China remains a key partner of Finland for trade, investment and technology cooperation despite geopolitical complexities, said Lassi Noponen, director-general and CEO of Business Finland, the Nordic country's official government agency for trade and investment promotion.
His remarks came as Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo embarked on a four-day official visit to China from Sunday, with business relations positioned at the forefront of the agenda.
Orpo is accompanied by executives from more than 20 Finnish companies spanning machinery, forestry, innovation, clean energy, food and other key sectors.
"The delegation is large and it represents many of Finland's largest and most premier companies. China is a very important business partner of Finland and there is a lot of opportunity for economic cooperation in many areas, despite the complexities of the geopolitical situation. Energy transition, aging population, logistics, there are many areas which are not influenced by this," said Noponen.
Drawing on three decades of private-sector experience before assuming his role, Noponen emphasized that while business ultimately occurs between companies, high-level governmental cooperation plays a key facilitative role.
"I have a 30-year background in the private sector before I moved into this position at Business Finland and I know that ultimately business is done between companies. But this kind of government-to-government-level cooperation with the MoUs is important. It facilitates cooperation. During the last two years, I have been here with the Minister of Economy, with the President of Finland and now with the Prime Minister of Finland. And every time there has been a big business delegation and this is helpful for the companies, they really appreciate it," he said.
Noponen further described China as a "fitness school" for global companies.
"The Finnish business [community] understands that this is a huge market. It's the sheer size that makes it very, very interesting. Many say that it's like a fitness school for Western businesses, that to be successful in the Chinese market, you have to be very efficient. So it helps them, it gives a good benchmark for them. They do have a concern that they feel that they need to have a level playing field and then they are happy to compete on the level playing field and that's mutually beneficial," he said.
In 2025, bilateral trade between China and Finland exceeded 8 billion U.S. dollars, while mutual investment stock surpassed 23 billion U.S. dollars, reflecting sustained enthusiasm of enterprises from both sides for strengthening mutually beneficial cooperation.
China remains key partner for cooperation despite geopolitical complexities: Business Finland CEO
