Xi starts trip in Finland
President lauded for ‘deep thinking’; talks to include trade, climate change
Praising President Xi Jinping for his levelheaded and deep thinking, Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said he was pleased at the chance for them to discuss free trade and the Paris climate change agreement.
Xi, who arrived in Helsinki on Tuesday evening, is making a state visit to Finland until Thursday. It is his first visit to Northern Europe as China’s head of state.
“It is a short visit,” Niinisto said in an exclusive interview with China Daily on Monday, but Finland will do its “best” to make the distinguished visitor and his wife “feel at home”.
Niinisto said in the interview at Helsinki’s presidential palace that he expects the two nations’ relationship to be ele- vated to a new level.
Four years ago, during his visit to China, Niinisto said he agreed with Xi that a new kind of strategic partnership was needed between the countries.
“What we have seen in concrete terms is a lot of development in business, but also in our political contacts,” he said, looking back on his first meeting with China’s president since Xi became head of state in 2013.
Niinisto said he has a solid relationship with Xi. “It has been my great honor to meet him several times,” Niinisto said, adding he was impressed by Xi’s “deep thinking”.
“It is great to have such a leader,” and it is important for leaders to have contact with each other at a time when the world faces a range of prob- lems, he said.
“Now that President Xi is continuing from here to the United States, I think the whole world is looking at how that visit will go,” he said.
Niinisto said he appreciated the points Xi raised at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, this year and especially his attitude toward free trade. He said Xi’s opinions are similar to those of the European Union and Finland, which he said are both strong supporters of free trade. Finland joined the EU in 1995.
Niinisto also emphasized the importance of maintaining the Paris agreement, another area in which China and the EU share similar views.
“Apart from other questions, these are very big ones and how we enhance that kind of thinking is important,” Niinisto said. “That is also one reason why we are so eager to see what is going to happen.”
He said cooperation in green technology is one area in which the nations may work together closely.
“Innovation in clean tech is quite important because it is essential with urbanization still booming in China.”
Chinese companies want to invest in Finland, he said, and are especially interested in renewable energy.
Finland, a winter sports leader, should explore cooperation with China, host of the 2022 Winter Olympics, a senior Finnish Olympics official said.
“The 2022 Winter Olympic Games will bring new development, not only for Chinese sports, but also for the international sports family,” said Timo Ritakallio, who was named president of the Finnish Olympic Committee in November.
Ahead of President Xi Jinping’s visit to Finland, Ritakallio predicted it will bring the two countries closer and enhance cooperation in sports.
Ritakallio pointed out that Finnish President Sauli Niinisto was formerly president of the Finnish Football Federation and a man who knows about sports, at both the national and international level.
“I understand that China is putting increasing focus on developing winter sports,” Ritakallio said. “China and Finland have had good relations for a long time, so it’s an opportunity that the Finnish government should take.”
Ritakallio said Finland is strong in winter sports, such as cross-country skiing, snowboarding and ice hockey.
“In this area, we have the world’s top coaches, and I think China is developing these sports and teams. It would be good to have connections with the world winter sports organizations that would offer help to China,” he said.
As part of the ongoing sports cooperation, a ChinaFinland winter sports semi- nar was held in Beijing on Jan 11, with hundreds of people attending, including government officials and businesspeople.
The forum was held during a visit by Jari Gustafsson, Finland’s vice-minister of economic affairs and employment.
A group of Finnish enterprises presented their winter sports products and services at the forum and explored business opportunities with Chinese partners.
In addition to exporting coaches and experience, Ritakallio said Finland also can work with China by shar- ing its skills in producing artificial snow and ice in an environmentally friendly way.
“Due to climate change and global warming, even in Finland we must rely on artificial interventions on some occasions to have enough snow and ice to meet the minimum standards for such sports,” Ritakallio said.
The Finnish company Snow Secure already is cooperating with the Beijing 2022 Organizing Committee for the Winter Games.
Ice hockey is popular in Finland and, even in small cities, ice for the ice hockey rinks is made artificially. In some places, artificial snow is created for cross-country skiing.
“Apart from the Olympics, we can also cooperate to promote sports (among nonprofessionals), as China has already planned to do so,” said Ritakallio, adding that Finnish business and sports sectors are eager to cooperate with China.
Ritakallio’s part-time role as president of the Finnish Olympic Committee will end after the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
“I visit China regularly because it feels that China is the future and it has the best business opportunities,” he said.