As Stubb visits Beijing, President Xi hails model state-to-state relations
President Xi Jinping and Finnish President Alexander Stubb lauded the development of the China-Finland relationship over decades during their talks in Beijing on Oct 29, and agreed to deepen practical cooperation as well as expand people-to-people exchanges for greater progress in bilateral ties.
Stubb, who took office in March, started a four-day state visit to China on Oct 28, which marked the 74th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic relations.
Finland was one of the first Western countries to establish diplomatic ties with China and the first Western country to sign an intergovernmental trade agreement with China.
Xi said that China and Finland have respected and trusted each other over the years, setting a fine example of state-to-state relations that transcend historical, cultural and institutional differences.
Economic ties between China and Finland are robust, with Finland currently being China’s third-largest Nordic trade partner and China being Finland’s largest trade partner in Asia for several consecutive years. Last year, two-way trade reached $8.2 billion.
Xi told Stubb that Beijing welcomes Finland to actively participate in China’s modernization drive and to expand cooperation in emerging industries such as the green transition, the digital economy, and new energy.
He also announced China’s decision to implement a unilateral visa-free policy for Finland, saying that more Finnish friends are welcome to start businesses, travel, and study in China.
Noting that both China and Finland are peace-loving nations that advocate multilateralism and free trade, Xi called on the two countries to jointly address issues such as climate change and artificial intelligence governance, while promoting an equal and orderly multipolar world.
Recalling his meeting with Xi in 2009, Stubb said the world was a very different place back then, and China has grown in the past 15 years in a way that was unimaginable for many.
The Finnish president said his country adheres to the one-China principle and values China’s important influence and its stabilizing and constructive role in international affairs.
Noting that the economies of China and the European Union are closely interconnected, Stubb said “decoupling and disruption of industrial and supply chains” or a new Cold War will not serve the interests of any party.
Finland is willing to play an active role in promoting the smooth development of EU-China relations, he added.
The two leaders also exchanged in-depth views on issues including the Ukraine crisis and the Palestine-Israel conflict. Xi said that China is ready to make joint efforts with Finland and other relevant parties to continue working for a peaceful settlement.
After their talks, Xi and Stubb witnessed the signing of multiple cooperation documents covering areas such as education, environmental protection and the circular economy, and issued a joint working plan to advance the China-Finland future-oriented new-type cooperative partnership.
At a news conference in Beijing late on Oct 29, Stubb said that the European Union and China need to avoid going into a cycle of raising tariffs and escalating trade conflicts, as additional tariffs and trade protectionism are always short-term measures that are detrimental to both national and global economies.
“We need to have a level playing field and this is the ongoing negotiation,” he said, noting that a lot of countries are raising barriers.
“I think the pendulum, if there was one between free trade and protectionism, since 1989, the end of the Cold War, has swung from free trade toward protectionism,” Stubb said, emphasizing that free trade benefits the global good rather than just a narrow national interest.
