On January 29, a spokesperson from China's Ministry of Commerce stated at a regular press conference that the visit to China by Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo was successful, with both sides achieving practical cooperation outcomes in the economic and trade fields. Over 50 companies from China and Finland signed multiple commercial agreements focusing on innovation, green development, and the digital economy. Prime Minister Orpo arrived in Beijing in the early hours of January 25, commencing a four-day visit to China. On January 27, Beijing Daxing International Airport announced that it will launch a direct flight route from Beijing Daxing to Helsinki, Finland, on March 29, 2026. This will be the airport's first direct route to a Nordic country. The route will be operated by China Southern Airlines, marking the airline's first-ever direct flight to Finland. According to information provided to the media by Business Finland, the new direct Beijing Daxing-Helsinki route will initially operate with a frequency of three flights per week, scheduled for Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays. From June 20 to October 24, the frequency will increase to daily flights. The outbound flight number is CZ8171, scheduled to depart from Beijing Daxing at 14:45 and arrive in Helsinki at 18:35. The return flight, CZ8172, is scheduled to depart from Helsinki at 20:35 local time and arrive at Beijing Daxing at 09:45 the following day. With the sustained growth of China's outbound tourism market, the pace of Chinese tourists returning to Finland is also accelerating. The launch of this new direct route will significantly enhance air connectivity between China and Finland, providing Chinese tourists with more convenient and efficient travel options for visiting Finland and the broader Nordic region. Currently, Finland maintains stable connections with major Chinese cities through several direct flight routes, including services operated by Finnair and Juneyao Airlines to and from Helsinki. The operation of the Beijing route will further expand the aviation network coverage between Finland and China, enabling travelers from more diverse regions to reach Finland conveniently. Teemu Ahola, International Director at Business Finland, explained that over the past few years, the number of overnight stays by Chinese tourists in Finland has grown steadily year-on-year, fully demonstrating their sustained interest in and recognition of Finland as a destination. "The addition of China Southern Airlines' new direct route from Beijing to Helsinki spans the Finnish spring, summer, and autumn seasons, coinciding with several long holiday periods in China. We believe this will create favorable conditions for more Chinese tourists to deeply experience Finland's unique natural landscapes, urban culture, and outdoor lifestyle. Finland looks forward to welcoming Chinese tourists through more convenient air links, allowing them to discover a more diverse and vibrant Finland across different seasons." Relevant information indicates that Finland is renowned for its pristine nature, design aesthetics, and high-quality lifestyle. Whether it's chasing the aurora borealis in the winter wonderland of Lapland, or enjoying the scenery of lakes, forests, and coastal archipelagos under the midnight sun in summer; whether it's the architectural design and coffee culture of the capital Helsinki, or the globally recognized sustainability ethos, Finland offers Chinese tourists a rich and diverse travel experience. Teemu Ahola stated, "As a country repeatedly ranked as one of the 'world's happiest countries,' Finland hopes more Chinese tourists will have the opportunity to personally experience the balance, tranquility, and authentic sense of happiness championed here." According to reports, Petri Vuori, Senior Vice President of Finnish airport operator Finavia, expressed great anticipation for the new route, noting it marks China Southern Airlines' first operations at Helsinki Airport and in the Nordic region, serving both business and leisure travel demands in both directions. Helsinki, the capital of Finland and a key aviation hub located on the shore of the Baltic Sea, is often called the 'Daughter of the Baltic.' The launch of the direct Beijing-Helsinki flight will further shorten the distance between Chinese tourists and Finland. Focusing on the Chinese market, Business Finland will continue to intensify its promotion and cooperation efforts, actively fostering exchanges with China's travel industry and media. Information from Business Finland mentions that Finland plans to host a travel industry exchange event in the second quarter of 2026, inviting travel industry representatives from major Chinese cities to engage in in-depth exchanges and networking with local Finnish tourism resource providers. Simultaneously, Business Finland will continue to advance familiarization trips for the travel industry and media to Finland this year. It will also maintain closer, ongoing communication with Chinese consumers through Chinese social media platforms, presenting Finland's diverse and authentic travel experiences and welcoming Chinese tourists with a more open and friendly attitude. On January 27, the third day of Prime Minister Orpo's visit, Shen Haixiong, Vice Minister of the Central Propaganda Department and President of China Media Group, and Finnish Ambassador to China Leena-Kaisa Mikkola signed a 'Letter of Intent on Cooperation between China Media Group and Business Finland' in Beijing. The signing was witnessed by the prime ministers of both countries. Based on the cooperative intent, the two parties will engage in practical collaboration in areas such as content production, project planning, and event organization, contributing to ushering China-Finland relations into a new chapter. Reports indicated that the high-level