China''s European Headquarters - Switzerland and China During the Cold War

"From the 1950s on, Sino-Swiss relations were unique for Western Europe. Switzerland's early recognition of China and its neutrality led to a great deal of goodwill in China and extraordinarily amicable relations in the 1950s. China also used its diplomatic missions in Switzerland as political, economic, and cultural hubs for Western Europe and in some cases even for the entire world. For Switzerland, Sino-Swiss relations were supposed to establish Switzerland as an internationally respected, neutral mediating power. However, China mistrusted Swiss neutrality, and it also used Switzerland as a European hub for embargo goods deals. It was only with the Geneva Conference and China's use of 'peaceful coexistence' as the official basis for its foreign policy that Chinese official statements on Swiss neutrality improved"--

About the author

Ariane Knüsel is Associate Researcher at the University of Fribourg and the University of Basel's Europainstitut.

Product details

• Authors: Ariane Knusel, Ariane (University of Fribourg) Knusel, Ariane Knüsel
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press ELT
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 06.02.2025
• EAN: 9781009169479
• ISBN: 978-1-0-0916947-9
• No. of pages: 325
• Series: Cambridge Studies in the History of the People's Republic of China
• Subjects: Non-fiction book > History > Miscellaneous; Social sciences, law, business > Political science > Political science and political education; China, Switzerland, HISTORY / Asia / General, Diplomacy, Asian History, The Cold War, c 1945 to c 2000 (Post-war period), c 1945 to c 1990 (the Cold War period)