China does not grant visa to journalist of the newspaper Le Temps
The French-Swiss newspaper Le Temps will not be reporting on Federal Councilor Johann Schneider-Ammann's trip to China because its reporter was unable to obtain a visa. The newspaper criticizes the lack of support from the federal government in Bern.
It was regrettable that the Chinese embassy made such a choice, said the article published Wednesday by Le Temps. The Swiss authorities allowed another country to determine which media could accompany a government member in an official delegation on a visit abroad.
WBF rejects accusations
Schneider-Ammann's delegation includes representatives from business and academia. For Le Temps should have been reported by Asia specialist Frédéric Koller, as the latter confirmed at the request of Keystone-SDA. Schneider-Ammann's Department of Economic Affairs (EAER) rejected the accusation that it had not provided Koller with sufficient support. At the request of the EAER, the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) had asked the Chinese embassy in Bern for an explanation and demanded that Koller be issued the entry visa, said EAER spokesman Erik Reumann. Unfortunately, however, this had not led to the desired result. Five journalists will accompany the trip, including one from the French-speaking part of Switzerland, Reumann said. He regrets that the recognized China specialist Frédéric Koller cannot be there. However, there was no question of canceling the trip.
Koller himself said he did not know why he had not been issued a visa. He had asked the Chinese embassy several times, but had not received an answer. He has never had any problems in the 20 years since he started reporting on China.
According to a communiqué, the journalists' association Imprint was outraged by the denial of the visa. Swiss journalists are not puppets of Beijing. Bern must intervene. The Chinese embassy in Bern said that no information would be given on this matter.
About 50-member delegation
Minister of Economic Affairs Schneider-Ammann has been in China since Wednesday and until and including next Sunday. A delegation of around 50 people is accompanying him on this economic and scientific mission. In Beijing and Shanghai, he wants to establish contacts with the newly formed Chinese government. According to the EAER, China is Switzerland's most important economic partner in Asia. The trade volume of 37 billion Swiss francs in 2017 is only surpassed by trade with the EU and the USA. (SDA)
