GENEVA, (Reuters) – Switzerland’s efforts to renew its free trade agreements with China are in stalemate as Bern views Beijing’s record on human rights more critically. Swiss newspapers reported this Sunday.

China and Switzerland signed an agreement for free trade in 2013. This was Beijing’s first deal of its kind with a country in Europe. This was a mutually-beneficial pact that aims to increase trade between both economies.

Switzerland is trying to improve the accord in order to increase tariff reductions for more Swiss products, and expand it to incorporate sustainability aspects. The newspapers reported that Beijing was not interested in updating the accord.

According to the statement by Switzerland’s State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, “So far it is not possible to reach a consensus on a list of topics that should have been explored in greater detail,” SonntagsBlick reported.

China’s foreign minister did not respond immediately to an inquiry outside of normal working hours.

NZZ am Sonntag reported that Switzerland has become increasingly critical of China’s record on human rights.

Recent legislation passed in Switzerland by the National Council’s Legal Affairs Committee condemned Uyghur forced labour in Northwest China.

Rights groups and western states accuse Xinjiang of torturing Uyghurs in camps and detaining them. Beijing refutes the allegations and describes the camps in its own words as vocational training facilities for religious extremism.

Jean-Philippe Kohl is the head of economic policies at Swissmem. He told NZZ am Sonntag Switzerland should maintain quiet diplomacy about China’s record on human rights.

He stated that if we as small economies continue to point out rebuke at China then nothing will change except for the fact that the relations between the two countries will ultimately end.”