforms in the WTO to safeguard and
improve the trading system.

China Investment: 
On July 25th, the President of European Commission Juncker and US
President Trump reached a consensus that the US and Europe will sign a
trade agreement with zero tariff. What’s your opinion on the prospects
of the US-European agreement? Would this become a successful agreement?

Mr. Johann N. Schneider-Ammann:
Switzerland would be amiss if we did not follow these developments
between our most and our second most important trading partner closely.
Experience shows us that there will be many details and topics other
than tariffs to be negotiated before such an agreement can become
reality. 

China Investment: 
Switzerland is a very important country in the global economic system,
and the current trade and investment system is undergoing major changes.
In Swiss point of view, to which direction is the current system
evolving? What kind of trade and investment system is more in line with
global interests? 

Mr.Johann N. Schneider-Ammann: In
a world of global value chains, the purely bilateral, binary view of
trade must come to its logical end. Realising this shows us the true
value and achievement of the multilateral trading system. Any country
trying to uncouple from those value chains would be short sighted at
best, making itself a pariah and undermining trust in the system at
worst. Switzerland, therefore, wholeheartedly stands up for
strengthening the system and the WTO at its core. We work with all
members on new approaches to keep the WTO relevant – in administering
the existing agreements, in settling disputes, and in negotiating new
agreements. It is those rules that give legal security and thus keep
global trade and investment predictable. 

China Investment:
In Sino-Swiss economic cooperation, which areas are those with
potential? In these areas, what cooperation plans does Switzerland
have? 

Mr. Johann N. Schneider-Ammann: 
I am strongly opposed to governments making any such plans for the
private sector. It is our duty to provide the best framework conditions –
like the Switzerland-China FTA – for the private sector to find
creative ways to make use of it. Knowing how innovative Swiss companies
are, I am convinced they will succeed.

China Investment: 
What’s your opinion on the opportunities and challenges of Sino-Swiss
cooperation under the framework of Belt and Road Initiative? 

Mr. Johann N. Schneider-Ammann:  With
regard to the Belt and Road Initiative, our approach has been clear:
Switzerland welcomes the BRI. Swiss companies are interested in the BRI.
I believe they can give valuable inputs to projects along the BRI – for
as long as there is full transparency, also in procurement, and those
projects follow international norms and standards. They need to be
sustainable in their financing as well as in their social and
environmental impact. 

China Investment: 
At this moment, many EU countries are tightening rules on foreign
investment. In Switzerland, what’s the opinion on the investment from
China? 

Mr. Johann N. Schneider-Ammann: Swiss
investors are among the most important worldwide. They need open market
access and reciprocity regardless in which country. I want Switzerland
to be open to foreign investors as much as I want other countries – and
especially China – to be open reciprocally for Swiss investments. There
are only a few sectors, where I have come to the conclusion that they
have to stay domestic. Those are strategic infrastructures like power
distribution or telecommunications.

⬆An
employee uses a tablet to check the functions of a robot named "Paul",
which can be used by customers to find products at a store of
electronics retailer Media Markt in (CFP)