00:00Well, Finland has been a key trading partner for China and was the first European country to sign an intergovernmental trade deal with Beijing.
00:08According to China's Ministry of Commerce, bilateral trade between the two countries was more than US$8 billion last year.
00:17In the same year, two-way investment was over US$23 billion.
00:21Following talks between Premier Li Zhang and Prime Minister Petteri Olpo, several agreements were signed on strengthening cooperation in areas like technology, trade, tourism and energy.
00:34Mika Clementinen is the head of International Innovation Partnerships at Business Finland.
00:41Finland and China have good and long-standing relations and from different perspectives.
00:47First of all, we have long diplomatic relations.
00:52Just last year, we celebrated the 75-year landmark on the diplomatic relations.
00:58And this visit is proving that this long joint history is also vivid today.
01:05So, including the meetings with Chinese President, Prime Minister and Minister of Commerce.
01:11Then we also know that it's not only about political cooperation, but businesses are included as well.
01:19So, the Committee for Innovative Business Cooperation between Finland and China has also taken place during this Prime Minister's visit
01:29and included more than 20 Finnish-leading companies and top management discussing about topics of business-relevant issues.
01:38And thirdly, behind this cooperation is the General Innovation Cooperation that has been ongoing since 1986.
01:47So, this kind of dialogue is needed in global politics and business nowadays.
01:53And which particular sectors, which innovative partnerships, if you like, do you see the most potential here?
02:02Energy efficiency, low carbon solutions, transportation, logistics, circular economy, bioeconomy, industrial digitalisation and food and health.
02:15They are not only topics of cooperation in the business committee and business cooperation sense,
02:22but as referred to in my previous answer, we do also have innovation cooperation and similar topics have been agreed to be our focus areas.
02:32So, including climate change, circular economy, sustainable development and health.
02:37You mentioned the circular economy.
02:40You pinpoint things like clean energy.
02:42How important are the relationships that have developed between China and Finland for climate goals for the rest of the world?
02:53Both Finland and China have concrete and ambitious targets regarding climate change, especially carbon reduction and climate neutrality.
03:03So, Finland aims to be climate neutral by 2035, so 15 years before EU has targets.
03:11And China has set the carbon peak target for 2030 and carbon neutrality target for 2060.
03:21So, these show that they are important cornerstones of national economy and development,
03:27but at the same time reflecting the national interest to the global arenas.
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