Life of Guangzhou - Swiss Consulate to Help SMEs, Tourists

The Consulate General of Switzerland, opened in the city late last month, will support small and medium-sized Swiss companies trying to do business in China.

And Consul General Werner E. Nievergelt said the consulate would also assist the increasing number of Chinese travelling to the central European country.

The consulate covers the provinces of Guangdong, Fujian and Hainan and the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

"South China, especially Guangdong and the Pearl River Delta, has become more and more important, not only economically but even for visas," Nievergelt said in an interview with China Daily on Tuesday.

An increasing number of Swiss SMEs are interested in entering China and need the support of a consulate, he said.

"To give our support, we must know what is going on. We must be present in this area where incredible things are going on, with this boom here in South China."

Trade between Switzerland and Guangdong, totalling US.76 billion and growing at a rate of 10.3 per cent year-on-year, accounted for 30.1 per cent of Sino-Swiss trade last year. Trade between Fujian and Switzerland stood at US0.27 million last year.

Actually utilized direct investment from Switzerland into Guangdong reached US3 million between 1979 and 2005. About 100 Swiss companies operate in Guangdong.

The consulate will also aim to attract Chinese companies to Switzerland, especially encouraging them to set up their European headquarters and research facilities there. Foreign investors are entitled to tax incentives, Nievergelt said.

During a recent visit by a Guangdong delegation to Switzerland headed by Governor Huang Huahua, the two sides agreed to advance co-operation in intellectual property rights protection, SMEs, energy conservation and technological innovation.

Meanwhile, Guangdong is the source of about one-third of the Chinese tourists visiting Switzerland, he said, adding "they need information from us." The consulate expects to issue more than 30,000 visas next year.