Entrepreneurs from Switzerland urged to invest in Nantong, Ding Congrong reports.

A Swiss commerce and trade delegation of about 30 representatives from the country’s major industries visited Nantong, Jiangsu province, and attended the Nantong-Switzerland Trade Cooperation Fair at the invitation of the city’s foreign affairs office on Jan 14.

The delegation, headed by Alexander Hoffet, consul general of the Swiss consulate in Shanghai, included representatives from such industries as finance, biotechnology, fine chemical engineering, new materials and engineering equipment.

Han Liming, deputy Party chief and then acting mayor of Nantong, and Sun Jianhua, deputy mayor of the city, met the delegation members and welcomed them to Nantong.

Han also expressed her gratitude to the Swiss consulate for its support of exchanges between the country and Nantong in recent years. Nantong, faced with historic opportunities for development generated by the Belt and Road Initiative and the Yangtze River Economic Belt strategy, will continue to provide convenient, high-quality and efficient service to enterprises in the city, Han said.

Han Liming, then acting mayor of Nantong, meets Alexander Hoffet, consul general of the Swiss consulate in Shanghai, in mid-January. DING CONGRONG CHINA DAILY

More entrepreneurs from Switzerland are encouraged to cooperate with Nantong businesses and invest in the city, she said.

Nantong has seized opportunities generated by a range of national and regional development strategies, maintained a strong momentum for development and improved its business environment during the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-15).

In 2015, the city’s GDP surpassed 600 billion yuan ($91.2 billion) and its budget revenue for public expenditure exceeded 60 billion yuan, ranking 10th and fifth among all prefecture-level cities around the country.

A double-decked bridge for highway and rail transportation that links the city with Shanghai is scheduled to open in 2018 and is expected to further strengthen Nantong's economic ties with the metropolis.

This year marks the 66th anniversary of the establishment of China-Switzerland diplomatic relations, Hoffet said.

With increasingly frequent economic and trade exchanges, Switzerland became the first European country to sign a free trade agreement with China in July 2013, and China is the third-largest trade partner of Switzerland, he said.

The trade volume between Nantong and Switzerland reached $70.24 million between January and November last year, up 10.9 percent year-on-year, according to statistics from Nantong’s commerce department. Nantong exported goods worth $46.71 million, mainly chemical, mechanical and electrical products, to Switzerland, up 54.4 percent year-on-year.

By November, Swiss enterprises had launched 11 major projects in Nantong, including Givaudan Flavors (Nantong), with total investment of $45 million; Siegfried (Nantong) Pharmaceuticals, with investment of $131 million; and Syngenta Nantong Crop Protection, with investment of $180 million.

Switzerland is situated along the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. It is also a founding member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, Hoffet said.

People may typically associate Switzerland with watches and tourism, but the country also boasts huge competitive strength in other aspects, he said.

Located in central Europe, Switzerland could serve as an important platform for Chinese businesses to tap the European market, he said.

The country's friendly business environment, sophisticated infrastructure, advanced scientific research capabilities and preferential tax policies have attracted the attention of many Chinese enterprises, he said.

The Swiss consulate in Shanghai has been actively promoting economic cooperation and trade exchanges between the country and Nantong, which have yielded fruit in recent years, said Wang Pujian, director of Nantong’s foreign affairs office.

Hoffet previously visited Nantong in June 2015. The visit by the delegation headed by the consul general showed the consulate's support for the development of Nantong and Swiss enterprises in the city, he said.

Contact the writer through dingcongrong@chinadaily.com.cn