President Xi Jinping, I would like to thank you for our good, open and frank discussions. We discussed many aspects of bilateral relations between our countries, as well as international issues. Russia, the United States, the EU and the situation on the Korean Peninsula – there is much to discuss and we will continue our talks today.
The relations between our countries are excellent and deep. They extend to all sectors of society. This is well illustrated by our Joint Declaration, which represents an important step in our bilateral relations. Our relations will now become even closer.
As we state in our Declaration, we support the United Nations, its Charter and policies. We will work together to resolve global challenges. Also as a permanent member of the UN’s Security Council, China plays a key role in safeguarding global stability. We are also engaged in cooperation on environmental issues – particularly the fight against climate change, in which China has shown important leadership.
High-level exchanges will continue, as will the political dialogue between our countries. We also agreed to promote investment between our countries. We will foster cooperation in areas such as education, innovation and culture, as well as energy, urbanisation, forestry, transport and the ICT sector. As you can see, our relations truly extend into all areas of society.
We have long worked together on societal issues. In our Declaration, we emphasise the rule of law and the promotion of human rights. We will also increase our practical cooperation in the legal sector.
Finland will continue to abide by its long-standing one-China policy.
We have just witnessed the signature of important cooperation documents on closer economic ties between our countries, the continuation of bilateral judicial cooperation and cooperation on the protection of the panda.
Several other cooperation documents have been signed today, which will enhance our bilateral relations in the education, trade and investment sectors. More cooperation is also forthcoming in tourism and 2019 will be a theme year dedicated to winter sports between our countries.
We also discussed China’s Silk Road Initiative. We welcome this initiative, since it will intensify connectivity between Asia and Europe. Finnish companies, too, have something to contribute to this project. We will continue to cooperate with China on Arctic affairs. As I have mentioned before, we must take full account of the protection and sustainable use of natural resources within economic activities in the region.
In our discussion of relations between the EU and China, I noted China’s strong support for European integration. A strong and effective EU is also in the interests of our partners. By working together, the EU and China can achieve significant results with respect to global issues, such as combating protectionism and climate issues. We both believe that free international trade will benefit and provide prosperity for societies around the world.