President Xi Jinping hails 'future-oriented new-type' China-Finland cooperative partnership

Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke highly of the relationship between China and Finland, calling it an example of diplomatic relations between countries, during talks with Finnish President Alexander Stubb in Beijing on Tuesday.

"As the world is undergoing accelerated changes unseen in a century and the risks and challenges facing human society are increasing, the future-oriented new-type cooperative partnership between China and Finland holds exceptional value and should be cherished and advanced," Xi told Stubb at the Great Hall of the People.

Xi noted that Finland was one of the first Western countries to establish diplomatic ties with the People's Republic of China and the first Western country to sign an intergovernmental trade agreement with China.

Since the establishment of diplomatic ties, China and Finland have always enjoyed friendly relations based on mutual respect and trust, setting a fine example of state-to-state relations that transcends historical, cultural and institutional differences and promotes equal exchanges, Xi said.

He added that China is willing to work with Finland to strengthen strategic cooperation, carry forward friendly traditions, and further advance the cooperative partnership to better benefit the two countries and peoples and make new contributions to world peace and development.

Xi said the sound and stable development of China-Finland relations in the long term is primarily due to both countries' commitment to mutual respect and equal treatment and accommodating each other's core interests and major concerns.

China welcomes that Finland actively participates in the process of Chinese modernization, expands cooperation with China in emerging industries such as green transformation, information technology, digital economy, artificial intelligence, and new energy, and builds a new pattern of mutually beneficial cooperation for both countries in the new era, he added.

Xi said China is willing to further expand cultural and people-to-people exchanges with Finland, adding that China has decided to include Finland in its unilateral visa exemption policy and welcomes more Finnish citizens to come to China for business, tourism, and study.

Both China and Finland cherish peace and advocate for multilateralism and free trade, he said.

China is ready to strengthen communication and cooperation with Finland on issues such as climate change, biodiversity protection, global sustainable development, and artificial intelligence governance, Xi said.

The two countries should work together to maintain world peace and stability, and advance the building of an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, he added.

Noting that next year marks the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and the European Union (EU), Xi said he hopes that Finland will continue to play a positive role in promoting the sound and stable development of China-EU relations and ensuring mutual promotion and common development between China-Finland and China-EU relations.

Stubb said Finland and China have always respected each other, treated each other with sincerity, and maintained dialogues on an equal footing over the past 74 years since the establishment of diplomatic relations. The bilateral relationship has developed positively, with expanding areas of cooperation and fruitful outcomes, he added.

Finland is committed to the one-China principle and is willing to celebrate the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations with China next year, strengthen high-level exchanges, expand cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and deepen practical cooperation in areas such as trade, green energy, and sustainable development, Stubb said.

He said the Finnish side appreciates China's adherence to the principle of equality among countries, regardless of their size, and the major initiatives proposed by the Chinese president to address various global challenges.

Finland values China's influence and the stabilizing and constructive role it plays in international affairs and stands ready to strengthen multilateral communication and coordination with China to contribute to global peace and stability, Stubb said.

He said the EU-China economic ties are closely interconnected, and neither "decoupling" nor "a new Cold War" serves the interests of either side, adding that Finland is willing to play an active role in promoting the smooth development of EU-China relations.

During Tuesday's talks, both leaders had an in-depth exchange of views on issues such as the Ukraine crisis and the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Xi articulated China's principled position and expressed the willingness to work with relevant parties, including Finland, to continue playing a positive role in promoting a peaceful resolution of these crises.

After the talks, the two heads of state witnessed the signing of several cooperation agreements between China and Finland in areas like education, water resources, environmental protection, circular economy, and agricultural products.

The two sides also issued a joint work plan to advance the future-oriented new-type cooperative partnership between China and Finland between 2025 and 2029.

(With input from Xinhua)