Potential of Beijing-Helsinki relations hailed ahead of Finnish PM's visit

China is willing to work with Finland to deepen cooperation in areas including the green transition, information technology and the digital economy, a Ministry of Commerce spokesperson said on Thursday, following confirmation of Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo's upcoming visit to China.

At the invitation of Premier Li Qiang, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo will pay an official visit to China from Sunday to Wednesday, the Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday.

"Finland is an important economic and trade partner for China in Europe, and was the first European country to sign an intergovernmental trade agreement with China," said a spokesperson for the commerce ministry.

In 2025, bilateral trade between China and Finland exceeded $8 billion, while two-way investment stock surpassed $23 billion, data from the ministry showed.

The spokesperson noted that Orpo will lead a delegation of over 20 senior executives from Finnish companies, including the key sectors of machinery, forestry, innovation, clean energy, and food, which fully demonstrates Finland's strong willingness to deepen bilateral economic and trade relations.

"Looking ahead, China and Finland enjoy strong complementarities and significant cooperation potential in areas such as green development and innovation," the spokesperson said.

Enterprises from both countries are welcome to seize the new opportunities arising from China's unwavering commitment to high-level opening-up and further deepen cooperation in green transition, information technology, the digital economy and other fields, the spokesperson added.

wangkeju@chinadaily.com.cn