On the occasion of the Swiss National Day, I would like to convey my best wishes to the valued readers of Taipei Times.
As we live nowadays in a time of fundamental changes in our societies and economies, the most dominant characteristic of the radical changes is globalization with its consequences, which will be subject to a great challenge everywhere. This is particularly referring to Switzerland, which has often been regarded as a "special case" or as a myth.
Due to its policy of neutrality, Switzerland has traditionally shown reluctance towards integration with the European Union. However, the primary purpose of the Swiss government is still to prevent Switzerland's political, economic and cultural isolation within Europe, while at the same time strengthening the Swiss competitive position.
As of June 1 of this year, at present, the bilateral agreement with the EU (on overland transport, civil aviation, free movement of persons, research, public procurement, technical barriers to trade and agricultural products) became effective that will limit economic disadvantages after the Swiss rejected to join the European Economic Area.
In a second round, negotiations on the so-called "leftovers" (prevention of fraud, processed agricultural products, environment and statistics, reinforced cooperation in the Schengen/Dublin agreement, education/professional training, youth, media, services and taxation of interest on income) have begun.
After two generations of debate and two national referendums (the first one was turned down in 1986) Switzerland decided to take the bold step of joining the United Nations, a true milestone in its history of neutrality. On Sept. 10, Switzerland is likely to become the 190th member of the UN.
Incidentally, much of the UN has already called Geneva its home, namely 19 intergovernmental organizations, including nine UN bodies, and the Swiss government has been actively participating in UN agencies for quite some time. Financial contributions have reached some US$500 million annually.
As a full member of the UN Switzerland will mainly focus on humanitarian issues and the protection of the environment. The policy of neutrality will become an integral part of the Swiss UN policy.
The Swiss economic base looks more solid after a longer period of economic recession in the 1990s and restructuring in order to face global competition. Switzerland has established a successful export industry which features a large diversity of various sectors and products. The lack of natural resources and the geographical situation as a landlocked country with a small domestic market, even in the early ages of industrialization, forced the country to look for markets abroad for its goods and services.
The strong orientation towards exports led to a specialization with a high-value added content. Swiss companies have become international leaders in various industries such as machinery, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, watches and precision instruments owing to innovation and perseverance.
Here in Taiwan over 80 Swiss companies have become active through investments and Switzerland ranks 4th among European investors. The rapid industrial development of Taiwan over the past 20 years has resulted in an enormous increase of our two-way trade.
Taiwan has become one of the most important markets for Swiss products in East Asia, while Switzerland is the most important European buyer of Taiwan-made products outside of the EU on a per-capita basis. In 2001, exports to Taiwan exceeded US$800 million and imports from Taiwan amounted to over US$500 million. This strong presence underlines the dynamism of its industry in this important market.
Switzerland and Taiwan have quite a number of factors in common such as their size, topography, lack of natural resources, export-oriented industries comprising mainly small- and medium-sized companies, taste for risk and the spirit of enterprise as well as respect for tradition. Its economies are complementary to each other, leaving ample room for exchanges and representing common interests either bilaterally or on an international level to further a free system of trade.
Tourism from Taiwan to Europe has been growing steadily over the years and Switzerland has become the prime European destination. In 2001, the number of Taiwanese tourists to Switzerland exceeded 50,000. Nowadays, an increasing number of Taiwanese students also find their way to study at one of the reputable private boarding schools and hotel management schools.
TOSI was established in 1982 to promote bilateral trade and economic ties between Switzerland and Taiwan. It adapted its services through the past years to meet the increasing demand and the requirements of a rapidly changing environment. It will strive to further promote academic, cultural and scientific exchanges, which play an ever important role in furthering contacts between people from Switzerland and Taiwan.
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