On March 10, 2021, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi had a phone conversation with Vice President and Foreign Minister of the Swiss Confederation Ignazio Cassis on at the latter's request.

Wang Yi said that in the face of the COVID-19 challenges, China and Switzerland have helped and supported each other, deepened traditional friendship and enhanced mutual trust between the two countries. He believes that the China-Switzerland friendship can not only withstand the test of the pandemic, but will also be further deepened and developed.

Wang Yi emphasized that since the establishment of diplomatic ties more than 70 years ago, China-Switzerland relations have always been at the forefront of China's relations with Europe and even with Western countries. The most important experience is to stick to the principle that all countries, big or small, are equal, and to uphold mutual respect and mutual trust. In recent years, in particular, under the guidance of the two heads of state, the development of China-Switzerland relations has entered a fast track, which has not only established the strategic positioning of innovative strategic partnership, but also made significant progress in such areas as free trade, finance and the Belt and Road cooperation. These achievements are hard-won and the two sides should especially cherish them and constantly forge them ahead. He hopes that the Swiss side will continue to view China in an objective and rational manner and play an active role in promoting the sound and stable development of bilateral relations. China appreciates Switzerland's openness in cooperation with Chinese-funded enterprises, and as China is moving faster in advancing high-level opening-up, the two countries are seeing broad prospects in innovative and pragmatic cooperation. He hopes that both sides will continue promoting free trade cooperation actively.

Wang Yi said that Beijing will host the Winter Olympics early next year and Switzerland is a major winter sports country and once hosted the Winter Olympics. China is willing to learn from each other's experience in hosting the Games and strengthen exchanges and cooperation with Switzerland in areas such as event organizing and personnel training. This will not only bring new business opportunities to Switzerland's winter sports industry, but also help activate people-to-people exchanges of the two countries after the pandemic.

Ignazio Cassis thanked China for its support and assistance in Switzerland's fight against the pandemic, saying that Switzerland attaches great importance to developing relations with China. The two countries keep a good tradition of mutual trust and mutual respect, and have seen remarkable progress in friendly relations and cooperation in recent years. Switzerland stands ready to actively cooperate with China on the Winter Olympics as it regards China as an important cooperative partner and is willing to conduct strategic dialogues and exchanges with China to promote mutual understanding and support.