Finland PM's visit sees inking of slew of deals

A slew of business agreements signed during Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo's visit to China has underscored the Nordic country's readiness to expand economic engagement with Beijing, the nation's top envoy to Beijing said on Wednesday.

Within a short period of time, more than 20 Finnish companies decided to join the prime minister's four-day official visit to China, which concluded on Wednesday, and the visit was "positive" and "successful", Finnish Ambassador to China Mikko Kinnunen told a news conference.

"That is an indication that Finnish companies are committed to long-term collaboration with their Chinese counterparts," Kinnunen said.

During Orpo's trip, 11 cooperation agreements and six memorandums of understanding were signed, covering areas, including paper manufacturing, mining equipment, biomedicine, meat exports and tourism, according to the ambassador.

Beyond trade, Finland and China cooperate in various ways to mitigate climate change and promote green transition, which is a particularly positive area in bilateral relations, he said.

Kinnunen noted that high-level visits create opportunities to finalize cooperation documents. "I would always encourage companies to see if they have any agreements that are almost ready, because high-level visits are a good time to get things signed," he said, adding that governments should also aim at advancing "practically necessary and important" matters during such occasions.

The China-Finland economic relationship rests on a stable and expanding trade base. In 2025, bilateral trade exceeded $8 billion, while two-way investment stock topped $23 billion, according to the Ministry of Commerce.

Kinnunen quoted Orpo as saying he was "exhausted in a very positive way" regarding the visit, adding that Finland and China have long, strong and solid relations because they have constant dialogue between the top leaders of the two countries, even on issues they see differently, and that will benefit the good functioning of bilateral relations.

"It is extremely important to be able to convey Finland's views and policies on certain important issues, and it is important to learn how China views, what does China think on different questions that we have on the table," he said.

Speaking of the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-30), the ambassador said it has drawn interest and expectations from Finnish businesses, and Finnish companies are studying it.

The plan aims to further improve business conditions for foreign enterprises and to attract more investment, which are "good and noble" objectives, he said.

He said that rising consumer demand in China is also being closely watched by European companies.

If consumption is increased and stimulated, it could create greater opportunities for European products to enter the Chinese market, he said.

zhoujin@chinadaily.com.cn