Smartly Coordinating Pluralism or Disharmonious Principle of Non-Interference?

An Analysis of Coherence in Switzerland’s China Policy

Abstract

This article addresses the question of how the plurality of actors and subjects in Swiss China policy at the executive level affects the coherence of foreign policy towards China at the strategic policy level. The analysis is based on a legal and qualitative examination of the institutional foundations, evaluates the content of the relevant strategy papers and primary sources from the federal administration, while qualitative interviews allow it to be contextualized in the area of China policy. The results show that the legal basis favors the plurality of actors in Swiss China policy and thus the independence of the actors, which means that interdepartmental cooperation and the constellation of parties and persons in the Federal Council play an important role. Together with the vague overall strategic concept of the Federal Constitution, this ultimately promotes the emergence of intentional incoherence in the sense of different China policies within the federal executive.