Delegations of this year's Boao Forum for Asia call for stronger cooperation with Asian nations particularly amid the rise of global protectionism. Earlier, Esko Aho, the Former Prime Minister of Finland sat down with CGTN's Zheng Chunying, where he expressed strong optimism in the cooperation potential between China and Finland.

ZHENG CHUNYING, CGTN Reporter "Let's start with this year's forum, how would you describe the event?"

ZHENG CHUNYING, CGTN Reporter "This year marks the 75th anniversary of the diplomatic relations between China and Finland. What do you consider the most significant milestone in the past seven decades of China-Finland cooperation?"

ZHENG CHUNYING, CGTN Reporter "Both countries have emphasized complementarity in sectors like digital healthcare, clean energy and circular economy. How can Finland leverage its expertise in innovation to deepen partnerships with China in these emerging fields? What more opportunities do you see there?"

ZHENG CHUNYING CGTN Reporter "With Confucius Institutes in Finland and Finnish education models admired in China, what more opportunities for cultural exchanges do you see in the future between the two countries? And how can they deepen mutual trust and counter misperceptions in an era of polarized narratives?"