Ignoring The CCP’s Objections, The Swiss Parliamentarian Delegation Confirms A Visit To Taiwan

According to Taiwan media on January 15, the Swiss media confirmed that the delegation of five Swiss parliamentarians is expected to visit Taiwan and meet with Taiwanese representatives of various ministries and legislators. The parliamentarians are primarily the members of the Swiss-Taiwan parliamentary friendship group, and three are national consultants for the French-speaking region. Swiss media said the news of the visit already sparked controversy when it was first announced in 2022. Zhao Qinghua a Chinese consul general in Zurich, expressed dissatisfaction and said the visit would be “disruptive.” In response, Nicolas Walder, co-chair of the Swiss-Taiwan parliamentary friendship group and one of the visiting parliamentarians, said that the purpose of the visit to Taiwan was not to engage in a tug-of-war with Beijing, but to demonstrate Switzerland’s support for democracy, which is also the responsibility of democratic members of the parliament. Walder also emphasized that the foreign delegations have already visited Taiwan frequently, and this visit was planned a long time ago. As a democratic country, Switzerland has separate roles for parliament and government, and the CCP should distinguish the visit of parliamentarians from government action. The visit to Taiwan does not imply a change in the Swiss Confederation’s diplomatic strategy and does not affect Swiss neutrality.