The Swiss National Council on Wednesday passed a motion calling on the nation to sign an agreement with Taiwan to deepen collaboration in science, technology, innovation and culture.
The lower house of Switzerland’s parliament deliberated and adopted the bill submitted in 2022 by former Swiss national councilor Mustafa Atici in a vote of 96 in favor, 86 against and nine abstentions.
The bill aims to encourage and boost friendly relations between Taiwan and Switzerland, as well as deepen collaboration.
Photo: AP
It calls for a partnership agreement to be signed by the Trade Office of Swiss Industries in Taipei and the Cultural and Economic Delegation of Taipei in Switzerland.
In addition to collaboration between universities and research institutions in the two nations, a “solid institutional framework, in the form of an institutionalized partnership” is necessary to unlock the full potential that exists between the two sides in the interest of both parties, it says.
Deepening the relationship with Taiwan “can contribute to greater peace and stability in the world,” as “science diplomacy can help us meet the challenges of the 21st century,” the bill says.
It underlines the importance of developing the Swiss global network, in which “Taiwan has the potential to become one of the new major sites.”
Taiwan and Switzerland are “highly innovative, open economies that have a lot to offer,” especially in technology and research, said Swiss National Councilor Fabian Molina, who has taken over Atici’s motion after he lost his re-election bid in October last year.
The bill would help diversify Switzerland’s trade relations in Asia, improve the country’s economic and political relationship with Taiwan, and boost cooperation between democracies, Molina said.
However, Swiss Federal Councillor Guy Parmelin said that existing exchanges between Swiss and Taiwanese universities and institutions, as well as Swiss scholarship and subsidy programs, already “make it possible to achieve the objectives set” as he asked for the bill to be rejected.
The bill is to be sent to the Swiss Council of States, the upper house, for deliberation and voting.
Separately, the Wisconsin State Assembly passed a bill to reaffirm the US state’s commitment to ties with and support for Taiwan.
Taiwan shares the values of freedom, democracy, human rights, the rule of law, peace and prosperity with the US and Wisconsin, the bill says.
It urges Wisconsin to support the signing of a trade agreement between Taiwan and the US, as it is “an important step toward further strengthening bilateral trade” between the two sides by stimulating bilateral investment and collaboration through tariff reduction and other trade facilitation measures.
Wisconsin should also continue to back Taiwan’s participation in international organizations and “Taiwan’s aspiration to make more contributions in international societies,” it says.
Taiwan is capable of and willing to “collaborate with the world to face challenges such as humanitarian aid and disease control,” it says.
The bill was introduced in the State Assembly on Feb. 16, adopted on Thursday last week and sent to the Senate Organization Committee of the Wisconsin State Senate on Monday.
EXPRESSING GRATITUDE: Without its Taiwanese partners which are ‘working around the clock,’ Nvidia could not meet AI demand, CEO Jensen Huang said Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC, 台積電) and US-based artificial intelligence (AI) chip designer Nvidia Corp have partnered with each other on silicon photonics development, Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) said. Speaking with reporters after he met with TSMC chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) in Taipei on Friday, Huang said his company was working with the world’s largest contract chipmaker on silicon photonics, but admitted it was unlikely for the cooperation to yield results any time soon, and both sides would need several years to achieve concrete outcomes. To have a stake in the silicon photonics supply chain, TSMC and
IDENTITY: Compared with other platforms, TikTok’s algorithm pushes a ‘disproportionately high ratio’ of pro-China content, a study has found Young Taiwanese are increasingly consuming Chinese content on TikTok, which is changing their views on identity and making them less resistant toward China, researchers and politicians were cited as saying by foreign media. Asked to suggest the best survival strategy for a small country facing a powerful neighbor, students at National Chia-Yi Girls’ Senior High School said “Taiwan must do everything to avoid provoking China into attacking it,” the Financial Times wrote on Friday. Young Taiwanese between the ages of 20 and 24 in the past were the group who most strongly espoused a Taiwanese identity, but that is no longer
A magnitude 6.4 earthquake and several aftershocks battered southern Taiwan early this morning, causing houses and roads to collapse and leaving dozens injured and 50 people isolated in their village. A total of 26 people were reported injured and sent to hospitals due to the earthquake as of late this morning, according to the latest Ministry of Health and Welfare figures. In Sising Village (西興) of Chiayi County's Dapu Township (大埔), the location of the quake's epicenter, severe damage was seen and roads entering the village were blocked, isolating about 50 villagers. Another eight people who were originally trapped inside buildings in Tainan
SHARED VALUES: The US, Taiwan and other allies hope to maintain the cross-strait ‘status quo’ to foster regional prosperity and growth, the former US vice president said Former US vice president Mike Pence yesterday vowed to continue to support US-Taiwan relations, and to defend the security and interests of both countries and the free world. At a meeting with President William Lai (賴清德) at the Presidential Office in Taipei, Pence said that the US and Taiwan enjoy strong and continued friendship based on the shared values of freedom, the rule of law and respect for human rights. Such foundations exceed limitations imposed by geography and culture, said Pence, who is visiting Taiwan for the first time. The US and Taiwan have shared interests, and Americans are increasingly concerned about China’s
RSS