Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo is visiting Beijing from January 25–28 to meet with top Chinese leaders and advance Finland’s business interests.
Prime Minister Petteri Orpo (NCP) will visit Beijing, China, from Sunday to Wednesday, January 25–28.
On Tuesday, January 27, he will meet with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Prime Minister Li Qiang (the host of the visit) and Zhao Leji, the chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress.
The purpose of the visit is to continue dialogue with the Chinese leadership and promote Finnish business interests in China.
Official talks will cover Finland-China bilateral relations, EU-China relations and international topics such as Russia’s war in Ukraine. Orpo emphasized the importance of ongoing cooperation on trade and global challenges.
Prime Minister Orpo noted in a statement that China is a key export market for Finland and is also the EU’s second-largest trading partner; reciprocity and equal market access are essential for EU-China relations. Finland and China have long-standing ties; recent high-level visits include President Stubb in October 2024 and Speaker of the Parliament Jussi Halla-aho (Finns) in April 2025.
The last time a Finnish prime minister visited China was in 2017, when Juha Sipilä (Center) made the trip.
Finland-China cooperation focuses on sectors vital to the green transition: the low-carbon economy, circular economy initiatives and climate change mitigation efforts.
In 2024, Finland exported goods worth €3.5 billion ($3.8 billion) and services worth €1.82 billion ($2 billion) to China; imports totaled €7.5 billion ($8 billion). In 2023, Finnish subsidiaries operating in China had revenues exceeding €14 billion ($15 billion).
On Monday, January 26th, Orpo along with Finnish business leaders will meet Commerce Minister Wang Wentao.
During his trip, Orpo will also speak at a meeting of the Committee for Innovative Business Cooperation between Finland and China—a group established in 2017 to promote trade and investment—coordinated by industry organizations from both countries.
Finnish companies participating include Aurealis Therapeutics; Finnair Plc; Finnish Minerals Group; Kalmar Oyj; Karl Fazer Ab; Kemira Corporation; Kolster Oy Ab.; KONE Corporation; Lindström; Metso Corporation; Metsä Fibre Oy; Nordea Bank Abp; Oilon Group Oy; Okmetic; Peikko Group Oy; Planmeca Oy; UPM-Kymmene Corporation; Valio Oy; Valmet Automotive and Wärtsilä.
