China, Finland to deepen trade ties during Finnish PM's upcoming visit: official

China's Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday it expects new momentum in bilateral economic and trade cooperation during Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo's official visit to China from January 25 to 28.

Finland is an important economic and trade partner of China in Europe and was the first European country to sign an intergovernmental trade agreement with China, a Commerce Ministry official said in response to a media query.

Under the strategic guidance of the two countries' leaders, bilateral cooperation has steadily expanded, according to the official. In 2025, two-way trade exceeded $8 billion, while mutual investment stock topped $23 billion.

Orpo will be accompanied by executives from more than 20 Finnish companies, spanning sectors such as machinery, forestry, innovation, clean energy and food, reflecting Finland's strong willingness to deepen economic ties with China, the official noted. 

China and Finland are also preparing for the sixth meeting of the China-Finland Committee for Innovative Business Cooperation, with around 50 companies expected to take part.

During the visit, China's Ministry of Commerce and the Finnish side will sign a memorandum of understanding on strengthening the committee's work, while companies from both countries are set to conclude multiple commercial agreements, said the official.

Looking ahead, the official said the two sides enjoy strong complementarity and broad cooperation potential in green and innovation-driven development and welcomed businesses from both countries to seize new opportunities created by China's continued high-level opening up.

(Cover: National flags of Finland and China. /VCG)