Finnish President Alexander Stubb's visit to China from October 28-31 reflects an effort to elevate the framework for cooperation in a volatile world .
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| Chinese President Xi Jinping shakes hands with Finnish President Alexander Stubb at the Great Hall of the People on October 29. (Source: Xinhua/Wang Ye) |
The visit took place on the 74th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries (October 28, 1950 – October 28, 2024), and also marked the first visit by a Finnish leader to China in five years and after Helsinki joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
At the same time, it demonstrates efforts to promote bilateral relations amidst a complex and changing global situation. During the visit, leaders from both sides focused on trade cooperation, seizing investment opportunities, cooperation in technology, commerce, sustainable development, smart city building, and pressing regional and international issues, with conflict resolution as a central focus.
From "typical" to "new style"
This objective was clearly reflected in the composition of the delegation, the work schedule, and the content of the discussions between the high-ranking leaders of the two countries. Accompanying Mr. Stubb on this visit to China were Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen, Minister of Climate and Environment Kai Mykkänen, Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Sari Essayah, MP Ville Skinnari, MP Sakari Puisto, and many other high-ranking officials and business representatives.
In addition to his crucial meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the afternoon of October 29th, Mr. Stubb also had a relatively busy schedule. Earlier that morning, the politician attended the announcement ceremony for a project on the development of applied science between Tsinghua University and Finnish universities.
Mr. Stubb and Chinese Vice President Han Zheng attended a meeting of the China-Finland Committee on Creative Enterprise Cooperation, discussing the potential for building cross-border business partnerships in various fields ranging from energy and environment to healthcare and digital technology development.
In Shanghai, the distinguished guest from Europe addressed global security and multilateralism in a speech at Fudan University, met with students and experts at the Nordic Center, before concluding the visit with a business seminar organized by the Finnish Consulate General, the Finnish Business Association, and the Federation of Finnish Industries, focusing on investment opportunities in both countries.
Most of these activities focused on cooperation in trade, science and technology, sustainable development, environmental protection, and people-to-people exchanges. The meeting between President Alexander Stubb and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the afternoon of October 29th at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing was the focal point, consolidating existing foundations and opening new frameworks for deeper cooperation in the future.
Here, emphasizing that Finland was the first Western country to establish diplomatic relations with China and sign an intergovernmental trade agreement, President Xi Jinping called this a "model diplomatic relationship," based on mutual respect, equal treatment, and consideration of core interests.
He affirmed that this "new, future-oriented" partnership and cooperation should be cherished and promoted, especially as the world "is undergoing unprecedented rapid changes in centuries and humanity faces increasingly greater difficulties and challenges."
The Chinese leader emphasized that China will cooperate more deeply with Finland in many aspects, from emerging fields such as green transition, information technology, digital economy, artificial intelligence, and new energy, to promoting tourism and people-to-people exchanges, clearly demonstrated by the Chinese government's decision to waive visa requirements for Finnish citizens.
The two sides also witnessed the signing of numerous documents on education, water resources, environmental protection, circular economy, and agricultural products, with the highlight being the joint plan to promote a "new type of future-oriented" partnership and cooperation for the period 2025-2029.
For his part, recalling his first meeting with Xi Jinping in 2009, Finnish President Alexander Stubb affirmed that China has “developed at an unimaginable pace in the last 15 years.” The leader asserted that the two countries have always respected, treated each other sincerely, and maintained dialogue on an equal basis for the past 74 years.
Emphasizing Finland's continued adherence to the "One China" principle, Mr. Stubb said Helsinki hopes to strengthen high-level exchanges, expand cultural exchanges and people-to-people interactions, and promote substantive cooperation in trade, green energy, and sustainable development, especially as the two countries will celebrate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations next year.
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Chinese President Xi Jinping and Finnish President Alexander Stubb review the honor guard at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on October 29. (Source: Reuters) |
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Regarding regional and international issues, the European guest highly appreciated the influence and contributing role of Asian powers in proposing new initiatives, promoting equality among nations, addressing global challenges, and expanding cooperation for a more peaceful and stable world.
Affirming the close economic ties between China and the European Union (EU), he stressed that "separation, disruption of industrial and supply chains," or a new Cold War would not benefit either side. Finland also expressed its readiness to contribute to the development of China-EU relations.
However, Finnish President Alexander Stubb did not hesitate to address "hot" issues during his visit. The leader stated that he had discussed with President Xi Jinping information regarding the presence of North Korean troops and weapons in Russia, considering this to be "an act of provocation, escalation, and expansion" of current tensions.
He also warned: “The more China supports Russia, the more difficult Beijing’s relationship with Europe, and especially the EU, will become.” This could further strain China-EU relations, which were already troubled after the EU imposed heavy tariffs on foreign-made electric vehicles, including those in China, with the highest tariff reaching 45.3%; the law officially came into effect on October 30. The two sides also discussed the incident involving a Hong Kong-registered cargo ship that damaged the Balticconnector gas pipeline and telecommunications cables connecting Finland to Estonia.
In response, Chinese President Xi Jinping reiterated his position on the situation in Ukraine and the conflict in the Gaza Strip, emphasizing Beijing's readiness to continue efforts with Helsinki and other relevant parties toward a peaceful resolution of the disputes.
Meanwhile, in response to Mr. Stubb, Prime Minister Li Qiang urged Finland to “create a fair, transparent, and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese businesses, making a positive contribution to strengthening the healthy development of economic and trade relations between China and Europe.” This statement likely alludes to the EU's electric vehicle tax law that came into effect on October 30th.
Based on this, efforts to implement a "new, future-oriented" partnership and cooperation framework aim not only to comprehensively strengthen bilateral cooperation but also to contribute to finding solutions to pressing issues for both Finland and China, thereby contributing to consolidating peace and stability in the region and the world.
Source: https://baoquocte.vn/tong-thong-phan-lan-tham-trung-quoc-tim-khuon-kho-moi-291936.html
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