Finland's Prime Minister Petteri Orpo is on a four-day official visit to China, leading a delegation of executives from more than 20 Finnish companies seeking new business opportunities.
Christoph Vitzthum, president and CEO of the Finnish food company Fazer Group, is among the delegation. He said the trip to China has provided him a new insight into the development of Chinese consumer market.
"It's remarkable to see how the Chinese consumer has developed and how much we as a company can learn from the Chinese market. Needless to say, the market is vast, but you have to be able to be relevant in a market. And if you see one of the big consumer trends in China, it's the same that we have been seeing in Europe for some years. That's health and well-being - less sugar, less fat, more fiber, more healthy products. As the Chinese economy has developed, as the Chinese middle class has grown significantly, these themes are also now prevalent in the Chinese market," said Vitzthum.
Vitzthum said competition and consumer choice are beneficial for market growth and category expansion allows brands to differentiate themselves and strengthen brand positioning.
"The consumer in general loves choice. I don't see the competition as a problem. I see the category growth, be it in grain-based products or be it in chocolate, is a good thing. If you take for example milk chocolate, the Karl Futzer brand, which we have launched in China. In China, it's the only brand that is made from fresh milk. And when we have studied this with consumers, it resonates very well with the Chinese consumer. By comparing to alternatives, you can really promote your own brand and bring the things that we are standing for," he said.
As part of the agenda of Orpo's visit to Beijing, Chinese and Finnish enterprises signed multiple commercial agreements on Monday at the sixth meeting of the China-Finland Committee for Innovative Business Cooperation.
Business leaders of the two countries engaged in lively discussions on cooperation in many fields including innovation, green development and digitalization.
Fazer CEO sees new opportunities for business cooperation with China
China recorded 82.035 million border entries and exits by foreign nationals in 2025, a year-on-year increase of 26.4 percent, shown by latest data released by the National Immigration Administration of China.
"Of these entries, 30.08 million were made under visa‑free arrangements, accounting for 73.1 percent of all inbound foreign‑national crossings and marking a 49.5 percent rise compared to the previous year," said Lyu Ning, a spokeswoman of the National Immigration Administration of China.
Driven by multiple visa‑facilitation policies, China has strengthened its position as a favored global destination, attracting travelers from popular cities to emerging border regions for both sightseeing and in‑depth cultural experiences.
The upgraded 240-hour transit visa‑free policy, launched in late 2024, served as a major catalyst.
In 2025, its coverage was expanded to include Indonesia and five additional ports in south China's Guangdong Province, bringing the total number of eligible ports nationwide to 65, greatly boosting cross‑border travel.
Meanwhile, China's visa‑free "circle of friends" continued to grow. With 11 new countries added, including Brazil, Russia, and Sweden, the total number of unilateral visa‑free countries reached 48, while mutual visa‑exemption agreements expanded to 29.
Notably, the Hainan Free Trade Port now offers visa‑free entry to citizens of 86 countries, with visa‑free travelers making up 88.9 percent of all arrivals there.
The policy effect has further penetrated into border areas. At Heihe Port in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, visa‑free entry for Russian tourists drove Russian arrivals to 46,000 in September and October 2025 alone, a 28.4 percent year-on-year increase.
Large tour groups, such as one with 174 travelers, were able to complete border procedures in as little as 20 minutes thanks to streamlined clearance services.
In southwest China's Yunnan Province, a visa‑free policy for ASEAN tourist groups entering via Xishuangbanna, covering ten countries including Malaysia, Thailand, and Laos, took effect in February 2025.
In southwest China's Yunnan Province, a visa‑free policy for ASEAN tourist groups entering via Xishuangbanna was implemented starting February 10, 2025, covering ten member states including Malaysia, Thailand, and Laos.
This "ready‑to‑go" arrangement has provided greater travel convenience for ASEAN visitors.
As a core hub under this policy, Mohan Port processed over 160 inbound and outbound tourist groups from the ten ASEAN countries in 2025.
"We are international travelers from Singapore. We've been to China many times. But this is our first time taking the China-Laos Railway. The trip is really wonderful," said a passenger from Singapore.
China's inbound travel surges as visa‑free policies attract global visitors
