Zu Ruifu, a Young Man from Zurich: “Chongqing is One of a Kind!”

Zu Ruifu, a Young Man from Zurich: “Chongqing is One of a Kind!”

苏黎世小伙祖睿甫：“重庆独一无二！”

Personal Profile
Raphael ZUMSTEG-YUAN, also known as Zu Ruifu in Chinese, is the legal manager of Chongqing Fenshare Holding Co., Ltd., the operating entity of the SinoSwiss Technopark. He is also the chairman of the Southwest China Chapter of the Swiss Chinese Chamber of Commerce, the president of the Chinese Alumni Association of Geneva University, and a member of the Chongqing Alumni Association of Peking University.

In 2013, Chongqing and Zurich, a Swiss canton, officially became sister cities. The year 2023 celebrates the 10th anniversary of this friendship.

Government and business representatives from both sides have visited each other frequently over the last decade, fostering close communication and exchanges in areas such as financial abilities, innovation, and entrepreneurship. The SinoSwiss Technopark, inaugurated in December 2018, stands as a tangible testament to this fruitful collaboration.

 “Chongqing and Zurich have engaged in numerous exchanges and collaborations, and I hope we can further expand our partnership in the future!” In an exclusive interview with our reporter, Zu Ruifu from Zurich, the legal manager of the SinoSwiss Technopark enthusiastically shared his experiences of participating in the exchanges between the two places, as well as his fulfilling work and life in Chongqing.

 “China Offers Tremendous Development Prospects”

Zu Ruifu possesses a broad range of expertise and is proficient in multiple languages, including German, English, Chinese, and French. He studied economics, philosophy, and law at the University of Bayreuth in Germany and the University of Geneva in Switzerland. In 2018, he came to China to pursue a Master’s degree in Civil and Commercial Law at the Peking University Law School, where he was awarded a scholarship by the Beijing Municipal Government. 

It was during his time at Peking University that he met his wife, Yuan Xiameng. After graduating in 2019, Zu Ruifu settled in Chongqing. Yuan Xiameng, formerly a teacher at Southwest University, was on a job exchange to the China Scholarship Council of the Ministry of Education at that time. It was during this assignment that she crossed paths with Zu Ruifu, who was pursuing his studies at Peking University at the time.
 

“My wife and I came from different countries, so we carefully considered where to live and work after getting married. At that time, we felt that China offered numerous development prospects,” Zu Ruifu said. This is the reason why he chose to stay in China. The couple has enjoyed Chongqing’s lifestyle and found satisfactory careers here.

At the end of 2021, Zu Ruifu joined the SinoSwiss Technopark as a legal manager. His main responsibilities included handling the legal affairs of the company’s cross-border projects and overseeing various international cooperation and investment projects supported or initiated by the company.

Zu Ruifu told us that the SinoSwiss Technopark is actively preparing to establish a Swiss Innovation Center, which will be located in the Zurich Metropolitan Area. It will be the largest overseas investment project of the company, similar to the SinoSwiss Technopark in scale. The project has already completed the site selection and is progressing steadily, with the construction expected to commence next year. Once completed, the center will support Swiss or European Union companies to establish their presence in Chongqing and assist Chongqing companies in entering the Swiss market.

 “Our team has always been committed to building a bridge for economic and cultural communication between China and Switzerland. This innovation center will address the previous disadvantage of lacking physical space for networking activities and offer improved convenience in the future,” Zu Ruifu said. He also expressed that the two physical spaces facilitating the collaboration between the two teams will not only enhance the platform’s effectiveness but also contribute to delivering better services in the uturee.

 “Having Been Sister Cities for 10 Years, We Look Forward to Further Exchanges and Cooperation Between Chongqing and Zurich”

参加2023“中瑞（重庆两江）产业园杯”国际创新创业大赛专业分享讲座。

When talking about his hometown Zurich, Zu Ruifu emphasized finance and livability. He said, “Zurich is the largest city in Switzerland and one of the world’s major financial centers. It has been ranked as one of the most livable cities in the world by the United Nations Human Settlements Programme for many years in a row.”

As for Chongqing, Zu Ruifu mentioned keywords such as mountain city, river city, and Chengdu-Chongqing Twin-Hub Mega-Region. He said, “Chongqing is one of the important cities in southwestern China and plays a pivotal role in the Chengdu-Chongqing Twin-Hub Mega-Region. It is well-developed in terms of economy, finance, logistics, and scientific research.”

