Like most countries in the world, Switzerland does not officially recognize Taiwan. But while many industrialized nations have found other channels to develop their relations with the island claimed by Beijing, Switzerland remains reluctant. This reluctance extends to cooperation in areas where Taiwan is a global leader, such as the development of micro- and nanotechnologies.
The Swiss government has so far refused to sign a bilateral agreement to strengthen scientific and technological cooperation with Taiwan, arguing that this would go against the One China policy, which mandates keeping diplomatic relations with only one sovereign state recognized under the name of China. It’s a position that some members of Swiss parliament consider to be short-sighted, also because they view it as geopolitically important for Switzerland to strengthen ties with a threatened democracy that shares its values.
