Speaker of Parliament Jussi Halla-aho. LEHTIKUVA
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Speaker of Parliament Jussi Halla-aho will visit China from 6 to 9 April at the invitation of Zhao Leji, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress.
The official visit will include meetings in Beijing and Shanghai. Discussions will focus on Finland–China relations, economic cooperation, and broader issues including China’s ties with the EU and the United States, as well as Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The Finnish delegation includes Jouni Ovaska, chair of the Transport and Communications Committee, and Saara-Sofia Sirén, chair of the Employment and Equality Committee.
In Beijing, the delegation will meet with Zhao, Wang Huning of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, and Liu Jianchao, minister for international relations within the Communist Party of China.
In Shanghai, talks will focus on trade and investment. The delegation is expected to meet local officials including Chen Jining, party secretary of the Shanghai Communist Party Committee, and Huan Lixin, head of the city’s legislative body. Finnish business leaders will also brief the delegation on market conditions and commercial activity in the region.
The visit coincides with the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Finland and China. The two countries established formal relations in 1950 and later opened embassies in Helsinki and Beijing. The anniversary will be marked during the visit.
The trip follows a state visit to China by President Alexander Stubb in October. After that visit, Stubb stated that he had warned Chinese leader Xi Jinping not to trust Russian President Vladimir Putin.
China has maintained a public stance of neutrality on the war in Ukraine, while continuing to hold close economic ties with Russia. Finland, a NATO member since 2023, has supported Ukraine with military and humanitarian aid.
In November 2023, Finland returned two giant pandas to China. The pandas had been leased to Ähtäri Zoo as part of China’s so-called panda diplomacy, but financial concerns prompted their early return, eight years ahead of schedule.
The official programme during the Speaker’s visit is expected to address current regional dynamics in East Asia alongside global political developments.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
