CPAFFC Confers Title of Friendship Ambassador on SCA President Dr.Thomas Wagner

On the evening of March 7, the CPAFFC held a grand ceremony to confer the title of Friendship Ambassador on Dr. Thomas Wagner, president of the Switzerland-China Association (SCA). Chen Haosu, president of the CPAFFC; Jing Dunquan, vice-president of the CPAFFC; Wang Hanbin, former vice chairman of the Standing Committee of the NPC; Wang Guangtao, chairman of the NPC Environment Protection and Resources Conservation Committee; Xia Deren, mayor of Dalian; Wu Qidi, member of the NPCEducation, Science, Culture and Public Health Committee; Wang Xiaoguang, vice mayor of Kunming; former Chinese ambassadors to Switzerland and former Chinese consuls general to Zurich as well as diplomats from the Swiss Embassy in China, totaling about 80, attended the ceremony.

In his speech, President Chen Haosu said, Switzerland established diplomatic relations with China soon after the founding of the People’s Republic of China. Thanks to the concerted efforts made by both sides, the relations between the two countries have stood all kinds of tests. Friendly exchanges and cooperation have developed in greater depth and broader range, and Sino-Swiss friendship has stricken deep roots in the hearts of the two peoples. This year, shortly after the Chinese lunar New Year, Premier Wen Jiabao started a European tour, known as the “journey of confidence”, and made Switzerland the first stop of his tour which is a good demonstration of our friendship and necessity of enhancing future bilateral cooperation. Just as Premier Wen pointed out, Switzerland has shown strategic insight and pioneering spirit in developing friendly relations and mutually beneficial cooperation with China, playing a special role in promoting China-EU relations. Numerous friendly personages have made unremitting efforts and active contributions to the balanced and smooth development of Sino-Swiss relations over the past 60 years. And Dr. Thomas Wagner stands out to be the most prominent figure among them. He has a deep affection for the Chinese people, and has made important contributions to promoting exchanges and cooperative relationship between the two countries despite their distinctively different political, historical, language and cultural features. By conferring the title of Friendship Ambassador, the CPAFFC would like to thank and commend Dr. Wagner for playing an active role in the cause of people-to-people friendship between China and Switzerland.

In his thank-you speech, Dr. Thomas Wagner expressed his sincere appreciation for being given such recognition. He said, through years of cooperation with China, a valuable network has been formed which includes many associations, universities and departments that have helped open precious gates in China. The CPAFFC is one of these gates. For more than 20 years, President Chen Haosu and many other collaborators have pushed and greatly supported the successful implementation of a large number of cultural, economic, science and tourist projects in which he has engaged. For this he feels incomparable warmth. Dr. Wagner also said, he wants to contribute to the building of a harmonious society together with his Chinese friends, hand in hand.

At the celebration reception afterwards, Vice President Jing Dunquan proposed a toast. He said, the CPAFFC will, as always, devote itself to the cause of enhancing friendship, expanding international exchanges and promoting the building of a harmonious world. We look forward to having more dear friends like Dr. Thomas Wagner, who cherish good will towards China and its people and sincerely work as envoys for mutual exchanges.

Graduated from the University of Zurich, Dr. Thomas Wagner served as the mayor of Zurich from 1982 to 1990 and the first vice mayor of Zurich from 1990 to 2002. Since 2000, he has been president of the Switzerland-China Association, one of the major friendship-with-China organizations in Switzerland.

In his term of office as the mayor and the first vice mayor of Zurich, Dr. Thomas Wagner actively involved in the friendly exchanges between Zurich and the Chinese local governments. Thanks to his initiative and efforts, Zurich and Kunming established friendship-city relations. After that, the two cities have conducted fruitful cooperation in the fields of culture, science and technology, business and city planning. The pair has become a model of friendship cities in cooperation between China and Switzerland. In recognition of his outstanding contribution, the municipal government of Kunming has conferred on Dr. Thomas Wagner the title of Honorary Citizen. He has also been given the title of Honorary Citizen of Dalian for his active participation in planning the Summer Davos of the World Economic Forum hosted by Dalian.

During his decades of contact with China, Dr. Wagner has maintained good relationship with government departments at various levels, academic organizations and friendship associations. He has actively offered advice on various governmental and nongovernmental cooperation and exchange projects between China and Switzerland. He was a member of the Coordination Commission of the Swiss Federal Foreign Ministry for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, and is member of the Organizing Committee of the 2010 Shanghai World Expo. He also works as adviser on Chinese affairs to many Swiss multinational corporations. Owing to his close cooperation with Chinese academic and education circles, he has been engaged as honorary professor by Shanghai Tongji University and Kunming University.

Since he became the mayor of Zurich, Dr. Wagner has maintained a good cooperative relationship with the CPAFFC; and especially in his presidency of the SCA, he has acted as a link in the people-to-people friendly exchanges conducted by the CPAFFC.

At the reception, musicians from the Red Star Art Troupe of the PLA Academy of Arts performed Chinese and Swiss folk music. Reporters from the People’s Daily Overseas Edition, China Radio International, Neue Zuricher Zeitung and other media reported the ceremony.