China and Finland are looking for all-round cooperation and further development of friendly cooperative ties 59 years after diplomatic relations were established.

Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang's upcoming visit to Finland, which begins on Thursday, is expected to promote bilateral ties. Finland is the second leg of Li's three-nation tour that also includes Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

In recent years, the China-Finland high-level exchanges have become more frequent, bringing bilateral relations, especially trade and economic ties, to a new level.

Finland has long adhered to the one-China policy and actively promoted the China-Europe relations. Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen said ahead of his China visit in April that the two countries don't have any remaining unsolved political issues.

The Finnish government considers it significant to promote all-round cooperation with China and hopes that China will play an increasingly important role in addressing international affairs.

Based on good political relations, the China-Finland cooperation covers a broad range of fields including economy, trade, science and technology, culture, education and legal affairs.

In recent years, bilateral trade volume rose rapidly. It reached 10.86 billion U.S. dollars in 2008, up 4.9 percent from 2007.

China is currently Finland's largest trading partner in Asia, and Finland is the No. 1 Nordic nation in trade with China. Trade and economic cooperation is the driving force of the bilateral ties, especially amid the current global economic downturn.

To Finland, an export-oriented economy, China is a vital huge market and has become one of Finland's major investment destinations. Finnish giants including Nokia, UPE-Kymmene Cooperation and KONE have expanded their investments in China, followed by many Finnish small and medium-sized enterprises.

Despite the different political systems and economic conditions, the two countries are highly complementary in business and have broad prospects for cooperation.

Finland is one of the global leaders in paper making, transport, construction, and particularly in energy-saving and renewable energy. The country is ready to offer the best products, technologies and biological solutions to help China address its environmental problems. Finland and China are seeking long-term cooperation in the areas of environmental protection and clean energy.

Next year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of China-Finland diplomatic ties. Both sides are ready to seize the chance to further their comprehensive cooperation and maintain the momentum of steady development of bilateral relations.

Source: Xinhua