Chinese President Xi Jinping (L, front) holds a welcoming ceremony for Swiss President Johann Schneider-Ammann before their talks in Beijing, China, April 8, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

Xi said Switzerland is one of the first European countries to recognize China's market economy status and the first country in continental Europe to reach an FTA with China.

China hopes that Switzerland continues to support the development of China-Europe relationship so as to bring the practical cooperation in various fields to a new level, said Xi.

Schneider-Ammann, for his part, said Switzerland and China have maintained good relationship in the principle of mutual respect since the two countries forged diplomatic ties in 1950.

Speaking highly of the rapid development of bilateral cooperation in areas including economy and trade, investment and finance in recent years, Schneider-Ammann said Switzerland is satisfied with the implementation of the FTA and glad that bilateral cooperation has entered a new era of innovative strategic partnership.

He expressed the hope to further enhance exchanges and cooperation with China in areas such as science and technology, innovation, environmental protection, finance, culture, education and sports.

Switzerland is willing to actively participate in the Belt and Road Initiative and the construction of the AIIB, he said.

In the joint statement issued after their talks, the two sides agreed that it is in line with the fundamental interests of the two nations and their people to deepen bilateral innovative cooperation, which is of long-term and strategic significance.

The two sides should develop their new partnership on the basis of mutual respect and equality, it added.

To achieve the objective, the two sides agreed to strengthen high-level exchanges, expand consensus and cement political mutual trust, said the document.

The two sides should deepen mutual understanding on each other's choice of development path and accommodate each other's core interests, it said.

China respects the positive role played by Switzerland's policy of neutrality in coping with international crisis, and Switzerland reaffirms its adherence to the one-China policy.