Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo will pay an official visit to China from 25 to 28 January, where he is scheduled to meet the country’s top leadership in Beijing.
According to Chinese officials, Prime Minister Orpo will be accompanied by executives from more than 20 Finnish companies, representing sectors such as machinery, forestry, clean energy, innovation and food. During the visit, the two sides are expected to sign a memorandum of understanding aimed at strengthening the work of the China–Finland Committee for Innovative Business Cooperation.
According to the Finnish Government Communications Department, Prime Minister Orpo will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, Prime Minister Li Qiang, who is hosting the visit, and Chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress Zhao Leji on Tuesday 27 January.
The purpose of the visit is to continue dialogue with the Chinese leadership and to promote business opportunities for Finland in China.
China on Thursday expressed confidence that Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s upcoming official visit would inject new momentum into bilateral economic and trade cooperation, highlighting growing commercial ties and expanding investment between the two countries.
Topics on the agenda include bilateral relations between Finland and China, relations between China and the European Union, and topical international issues, including Russia’s war in Ukraine.
“It is important to continue dialogue with China on bilateral cooperation and topical international issues, such as challenges in the rules-based system and trade. China is an important export market for Finnish companies and the EU’s second largest trading partner,” Prime Minister Orpo said in a statement issued ahead of the visit.
The Chinese Ministry of Commerce confirmed the visit on Thursday, stating that it expects new momentum in bilateral economic and trade cooperation during the four-day programme. The ministry described Finland as an important economic and trade partner for China in Europe.
Finland and China have long-standing diplomatic relations. Finnish President Alexander Stubb made a state visit to China in October 2024, while Speaker of Parliament Jussi Halla-aho visited in April 2025. The last Finnish prime minister to visit China before Orpo was Juha Sipilä in 2017.
Trade between the two countries remains significant. In 2024, Finland’s goods exports to China amounted to EUR 3.5 billion, while service exports totalled EUR 1.82 billion. Goods imports from China reached EUR 7.5 billion, according to Finnish government figures.
