China, Finland to boost cooperation in winter sports, technology

Premier Li Keqiang meets with Finnish Prime Minister Juha Sipila in Dalian on Tuesday. Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn

Premier Li Keqiang said on Tuesday that China and Finland share great potential for further cooperation in winter sports, environmental protection and cutting-edge technology when meeting Finnish Prime Minister Juha Sipila.

Sipila attended the opening ceremony of the Annual Meeting of the New Champions 2017, also known as Summer Davos in Dalian, Liaoning province.

Finland is one of China's important partners in Europe, especially in Northern Europe, the premier said. China is willing to work with Finland to carry forward the traditional friendship, expand innovation cooperation and push forward bilateral cooperation to a new stage, Li said.

Li also called on the two sides to expand cooperation in fields such as information communication, intelligent manufacturing, energy conservation and urbanization. He also said the two nations can jointly explore third-party markets and strengthen cooperation in tourism, civil aviation and people-to-people exchanges.

In response, Sipila said Finland expects to work with China in areas of smart cities, environmental protection, clean energy, food, digital information and winter sports. Finland supports China's hosting the 2022 Winter Olympic Games and welcomes tourists and investment from China, he said.

The premier extended his welcome to Finland as it assumes the rotating presidency of the Arctic Council from 2017-19. He said China will take this opportunity to further boost cooperation with Finland under the framework of the Arctic Council.

After their meeting, the two leaders witnessed the signing of several cooperative documents on energy, sports and sustainable development.