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US-China relations
ChinaDiplomacy

Why Switzerland? The factors in its favour as a site for China-US talks

  • The European country has a tradition of being neutral ground for international rivals
  • Its non-alignment has allowed it to play special roles for Beijing and Washington

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Swiss police stand outside the Hyatt hotel at Zurich Airport where US and Chinese top officials are holding talks on Wednesday. Photo: AFP
Shi Jiangtao
Several factors were in Switzerland’s favour when China and the United States chose the country to host the highest-level diplomatic talks between Beijing and Washington in nearly six months.

While China watchers are still debating whether the meeting in Zurich between US national security adviser Jake Sullivan and President Xi Jinping’s top diplomatic aide Yang Jiechi marks a thaw in their increasingly acrimonious relations, it seems the rival powers at least have nothing against the host country.

For Washington, neutral Switzerland has been an obvious choice of venue for many of its diplomatic manoeuvring and historic summits, such as one in Geneva in 1985 between former president Ronald Reagan and his Soviet counterpart Mikhail Gorbachev.

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President Joe Biden also chose Geneva, the United Nation’s second-most important seat after New York, to meet Russia’s Vladimir Putin in June, their first meeting since the US leader took office.

Switzerland has also represented US interests in Iran since the 1979 hostage crisis at the US embassy in Tehran.

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Historically non-aligned, Switzerland has a special place for the Communist Party leadership for its unique role in helping China reach out to the West during the Cold War.

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