The Chinese and Swiss foreign ministers agreed on Tuesday to firmly uphold free trade by promoting the multilateral trading system and fighting against rising trade protectionism.

The stance was made by State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his visiting Swiss counterpart Ignazio Cassis after the first China-Switzerland foreign ministers’ strategic dialogue in Beijing.

The dialogue is the first such strategic mechanism and both countries agreed to build an innovation platform. Wang said China is the first country outside Europe that Cassis has visited since taking office, showing the importance Switzerland has attached to the world’s second-largest economy.

Since diplomatic ties were established in 1950, the two countries have maintained fast-growing exchanges that bring real benefits to both peoples, Wang said. Bilateral relations have also helped boost stable China-EU ties, he said.

Both countries agreed on Tuesday to focus on cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative in addition to financial and economic cooperation. Switzerland will participate in the first China International Import Expo in November in Shanghai.

In 2014, both countries signed a free trade agreement which will soon be upgraded. In 2016, both countries decided to build an innovative strategic partnership.

Presidents from both countries visited the other country in 2017, bringing bilateral ties to a new stage, Wang said. The strategic dialogue was to implement consensuses reached by both presidents, Wang said.

Wang said China also attaches great importance to the European country where a large number of international organizations are headquartered and both sides have reached significant consensuses during the dialogue.

Wang said both countries have enhanced cooperation in economy, finance, technology, culture and winter sports.

Cassis, head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland, said the two countries now have their best-ever relations and Switzerland would like to continue its participation in the Belt and Road Initiative. The two countries should work together to safeguard the multilateral international order centered on the United Nations, he said.

The two foreign ministers also exchanged their views on issues of common concerns such as the situation in Korean Peninsula.