Editor's Note: Hu Hong is an assistant research fellow at the Department of European Studies, China Institute of International Studies. The article reflects the author's opinion, and not necessarily the views of CGTN.
Finnish President Sauli Niinisto paid a state visit to China from January 13 to 16. Compared with other diplomatic events, such as the Sino-U.S. trade negotiations, DPRK leader Kim Jong Un's visit to China, Niinisto's China trip seems less eye-catching, but this doesn't indicate that the visit is of less significance.
As a matter of fact, Niinisto's trip has further consolidated China-Finland bilateral relations and has more far reaching influence beyond.
“A future-oriented new-type of cooperative partnership” is a highlight of President Niinisto's visit. During President Xi Jinping's visit to Finland in 2017, both countries decided to establish a future-oriented new-type of cooperative partnership.
During Niinisto's visit, the two sides published a joint action plan (2019-2023) on promoting the partnership. Compared with the joint communique published in 2017, this joint action plan goes more into details and thus provides guidance and concrete measures on bilateral cooperation.
The joint action plan is dedicated at forging political and economic exchanges, accelerating sustainable growth, expanding connectivity and promoting social equality.
To better implement the plan, the two countries will conduct a mid-term review on the progress in 2021 and decide how to renew it in 2023. Such a detailed joint action plan is not commonly seen in Chinese foreign relations. With this plan, as it says, China and Finland will strengthen pragmatic and result-oriented cooperation.
2019 China-Finland Year of Winter Sports in Beijing, January 15. /VCG Photo
Among all the items listed in the joint action plan, some specific aspects were repeatedly highlighted during Niinisto's China stay, suggesting the emphasis of the future China-Finland relations.
Winter sports has been a greatly important aspect of the visit. After the Xi-Niinisto meeting, the two countries jointly launched the 2019 China-Finland Year of Winter Sports. Finland, with its distinctive culture, industry and experiences, has unique advantages in winter sports, having won 162 medals in Winter Olympic Games.
As Beijing will host the Games in 2022, support from Finland will be very valuable in organizing the event and cultivating a more mature winter sports industry. As President Xi said, the 2019 China-Finland Year of Winter Sports will “boost the two countries' sports cooperation, inject new vitality to people-to-people exchanges, and further advance the future-oriented new-type cooperative partnership between China and Finland.”
Sustainable development is another issue for which both countries share interests. Apart from high-level official meetings, Niinisto was also present at the Cooling our Planet seminar where the Finnish president delivered a keynote speech and expressed his desire to strengthen multi-layer and multi-area environmental cooperation with China. Sustainability is at the core of China-Finland cooperation which ranges from the Belt and Road Initiative, technology to collaborations in the Arctic region.
President Niinisto addresses the opening of COP24 UN Climate Change Conference in Katowice, Poland, December 3, 2018. /VCG Photo
China-European Union (EU) relationship is a topic that cannot be bypassed in Niinisto's visit. Both leaders expressed the willingness to further consolidate and develop the China-EU relations.
As the rotating presidency of the EU in the second half of this year, Finland will play an even more important role in the China-EU relations this year. As the EU will have the European Parliament election this May, which will lead to the formation of the new EU government later this year, Finland, rotating EU presidency, will help direct the China-EU relations to a stable and healthy path.
While China-related affairs are always politicized and exploited as an ideological weapon against the country, Niinisto's China visit, focusing on pragmatic cooperation, exemplifies what a mature and forward-looking international relationship should be. This visit serves as the cornerstone for both China and Finland to forge the future-oriented new-type of cooperative partnership.
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