Interview: Finnish PM says "fruitful" China visit has set course for "future-oriented" ties

BEIJING, Jan. 31 (Xinhua) -- The cooperation potential between Finland and China in fields such as clean energy and green transition is steadily unfolding, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua in Beijing on Wednesday.

He noted that as an EU member, Finland is committed to maintaining sustained dialogue with China.

Orpo visited China from Jan. 25 to 28 -- the first official visit a Finnish prime minister has made to the country in 17 years.

During his stay, he attended multiple meetings with Chinese leaders. Noting that these meetings have been "fruitful," Orpo said that the in-depth discussions have enhanced mutual understanding.

Finland was one of the first countries to establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China, doing so in 1950.

In recent years, the future-oriented new-type cooperative partnership between the two countries has continued to grow, with practical cooperation across various fields seeing steady progress.

"This 'future-oriented' perspective is very important," Orpo said.

More than a decade ago, he visited China as Finland's minister of agriculture and forestry. Over the years, he has followed what is happening in China closely, watching areas such as sustainable development and climate change response.

"Today, China is the world leader in clean energy solutions," he said, adding that likewise, Finland has high-level green transition technology.

"It's very important to cooperate," Orpo said, adding that the high-level cooperation on clean energy and green transition between Finland and China provides broad prospects for bilateral economic and trade exchange, and contributes significantly to solving global problems in tackling climate change.

Upon his arrival in Beijing on Jan. 25, Orpo said on social media that he aimed to explore opportunities for Finnish companies and promote Finnish exports to the Asian market.

Representatives from Finnish companies in sectors such as machinery, forestry, innovation, clean energy and food joined him on the visit, signing 11 cooperation agreements with Chinese companies. Orpo called it "wonderful."

The two governments signed cooperation documents covering science and technology, housing and urban-rural development, customs, culture and tourism, economy and trade, and energy.

"It's very good to continue our bright future in each cooperation," he said.

The prime minister also noted that cooperation between the two countries in architecture and design holds significant promise, citing the presence of several contemporary Finnish firms in China which are renowned for their high-quality design solutions.

In 2002, Orpo traveled to China with his family. Noting how Beijing has since changed, he remarked, "It's amazing to see how it has grown. And it's a very modern metropolis today."

During his recent visit, he made a special trip to the Forbidden City. "This 600-year-old historical place sits right in the middle of this gigantic city filled with skyscrapers. It was stunning even before arriving," he said.

As a winter sports powerhouse, Finland shares common ground with China, which has also grown into a major force in the arena of ice and snow sports. Having witnessed the enthusiasm of the Chinese people for winter sports firsthand, Orpo extended a sincere invitation: "We warmly welcome more Chinese tourists to visit Finland."

On EU-China relations, Orpo said that Finland is an active member of EU. "The EU-China relationship is crucial for Finland."

Both sides should be committed to reducing barriers, lowering tariffs and promoting free trade to fully unleash their cooperation potential, he added.

Regarding recent developments concerning Greenland, Orpo said that Finland is an Arctic country and that arctic security is a very important issue for Finland.

"I have been in close contact with Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen. It's clear for us that nothing can be decided on Greenland or Denmark without Greenland or Denmark," he said. "Therefore, it is important that the United States, Greenland and Denmark continue their discussion on this issue."

After a packed four-day visit, Orpo departed China by plane on Jan. 28. Finnish Ambassador to China Mikko Kinnunen, who saw the prime minister off at the airport, said, "I think the prime minister is very satisfied."

He quoted Orpo as saying, "I'm exhausted in a very positive way because I feel that I have been doing something very useful for Finnish companies and for Finland." ■