Zhang Zhiqiang, Swiss Chamber of Commerce in China: Sustainable development is inseparable from technological innovation, and the key to the attractiveness of the Chinese market lies in two points

21st Century Business Herald reporter Shu Xiaoting Beijing report On October 21, the fifth Sino-Swiss Business Award, which is held every two years, was held in Beijing. This year's theme focuses on sustainability, with 8 specific awards including the Swiss Centre for Technology and Culture's Most Innovative Start-up Award, the Sustainable High-Tech and Financial Solutions Award, and the Sustainable Production and Supply Chain Business Award, with a total of 54 Chinese and Swiss companies competing for the awards.

The Sino-Swiss Business Awards are organised by the Swiss Chamber of Commerce in China and co-organised by the Swiss Embassy in China and the Swiss Centre for Technology and Culture. Zhang Zhiqiang, Vice Chairman of the Swiss Chamber of Commerce in China, congratulated all enterprises that actively promote and participate in sustainable development at the award ceremony on the 21st, and congratulated those enterprises that have overcome the many difficulties brought about by the rapid changes in the market environment under the impact of the new crown epidemic, saying: "In unprecedented times, your flexibility and determination to keep the world running. From that point of view, you are all champions tonight! ”

In between the day's activities, Zhang Zhiqiang was interviewed by 21st Century Business Herald. The following is a transcript of the conversation.

21st Century: For a long time, what role has the Swiss Chamber of Commerce in China played in promoting Sino-Swiss bilateral relations and the development of Swiss enterprises in China?

Zhang Zhiqiang: This year marks the 71st anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Switzerland and China, and the 25th anniversary of the establishment of the Swiss Chamber of Commerce in China. Swiss Chamber of Commerce in China is essentially a service-oriented institution, aiming to build a platform for information exchange and communication and cooperation for Swiss enterprises invested in China, to provide Swiss enterprises in China covering various fields such as medicine, banking, tourism, consumer goods, machinery manufacturing and other fields of policy preferences and other related information, and to build a bridge for Swiss SMEs and multinational enterprises to quickly establish contacts, so that they can exchange successful experiences with each other and find trusted partners.

21st Century: The theme of this year's 5th Sino-Swiss Business Awards is "Sustainable Development". How do you understand this concept? What factors do companies need to consider in practicing "sustainable development"?

Zhang Zhiqiang: Sustainable development means reducing environmental damage and resource consumption, and achieving long-term harmonious development. Specifically, more attention needs to be paid to green development. The first is to carry out energy transformation, change the consumption of resources, and gradually transition to relying on renewable resources such as solar energy to achieve development. The second is to improve the efficiency of utilization and reduce the consumption of resources. These are inseparable from technological innovation, and Switzerland has great advantages in this regard. Although the country has a population of just over 8 million, it is at the forefront of innovation in the world, mainly thanks to the country's support in policy, culture, education and other aspects.

This year, the theme of the Sino-Swiss Business Awards focuses on "sustainable development", which is also to encourage more related enterprises to develop in the direction of environmental protection, green and sustainable development. Many people may think that this will increase the cost of enterprises, but I think that in fact, green business can improve efficiency in the long run, and the cost will decline, which is also a manifestation of corporate social responsibility. Of course, the key lies in the support of technology, in the transformation of concepts, and truly integrate sustainable development into all aspects of production, transportation and other links of enterprises and the entire upstream and downstream industrial chain.

21st Century: Based on your understanding, what are the main attractions of the Chinese market for Swiss companies?

Zhang Zhiqiang: The key lies in policy support and huge market. It has been more than seven years since the signing of the Sino-Swiss FTA. The agreement is the first free trade agreement signed between China and a developed european country, which provides a good soil for expanding the market access of China and Switzerland for trade in goods.

China is a market with a high degree of economic openness and great consumption potential. The continued development of China is a great encouragement for Swiss companies and the Swiss Chamber of Commerce in China. Switzerland in the precision machine tools, finance, food, medical, high-tech and other fields of development in the world's leading position, the country's leading enterprises related products can match China's industrial development level and The preferences of different Consumer Groups in China.

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