May the Light of China-Finland Friendship Shine on a Brighter Future

On October 28, 1950, China and Finland formally established diplomatic relations and we celebrate the 75th anniversary today. It is of great significance to the healthy and stable development of China-Finland relations to look back on the past and look forward to the future at this new historical juncture.

Over the past 75 years, China and Finland have all along upheld mutual respect, enhancing our political mutual trust continuously. Finland was among the first western countries to establish diplomatic relations with China, and one of the few western countries that supported the restoration of the People’s Republic of China’s lawful seat in the United Nations in the early 1970s. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations, China and Finland have always enjoyed friendly relations based on mutual respect and trust, setting a fine example of state-to-state relations that rise above historical, cultural and institutional differences, and promote equal exchanges. Since the commencement of the new era, under the strategic guidance of our heads of state, China-Finland relations have maintained a steady momentum of development. In particular, President Stubb paid a successful state visit to China in October last year, during which President Xi Jinping held talks with him and both reached a series of important consensuses. The two parties issued the Joint Action Plan between China and Finland on Promoting the Future-oriented New-type Cooperative Partnership 2025-2029, charting the course for our bilateral relations and cooperation in various fields. Last April, Speaker of the Finnish parliament Halla-aho also visited China successfully, extending the friendly tradition of close exchanges between the legislative bodies of our two countries. Finland has repeatedly reiterated and pledged its adherence to the one-China principle, emphasizing that the Government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China. China highly appreciates it.

Over the past 75 years, China and Finland have all along upheld the spirit of mutual benefit and win-win, achieving fruitful outcomes in our practical cooperation. Finland was the first western country to sign an intergovernmental trade agreement with China, and China-Finland practical cooperation got off to an early start, yielded fruitful results and enjoys great potential. Thanks to the joint efforts of both parties, cooperation mechanisms such as the China-Finland Economic and Trade Joint Committee, the China-Finland Joint Committee on Science and Technology Cooperation, and the China-Finland High-tech Matchmaking Event have been operating smoothly. In 2024, China-Finland trade amounted to €14.121 billion, a year-on-year increase of 7.5% despite a sluggish global economic recovery, accounting for 6.14% of Finland’s total foreign trade of the year. China is Finland’s fourth-largest trading partner and has been Finland’s largest trading partner in Asia for over 20 consecutive years. Over 200 Finnish companies, including Nokia, KONE and UPM, have invested and established businesses in China; Chinese companies such as Huawei, Easpring Material Technology, and COSCO SHIPPING Lines, have also been investing and carrying out cooperation projects in Finland, bringing tangible benefits to the peoples of both countries in the development of our respective economies, in the improvement of our livelihoods, and in the enhancement of connectivity. China and Finland have conducted about 80 collaborative projects in meteorology science and technology including in the fields of environmental meteorology and climate change, thus jointly contributing wisdom and strength to addressing climate change and promoting global development. With China enjoying the largest and most comprehensive industrial system in the world and a super-large market, and Finland enjoying unique advantages in green transformation, the prospects and potential for China-Finland cooperation in emerging industries such as green development, information technology, digital economy, artificial intelligence and new energy are vast and enormous. The recently concluded Forth Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China has mapped out systematic reform plans for further deepening reform and promoting Chinese modernization, and China’s 15th Five-Year Plan from there will bring new impetus and opportunities to China-Finland cooperation and global development.

Over the past 75 years, China and Finland have all along upheld openness and inclusiveness, and people-to-people exchanges are more and more frequent. From the 1952 Helsinki Olympics, when the People’s Republic of China sent its delegation and took part in the Olympics for the first time, to the 2019 China-Finland Year of Winter Sports, and to the outstanding performance of the Finnish delegation at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, the two parties have conducted comprehensive exchanges and cooperation in winter sports and relevant industry. Today, more and more Chinese tourists visit Rovaniemi to enjoy the magnificent polar scenery and aurora, and interact closely with the “Santa Claus”. According to Visit Finland, China was Finland’s largest source of tourists from Asia in 2024, and Chinese tourists spent an average of €1,435 per visit, topping spending rankings among international visitors to Finland. More and more Finnish people are learning Chinese to appreciate both the ancient Chinese civilization and its modern charm. Chinese language class is available in Finnish universities, middle schools and primary schools, and the “Happy Chinese New Year in Finland” event has been successfully held for 19 consecutive years, bringing various cultural exhibitions, performances, and intangible cultural heritage to Finnish cities and schools, adding vibrant color to the winter seasons in Finland.

Both China and Finland love peace and advocate multilateralism and free trade. Currently, the world is undergoing accelerated changes unseen in a century, the risks and challenges facing human society are increasing and unilateralism and protectionism are on the rise. The international community should strengthen solidarity and jointly address these risks and challenges. At the “Shanghai Cooperation Organization Plus” meeting this year, President Xi Jinping proposed the Global Governance Initiative, which advocates that countries in the world adhere to sovereign equality, abide by international law, practice multilateralism, advocate the people-centered approach, and focus on taking real actions. The Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, Global Civilization Initiative and Global Governance Initiative proposed by China all align with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter and respond to the common aspiration of the great majority of countries. China stands ready to work with all countries, including Finland, to jointly promote the building of an equal and orderly multipolar world and a universally beneficial and inclusive economic globalization, so as to open up new prospects of peace, development, and win-win cooperation in the world.

It has been three and a half years since I was posted to Finland, and I have by now visited over ten cities across the country, during which I was deeply impressed by the tranquility of Finland’s natural scenery and the modesty and friendliness of its people. Through my extensive interactions with people from all walks of life in Finland, I have learned many stories of working, living, and studying life of Finnish friends in China, and pieces of their beautiful experiences during the interactions with the Chinese people. The Chinese and Finnish peoples both possess a character featured with diligence, enthusiasm and sincerity, and their shared expectations for the development of China-Finland relations have left me greatly encouraged. As the saying goes, “The key to state-to-state relations lies in close bonds between peoples.” We welcome more Finnish friends to visit China and experience a true and open China that is forging ahead in unity with full vigor and vitality.

As a Finnish proverb goes: “Vanha saapas ja vanha ystävä ovat rakkaimmat (Old friends are the dearest, just like old boots)”, a Chinese verse also goes that “True friendship, like refined gold, withstands all tests of time.” Over the past 75 years and after a long and thriving history, China-Finland relations are featured with growth and achievements and are worthy of being dearly cherished by both parties. On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Finland, China stands ready to join hands with Finland to carry forward the original aspiration in establishing our diplomatic relations, continue our traditional friendship, expand our exchanges at all levels, deepen our practical cooperation in various fields, and jointly safeguard world peace and stability, so as to press ahead with the Future-oriented New-type Cooperative Partnership between China and Finland, giving the light of China-Finland friendship full play to shine on a brighter future.

Notes: The writer is the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Finland. It is a collaborating content by the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China, Finland.