Xi Jinping's meetings with Finnish president Sauli Niinisto

Chinese President Xi Jinping is paying a state visit to Finland from April 4 to 6. This will be Xi's fourth meeting with current Finnish president Sauli Niinisto.

1st meeting

March 2010, Helsinki, Finland

Xi Jinping, then Chinese Vice President, arrives in Finland on March 25, 2010. [File photo: Xinhua]

Xi Jinping (R) shakes hands with Sauli Niinisto, who was Speaker of the Finnish Parliament at that time, in Helsinki, Finland, on March 26, 2010. [File photo: Xinhua]

Xi Jinping (L3 in front) talks with Sauli Niinisto (R3 in front) in Helsinki, Finland, on March 26, 2010. [File photo: Xinhua]

During the meeting, Xi said Finland was among the world's most innovative economies and had a lot of experience that China could learn from. China-Finland economic and trade cooperation showed huge potential and breadth, said Xi.

China-Finland economic and trade cooperation continued to increase, and in 2010, bilateral trade volume reached 9.53 billion US dollars, 22.2 percent higher than the year before. Finland invested in 397 projects in China, with an accumulative investment of 720 million US dollars.

2nd meeting

April 2013, Sanya, China

Chinese President Xi Jinping (L1) shakes hands with the President of Finland Sauli Niinisto (R2), in Sanya, Hainan province, during Niinisto's visit to China on April 6, 2013. [File photo: Xinhua]

Chinese President Xi Jinping holds a welcome ceremony for the President of Finland Sauli Niinisto in Sanya, Hainan province, on April 6, 2013. [File photo: Chinanews.com]

Chinese President Xi Jinping and his wife Peng Liyuan hold a birthday party for Jenni Haukio, the wife of the President of Finland Sauli Niinisto, in Sanya, Hainan province, on April 7, 2013. [File photo: Xinhua]

Chinese President Xi Jinping (R3) talks with the President of Finland Sauli Niinisto (L3) in Sanya, Hainan province, on April 6, 2013. [File photo: Xinhua]

During the meeting, the two leaders jointly announced the upgrading of China-Finland relations to a future-oriented new-type cooperative partnership.

Xi also called on the two sides to enrich exchanges in the cultural sectors, give full play to the role of Confucius Institute as a platform, and promote communications among the youths of the two countries to pass on the China-Finland friendship to the next generation.

The world's 13th radio Confucius classroom starts operation in Finland in 2013. [File photo: CRIonline]

Other developments in China-Finland relations in 2013 included the opening of an Angry Birds theme park, the first of its kind in China, in Haining, Zhejiang province and an upsurge of Chinese tourists visiting Finland.

3rd meeting

March 2014, Noordwijk, the Netherlands

Chinese President Xi Jinping (L) meets with the President of Finland Sauli Niinisto in Noordwijk, the Netherlands, on March 23, 2014. [File photo: Xinhua]

The two leaders met before the third Nuclear Security Summit held in The Hague. During the meeting, Xi said he hoped the two sides would speed up negotiations on a new political document and blueprint for their cooperation in various areas in a more effective manner.

4th meeting

April 2017, Helsinki, Finland

The Presidential Palace in Helsinki, Finland [File photo: tukeji.com]

Xi's visit to Finland will be his first trip to a European Union member state this year, and also his first visit to northern Europe as president.

China and Finland have conducted cooperation in various areas within the last 67 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties. The bilateral science and technology cooperation has lasted for over 30 years. China has been Finland's largest trade partner in Asia for 13 consecutive years. The "Happy Chinese New Year" programs have been presented in Finland for 12 consecutive years.

Finland was one of the first Western countries to establish diplomatic ties with China (in 1950), and the first Western nation to sign an inter-governmental trade agreement with China (in 1953).

(Xinhua contributed to the story)