"A high-quality FTA agreement between China and Switzerland will also set a good example. It will not only upgrade our business and investment cooperation, but also send a powerful message to the rest of the world that we reject trade and investment protectionism and instead embrace trade liberalization and facilitation," the article said.

Statistics indicate that two-way trade between China and Switzerland exceeded $30 billion in 2011, a record rise of 50 percent compared with that of 2010. Despite the persistent eurozone sovereign debt crisis and uncertainties in the world economy, bilateral trade volume remained as high as $26.3 billion last year.

China is Switzerland's third-largest trading partner behind the EU and the United States, while Switzerland is China's seventh-largest trading partner in Europe.