Political Lens

Beijing, Helsinki agree to expand cooperation, enhance mutual trust

China's top legislator Zhao Leji highlighted on Monday the nation's readiness to expand win-win cooperation with Finland while expressing hope that the Nordic country can help advance ties between China and Europe, during talks with Jussi Halla-aho, the speaker of the Finnish parliament.

Zhao, chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, urged the Finnish side to abide by the one-China principle and further harness political mutual trust.

Halla-aho stressed the willingness of his country to advance pragmatic cooperation on the basis of mutual respect and trust, promote free trade and respond to common challenges.

Wang Huning, chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, also met with Halla-aho on Monday.

China is ready to work with Finland to deepen people-to-people exchanges to enrich the future-oriented new-type cooperative partnership between the two countries, Wang said.

Halla-aho told Wang that China is one of the most dynamic major economies in the world, and that Finland is willing to enhance cooperation with China to boost bilateral ties and Europe-China relations.