Deepening Understanding.docVIP

Deepening Understanding 　　Before Chinese President Xi Jinping’s first visit to Switzerland as head of state in mid-January， a series of cultural exchange activities were held in the European country， including a book fair， a photo exhibition and a media dialogue session. 　　When addressing the opening ceremony of the book fair in Geneva on January 9， Jiang Jianguo， Minister of the State Council Information Office， said it was the first China-themed book fair held in 2017 and its aims were to assist Swiss readers to learn more about China and advance Sino-Swiss exchanges. 　　According to one of the book fair’s organizers， China International Publishing Group， the event displayed more than 100 Chinese book titles in various languages，covering a wide range of topics including Chinese politics， economy， culture， society and arts. The books showcase China’s traditional culture， the latest developments in China， and friendly exchanges between China and Switzerland. 　　The Sino-Swiss media dialogue on January 11 attracted dozens of Chinese and Swiss media groups. Representatives from other Western media outlets， including Bloomberg News and Reuters， also participated. While delivering a keynote speech at the event， Minister Jiang expressed his desire for media workers from Switzerland―and other countries―to pay more visits to China. He quoted an old Chinese saying that “it is better to see for oneself rather than to hear for many times.” 　　The Swiss Confederation Government attached great importance to Xi’s visit. In a media release posted on its official website， it said Xi’s state visit to Switzerland is a sign of the ever closer political and economic ties between the two countries. In a recent interview with Beijing Review， Jean-Jacques de Dardel， Swiss Ambassador to China， said the visit of the Chinese president will undoubtedly contribute to upholding the rapidly growing momentum of bilateral relations. 　　In an interview with Chinese media， Chinese Ambassador