On January 1, 2026, President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message to new President of the Swiss Confederation Guy Parmelin on his assuming presidency of the Swiss Confederation.

Xi Jinping recalled that during his state visit to Switzerland in 2017, the two countries announced the launch of a joint study on upgrading the Free Trade Agreement (FTA), and that under President Guy Parmelin's efforts, negotiations on the FTA upgrade have made positive progress. At present, unilateralism and protectionism are on the rise, and joint efforts by the two countries to support free trade are a vivid reflection of the high-level development of China-Switzerland relations, injecting more certainty and stability into global development and prosperity. The year 2026 marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the China-Switzerland innovative strategic partnership and also the first year of China's 15th Five-Year Plan, presenting broad opportunities for innovative cooperation between the two countries. Xi Jinping said he attaches great importance to the development of China-Switzerland relations, and stands ready to work with President Guy Parmelin to continuously expand mutually beneficial cooperation and elevate China-Switzerland relations to new heights for the greater benefit of the two peoples.