President Xi Jinping will be giving a "strong boost" to relations between China and Switzerland, which already enjoy considerable mutual trust, says Didier Burkhalter, head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland.

"I am confident that President Xi's state visit will be giving a strong boost to our relationship, which is already very good and promising," Burkhalter tells China Daily.

Xi is to visit Switzerland from January 15-18 to deepen the relationship by announcing new measures to boost free trade, cultural exchanges, tourism and financial cooperation.

Switzerland was the first Western nation to recognize the People's Republic of China in January 1950.

"And from that time, our relationship, which is a historic one, has become stronger and stronger with the mutual trust we have rendered," he says.

Switzerland recognized China's market economy status in 2007. In July 2014, the two countries started to implement a free trade agreement and in April 2016, when former president of the Swiss Confederation Johann N. Schneider-Ammann visited China, both sides signed a "partnership of innovation."

Federal Councillor Doris Leuthard took over from Schneider-Ammann as president of the Swiss Confederation from the beginning of this year. Leuthard also visited China in August last year.

Burkhalter says currently both sides enjoy a "very good and promising relationship" with dialogue in various areas such as the economy, finance, environment, culture and human rights.

He also says China and Switzerland have set examples on how to establish a win-win partnership by ironing out differences in their political and social systems.

"The Swiss side is willing to deepen cooperation with China to explore innovation and maintain the global free trade system," says Burkhalter.

Burkhalter adds that his country will also work closely with China in various multilateral areas to become stabilizing factors of the increasingly complex global situation.

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