President to visit China on January 14-15

President Sauli Niinistö and First Lady Jenni Haukio will make a state visit to China on January 14-15, said an official press release on Monday.

Niinistö will meet with his counterpart in China Xi Jinping in Beijing on January 14.

The Presidents will discuss relations between great powers and other international topics, in addition to bilateral relations between Finland and China.

The programme will also include meetings for example with Chinese premier Li Keqiang and the Chairman of the National People’s Congress Li Zhanshu as well as a high-level seminar on climate change.

During their visit, Niinistö and Haukio will also attend the opening of the China-Finland Winter Sport Year.

During Xi’s state visit to Finland in April 2017, Niinistö and Xi agreed to hold a theme year dedicated to winter sports between the two countries.

Niinistö’s delegation in Beijing will include Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Anne-Mari Virolainen and Minister for European Affairs, Culture and Sport Sampo Terho. Mayor of Helsinki Jan Vapaavuori, Mayor of Lahti Pekka Timonen and Chairman of the Committee for Innovative Business Cooperation between Finland and China Risto Siilasmaa will also participate in the visit.

Presidents Niinistö and Xi have previously met on several occasions, most recently in April 2017 when President Xi and his spouse Peng Liyuan made a state visit to Finland. Niinistö and Haukio made an official visit to China in 2013, the press release added.