Switzerland looks forward to renewed commitment

"Chinese foreign policy is geared toward multilateralism, openness of market and free trade," he told China Daily in Beijing on Thursday.

"The creation of the AIIB (Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank) is welcome proof of the fact that China is ready to play the game in a multilateral sphere, not only in bilateral relations," he added.

Speaking highly of the speeches made by President Xi Jinping in January during his trip to Switzerland, the ambassador said that he hoped China would continue to be dedicated to openness and free trade.

"The two sessions will bring more substance to what I've heard in Davos, Geneva and Bern very recently," he said.

China is scheduled to hold the annual sessions of the country's top legislature and top political advisory agency in March, during which lawmakers will review the government work report submitted by the State Council, China's Cabinet.

The Swiss ambassador hailed China's Belt and Road Initiative as "a clever move", which he said shows China's "openness, wish to engage the world, and the wish to take on responsibility that goes beyond self-serving aspects of the development of trade".

During his visit to Switzerland, Xi invited his Swiss counterpart Doris Leuthard to attend the Belt and Road international cooperation summit to be held in Beijing in May. The two leaders also witnessed the signing of 10 cooperative documents.

"There is obviously a golden age of our relations," the Swiss ambassador said.

Out of the Chinese government's development priorities - innovation, coordination, the green economy, openness and sharing - three are of particular interest to the Swiss; innovation, the greening of society and openness, he said.

"We see on both sides how important we are to each other in so many different fields - all economic areas, trade, and finance," he said, adding that the two countries could also cooperate on international affairs.