He also mentioned that Zurich attaches great importance to its relationship with Chongqing. He showed us some articles published on the Zurich State website, which included reports on forming sister-city relationships with Chongqing and the visit of the Chongqing delegation to the Canton of Zurich in 2018.

Chongqing and Zurich have maintained close exchanges and collaborations since becoming sister cities 10 years ago. This year, Chongqing invited several Zurich companies to participate in the 2023 Smart China Expo and the SinoSwiss Business Incubation Competition.

Zu Ruifu explained that this event is a joint initiative co-hosted by his team and the Canton of Zurich since 2018. This year, his team facilitated invitations for more than 10 Swiss projects to participate in the Smart China Expo and SinoSwiss Business Incubation Competition, some of which are from the Zurich Metropolitan Area.

Currently, Chongqing is accelerating the construction of the Center for International Exchanges in Central and Western China. In Zu Ruifu’s opinion, the construction of English websites, platforms dedicated to foreigners, and the promotion of investment policies in English were all important. At the same time, he also hopes that more direct international flights to and from Chongqing could be established to bring Chongqing closer to the rest of the world. He looks forward to more exchanges and cooperation in the future and helping more Swiss people to know about and choose Chongqing.

 “Chongqing is One of a Kind!”

Having lived and worked in Chongqing for nearly five years, Zu Ruifu has developed a strong love for the city. “I have been to many cities and found them to be quite similar, but Chongqing is truly unique! Each district has completely different characteristics from any other.”
 

“I love this city very much. Whether you are a foreigner or a local, you will find life in Chongqing very convenient and of high quality,” said Zuruifu. He also mentioned that Chongqing not only possesses distinctive characteristics but is also very livable. The city has been undergoing rapid development in recent years. In terms of work, many administrative procedures can be completed online now, and the processes are continually evolving to be more user-friendly. In his day-to-day life, he appreciates the convenience of the local facilities in his neighborhood. He often chats with friendly neighbors and has made many new friends. 

Zu Ruifu enjoys family outings with his wife in his free time. Together, they often ride bicycles, go hiking, and go camping. They have visited many tourist attractions, such as Pianyan Ancient Town, Zhongshan Ancient Town, and Dazu Rock Carvings.

When it comes to Chongqing cuisine, Zu Ruifu’s favorites are Chongqing noodles and hot pot. He said, “The noodles are delicious and are a convenient meal choice for work. I have also become more accustomed to spiciness. I have gradually increased my spiciness endurance from mild to medium when eating hot pot.” 

Zu Ruifu enthusiastically recommended Chongqing, a one-of-a-kind city, to his father and cousin, who have both visited this city before. He took his family to experience the charm of Chongqing in a multi-dimensional way, seeing both the bustling urban city and the beautiful countryside, including attractions such as Chaotianmen, Jiefangbei, the monorail system, the Yangtze River cruise, and Jinyun Mountain.

Zu Ruifu said, “My family and I all love Chongqing very much. In the future, I hope more of my family members will come and visit.” 

人物名片
祖睿甫，中瑞（重庆两江）产业园运营方重庆分享投资有限公司法务经理，中国瑞士商会西南区主席、日内瓦大学中国校友会会长、北京大学重庆校友会会员。

2013年，中国重庆市与瑞士苏黎世州正式建立友好城市关系。2023年，双方迎来建立友城关系十周年。

10年来，双方政商界人士多次互访，在金融人才、创新创业等领域保持着较为密切的交往。2018年12月开园的中瑞（重庆两江）产业园正是双方结好的典型成果之一。

“重庆与苏黎世开展了不少交流合作，我希望未来可以做更多！”本刊记者专访中瑞（重庆两江）产业园法务经理、苏黎世小伙祖睿甫，他欣然讲述参与双方友城交往的故事，以及在重庆充满幸福感的工作与生活。

“中国蕴藏许多发展机会”

祖睿甫专业涉猎广泛，精通德、英、中、法等多国语言。他曾先后在德国拜罗伊特大学和瑞士日内瓦大学学习经济学、哲学和法律。2018年来到中国，在北京大学法学院攻读民商法学硕士研究生，并获得北京市政府奖学金。