dialogue between China and Finland focused on multiple sectors, resulting in the signing of over ten trade agreements and memoranda of understanding covering economic and trade cooperation, sustainable construction, energy collaboration, and tourism promotion. The Chinese side welcomed Finnish companies to 'dive into' the vast 'ocean' of the Chinese market to enhance their global competitiveness. Noting that Finland is a powerhouse in winter sports and China is already a major player, both sides pledged to strengthen exchanges and cooperation, continuing their 'ice and snow friendship.' China also welcomed more Finnish citizens to visit and experience the nation's blend of ancient heritage and modernity. The report stated that according to a report from Business Finland, during the winter tourism season from December 2024 to February 2025, approximately 1.24 million foreign tourists from 88 countries visited Finland, with total spending reaching 1.23 billion euros. For the full year 2024, foreign tourists spent approximately 3.7 billion euros in Finland, with per capita spending of 764 euros. Among these, Chinese tourists were one of the groups with the highest per capita expenditure. Broken down by nationality, German tourists accounted for the most overnight stays, followed by Swedish and American tourists. However, the year-on-year increase in overnight stays by Chinese tourists was the most significant. During a tourism roadshow in China in March 2025, Business Finland indicated that China had risen to 8th place globally in terms of overnight stays in Finland, steadily approaching pre-pandemic 2019 levels and firmly maintaining its position as Finland's largest source of tourists in Asia. In 2024, the average per capita spending for a single trip to Finland by Chinese tourists was as high as 1,435 euros, ranking first in consumption among Finland's international visitors and highlighting the important strategic value of the Chinese source market in the global tourism industry chain. The report mentioned that the dual increase in Chinese tourists' spending power and willingness to revisit has injected strong momentum into the recovery of Finland's tourism sector. Visiting Finnish Lapland in winter to see the aurora borealis remains a primary reason attracting large numbers of Chinese tourists to Finland. A report from Business Finland shows that an estimated 500,000 foreign tourists are expected to visit Finland between December 2025 and February 2026, an increase of nearly 10% compared to the previous winter. Total tourism revenue is expected to exceed 1.3 billion euros, setting a new historical record. Business Finland stated that Finland's performance in attracting international tourists is better than that of other Nordic countries, with initial success seen from its efforts in the Asian market. Currently, Lapland remains the preferred destination for foreign winter tourists, typically accounting for nearly two-thirds of all inbound visitors; the Helsinki metropolitan area receives about a quarter of the tourists, with the remaining 10% distributed across other regions. Relevant information shows that since China unilaterally implemented a visa-free policy for Finnish citizens starting November 8, 2024, which was met with a 'triple thank you' from Finnish President Alexander Stubb in an interview with Chinese media, the number of Finnish tourists traveling to China has shown significant growth in 2025. On December 13, 2025, the leader of a 30-person Finnish tour group visiting Beijing's Jingshan Park told the media that Finnish travelers are very curious about China and eagerly anticipate their trip. Their most desired destinations are the Great Wall and the Forbidden City in Beijing. "We visited the Forbidden City yesterday and planned to go to the Great Wall today, but due to the snow, we temporarily chose Jingshan Park in Beijing instead." A 16-year-old tourist from the group, a middle school student traveling with his parents, said that after touring Jingshan Park and some city attractions today, they might visit the Great Wall tomorrow, as heavy snow prevented the trip today. When asked what Chinese foods he had tried since arriving in Beijing, the teenager mentioned "Peking duck and copper hot pot." Reports also mentioned that as an EU member state actively participating in economic cooperation with China, Finland is poised to become a bridge in China-EU relations. Prime Minister Orpo stated that Finland and China share a profound traditional friendship, with bilateral relations built on a foundation of mutual respect and trust, leading to long-term stable development. Finnish companies have a strong interest in pursuing cooperation in China. Relevant information indicates that Finland was one of the first Western countries to recognize and establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China, the first Western country to sign an intergovernmental trade agreement with China, and the Helsinki Olympics were the first Games in which New China sent athletes. China has been Finland's largest trading partner in Asia for many consecutive years. According to data from China's Ministry of Commerce, Finland is an important economic and trade partner for China in Europe. In 2025, bilateral trade volume between China and Finland exceeded 8 billion US dollars, and two-way investment stock surpassed 23 billion US dollars. The Ministry of Commerce will sign a 'Memorandum of Understanding on Strengthening the Work of the China-Finland Innovation Enterprise Cooperation Committee' with the Finnish side, and companies from both countries will also sign multiple commercial cooperation agreements. Both China and Finland have the willingness, confidence, and capability to promote the sustained positive development of bilateral economic and trade cooperation.
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