Q: Prime Minister Petteri Orpo of Finland will pay an official visit to China from January 25 to 28. Could you please share what economic and trade-related activities are scheduled during the visit, and what outcomes are expected? And how would you assess the current state and future prospects of China-Finland economic and trade relations?

A: Finland is an important economic and trade partner of China in Europe and was the first European country to sign an intergovernmental trade agreement with China. Over the years, under the strategic guidance of the leaders of both countries, the foundation of China-Finland economic and trade cooperation has been continuously strengthened, and areas of cooperation have steadily expanded. In 2025, bilateral trade volume exceeded USD 8 billion, and the stock of two-way investment surpassed USD 23 billion. Enterprises from the two sides have shown sustained and growing enthusiasm for deepening mutually beneficial cooperation.

It is learned that Prime Minister Petteri Orpo will be accompanied by senior executives from more than 20 Finnish companies during this visit, representing Finnish strengths in machinery, forest industry, innovation, clean energy, and food sectors, which fully reflects Finland’s strong commitment to strengthening bilateral economic and trade ties. The Chinese side attaches great importance to economic and trade cooperation with Finland and is actively preparing, together with the Finnish side, for the sixth meeting of the China-Finland Committee for Innovative Business Cooperation. This meeting will provide an excellent platform for enterprises from both countries to engage in dialogue and jointly explore new avenues for cooperation. Enthusiasm among businesses has been high, with approximately 50 company representatives already registered to attend.

During the visit, MOFCOM will sign with the Finnish side a Memorandum of Understanding on Strengthening the Work of the China-Finland Committee for Innovative Business Cooperation. Additionally, enterprises from the two sides are expected to sign multiple commercial cooperation agreements. These developments clearly demonstrate that both China and Finland have the willingness, confidence, and capacity to ensure the continued positive trajectory of their bilateral economic and trade cooperation.

Looking ahead, China and Finland enjoy strong complementarity and immense potential for cooperation in green development and innovation. We encourage enterprises from the two countries to seize the new opportunities created by China’s firm commitment to pursuing high-standard opening up, and to further deepen cooperation in green transition, information technology, and the digital economy. MOFCOM stands ready to work closely with relevant Finnish authorities to effectively implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, enhance communication on economic and trade policies, and provide robust support and services to enterprises, thereby driving China-Finland economic and trade cooperation toward deeper and more substantive development.