正是因为在北大求学期间邂逅了中国女子袁夏梦，2019年祖睿甫从北大毕业后来到重庆定居。袁夏梦是西南大学的老师，被借调到教育部国家留学基金委工作时，与在北大留学的祖睿甫相识。

“我和妻子来自不同国家，所以在一起之后就考虑今后在哪里生活和工作，我们觉得中国蕴藏着许多发展机会。”祖睿甫说，这是他选择留在中国生活的原因。他和妻子都很喜欢重庆，也在这里找到了满意的工作。

2021年底，祖睿甫开始在中瑞（重庆两江）产业园担任法务经理，主要负责公司的跨境法律事务，同时负责由公司支持、发起以及参与的各项国际合作和投资计划等。

祖睿甫介绍，中瑞（重庆两江）产业园正在积极筹建瑞士创新中心，选址在苏黎世大区，是其所在公司规模最大的一个海外投资项目，功能类似于中瑞（重庆两江）产业园，规模相对较小，目前项目已完成选址并稳步推进，预计2024年启动建设。建成后可以帮助瑞士或者欧盟的企业落地重庆，也可以帮助重庆的企业落地瑞士。

“我们团队一直致力于搭建中国与瑞士经济和文化沟通的桥梁，创新中心填补了此前没有物理空间链接的空白。”祖睿甫表示，未来两个物理空间、两个团队的联合，将促进平台发挥更好的作用，提供更优质的服务。

“结好10年，期待重庆与苏黎世开展更多交流合作”

提起家乡苏黎世，祖睿甫说:“苏黎世是瑞士最大的城市，也是世界上最大的金融中心之一，连续多年被联合国人居署评为全球最宜居的城市之一。”

而关于重庆，祖睿甫提到山城、江城、成渝地区双城经济圈等关键词。他说:“重庆是中国西南地区很重要的城市之一，也是成渝地区双城经济圈的重要城市。不管是经济、金融、物流还是科研，都很发达。”

祖睿甫说，苏黎世非常重视与重庆的交往。他向记者展示了苏黎世州网站上发布的精选内容，其中就有与重庆建立友城关系以及2018年重庆市代表团访问苏黎世州的报道。

重庆与苏黎世结好10年来保持着较为密切的交往。重庆还邀请了多家苏黎世的企业来渝参加2023中国国际智能产业博览会及中瑞（重庆两江）产业园杯国际创新创业大赛。

祖睿甫介绍，该赛事正是他们团队自2018年开始和苏黎世州共同举办的活动。2023年协助邀请了十余个瑞士项目来渝参展智博会和创新创业大赛，部分来自苏黎世大区。

当前，重庆正在加快建设中西部国际交往中心。在祖睿甫看来，英文网站、涉外平台建设，以及英文的投资政策宣讲等对于提升城市开放度都很重要。同时，他也希望重庆可以开通更多国际直飞航班，拉近与世界的距离。期待未来开展更多交流合作，让更多瑞士人了解重庆、选择重庆。

“重庆是独一无二的！”

在渝生活工作近5年，祖睿甫对重庆偏爱有加，“我去过很多城市，觉得都差不多，但重庆真的是独一无二的！在重庆，每一个城区都完全不一样。”

“我真的非常喜欢这座城市，无论是外国人还是本地人，都觉得生活很方便，生活质量很高。”祖睿甫说，重庆不仅有特色，还非常宜居，近年来发展迅速。在工作方面，很多行政手续都可以在网上办理，越来越人性化。在生活方面，他的居住地附近生活非常便利，邻居很热情，他结交了不少新朋友。

工作之余，祖睿甫喜欢和妻子外出骑自行车、爬山、露营，偏岩古镇、中山古镇、大足石刻等特色景点都留下了他们的足迹。

说起重庆美食，祖睿甫的最爱是重庆小面、火锅。他说：“小面味道很香，是工作中很方便的一种选择。我对辣度也越来越适应了，吃火锅已经从微辣提高到中辣。”

祖睿甫的父亲和表弟都曾来过重庆，他热情地将“独一无二”的重庆推介给家人。朝天门、解放碑、轨道交通、两江游轮、缙云山……祖睿甫希望他们既看到热闹都市，也看到美丽乡村，立体地感受重庆的魅力。

祖睿甫说：“我的家人和我一样，都非常喜欢重庆。未来，希望更多家人来重庆走走看看。”

部分图片由中瑞（重庆两江）产业园和受访者提供