Shanghai
Shanghai is the economic hub of the People’s Republic of China and one of the world’s largest cities. The cooperation that has been in place since 2007 has primarily targeted the positioning of Basel as a research and industrial centre for the life sciences.
As a result of political trends and the very restrictive measures adopted during the Covid-19 pandemic, cooperation and the exchange of ideas has dwindled in recent years. In the education sector, there is still a fundamental interest in exchange programmes, also in the sense of strengthening China competency.
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- 15. April 2021: Signing the Memorandum of Understanding 2021-2023
As well as shared interests, the partnership also advocates the core values and fundamental rights adopted in Switzerland such as democracy, the rule of law and human rights. This course of action coincides with the main thrust of Switzerland’s China strategy and is supported by the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs.
Memorandum of Understanding
The city partnership of Basel and Shanghai is based on a partnership contract that was signed in Shanghai on the 19th November 2007. This agreement is valid for an indefinite period. The specific areas of cooperation are each defined in a fixed-term memorandum of understanding.
As a result of political trends and the very restrictive measures adopted until recently on the occasion of the Covid-19 pandemic, cooperation and the exchange of ideas has dwindled in recent years and it also proved impossible to pursue many of the planned activities.
The MoU for the years 2021 to 2023 was signed on 15 April 2021 during a video conference between the former President of the Government Beat Jans and Shanghai Mayor Gong Zheng.