On January 22, 2007, Vice Foreign Minister Zhang Yesui met with Swiss Ambassador Mr. Dante Martinelli. They both attended the signing ceremony of a cooperation agreement for the donation of CHF60,500 (about RMB400,000) by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) through the Embassy of Switzerland in China. The donation will be used for two projects (drinking water for human and animals) in Jinping County. Zhang introduced the poverty alleviation work of the ministry, thanked the Swiss government and the Swiss embassy for the support to the poverty alleviation work of the ministry, and spoke positively of the efforts made by H.E. the Ambassador for the development of China-Switzerland relations since he took office. Martinelli said that the Swiss government has worked on many projects in Yunnan Province for the development of the local society and the cooperation in poverty alleviation is an important part. He added that he would like to pay a visit to the two counties in Yunnan at appropriate time.

Li Ruiyu, Director-General of the Department of European Affairs signed the agreement on the cooperation in the field of poverty alleviation on behalf of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China. Present at the ceremony were Li Nianping, Deputy Director-General of the Department of European Affairs, and Yan Jianqun, Director of the Poverty Alleviation Office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China.

The Embassy of Switzerland donated RMB350,000 to Malipo County in September 2004 on two projects (drinking water for human and animals), which helped 845 local residents and over 300 domestic animals out of the difficulty in finding drinking water.