The 3rd meeting of China-Finland Committee for Innovative Business Cooperation was organized on 8 November in Shanghai during the China International Import Expo (preceded by working groups meetings on 7 November).
Finland’s Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Anne-Mari Virolainen also attended the Committee meeting. The Committee was established during President Xi’s visit to Finland in spring 2017. Its members are leading investment companies from both countries.
Minister Virolainen’s visit was organised in cooperation with Business Finland , which is part of Team Finland. The Team Finland delegation included a total of 13 Finnish companies, while 36 companies make up the Committee for Innovative Business Cooperation.
In May 2017, Chinese President Xi Jinping announced at the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation that China will hold China International Import Expo (CIIE) starting from 2018.
By organizing this Expo, the Chinese government aims to show support to trade liberalization and economic globalization and actively open the Chinese market to the world. This is the 1st time that China organizes an Expo focusing on import. It is one of the most important trade policy events happening in China in 2018.
Chinese government will invite Chinese enterprises from across the country to come to do business during the Expo. Merchants from third countries will also be invited. It’s estimated that 150,000 domestic and foreign professional purchasers will participate in the Expo.
Governments and companies from over 60 countries joined the Expo and Finland also participated. Finland had national pavilion of 160 sqm at the Expo to demonstrate its country image.
“China is Finland’s fourth biggest trading partner; last year, the value of trade in goods between the countries reached EUR 8 million. The CIIE offers companies good opportunities to network with both Chinese companies and authorities,” said Minister Anne-Mari Virolainen.
Consul General Johanna Karanko (in Hong Kong and Macau) also attended the China International Import Expo with Team Finland, including the opening ceremony for the China-Finland Committee for Innovative Business Cooperation, organized as part of the Expo.
Sources: Consulate General of Finland in Hong Kong and Macau, Business Finland
