Telegrams commemorate history of Swiss-Chinese relations

In the pre-internet and telephone age, telegrams were the modern means of communication – the digital media of the analogue era. The first short messages date back to the 1830s, when Gauss and Weber developed the first electromagnetic telegraph. This device sends electrical current pulses via a wire, which are transcribed into letters and numbers. In 1837 Samuel Morse invented Morse code, a communication system for sending text characters. Letters and numbers could be represented using dots and dashes. The first official message using Morse code and an electromagnetic telegraph was sent between Washington D.C. and Baltimore in 1844. This ushered in the age of modern long-distance communication.

On 17 January 1950 then President of the Confederation Max Petitpierre sent just such a long-distance missive (dodis.ch/8016) to his Chinese counterpart Mao Zedong. It read “The Swiss government has today officially recognised the central government of the People’s Republic of China, with whom it will soon establish diplomatic relations.” Following the official recognition of the People’s Republic of China, diplomatic relations were established on 14 September 1950. As a result, the Swiss representation in China, which had already existed since 1945, was granted embassy status in 1957.

Mr Petitpierre also wrote that “The Federal Council takes this opportunity to express the wish that the excellent relations that have always existed between China and Switzerland should continue in the future.” And so they did: relations between Switzerland and China have both intensified and diversified over time. Milestones such as the free trade agreement of 2014 and the strategic innovation partnership of 2016, which comprises more than 30 dialogue formats, have since shaped the relationship between the two countries.

The long history of bilateral relations was also reflected in this year’s visit by the head of the FDFA, Ignazio Cassis, to China on 24 and 25 April 2025. This was characterised by political, economic and above all friendly discussions. Mr Cassis also visited the Swiss company Schindler during his stay in China. As the first Western industrial company to establish a joint venture in China, Schindler epitomised the innovative spirit of Swiss entrepreneurship.

Congratulations and words of appreciation on the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations

75 years later, on 14 September 2025, the President of the Swiss Confederation Karin Keller-Sutter and Chinese President Xi Jinping exchanged telegrams to celebrate the anniversary of diplomatic relations between Switzerland and China. In it, both sides acknowledged the long tradition of bilateral relations based on dialogue, openness and mutual respect. With contact at the highest-level and joint initiatives in culture and tourism, the 2025 anniversary year will continue to reflect this burgeoning exchange.