Xi courts Finland as China pushes pragmatic ties with Europe

Chinese President Xi Jinping has said Beijing is ready to deepen mutual trust, expand communication and strengthen economic cooperation with Finland, as he welcomed Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo to Beijing amid shifting geopolitical and trade dynamics.

Orpo arrived in the Chinese capital on Tuesday as part of a four-day visit that began on Sunday, meeting Xi and other senior Chinese leaders as both sides look to reinforce bilateral ties.

During their talks, Xi told Orpo that Finnish companies were welcome to “swim freely” in China’s “vast” market, according to the official Xinhua news agency. He also signalled Beijing’s interest in working with Finland to “firmly uphold the international system with the United Nations” and international law at its core, while promoting what he described as “an equitable and orderly multipolar world”.

The two leaders discussed cooperation across a range of sectors, including energy transition, agriculture and forestry, areas where Finnish firms have established expertise and long-standing commercial links with China.

A day earlier, Orpo met Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao, who urged Finland to encourage the European Union to exercise caution in its use of restrictive trade and economic measures. Wang also called on Helsinki to oppose protectionism and help “create a fair, open and predictable policy environment” for Chinese companies, according to China’s state-run Global Times newspaper.

China’s Ministry of Commerce said ahead of the visit that Beijing and Helsinki were expected to sign a business cooperation agreement. Orpo is accompanied by executives from more than 20 Finnish companies, spanning sectors such as machinery, forestry, innovation, clean energy and food production.

According to Global Times, the Finnish prime minister is also scheduled to meet Chinese Premier Li Qiang and Zhao Leji, the head of China’s top legislative body.

China has long been Finland’s largest trading partner in Asia, while Finland is China’s third-largest trading partner in Northern Europe. Helsinki was also among the first Western countries to recognise the People’s Republic of China and establish diplomatic relations.

The outreach comes as Beijing seeks to stabilise and selectively deepen ties with European countries amid strained relations with Washington. Global Times reported that UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz are also expected to visit China soon, a development the paper described as part of a broader European shift toward a more pragmatic and multilateral foreign policy approach.