BEIJING, July 2 (Reuters) - China and Switzerland have agreed to start talks to upgrade their free trade agreement, China's commerce ministry said on Tuesday.

China hopes the Swiss side will adhere to free trade and oppose protectionism and unilateralism, commerce minister Wang Wentao said when meeting with Swiss head of economic affairs Guy Parmelin on Monday, the ministry said. (Reporting by Albee Zhang, Ella Cao and Ryan Woo; Editing by Andrew Heavens)