Potential seen for work in key fields

China expects to work with Finland promoting cooperation in fields such as innovation, energy efficiency, environmental protection and Arctic affairs, President Xi Jinping said on Wednesday.

The two nations have maintained good relations and share some development strategies, which opens the door to further cooperation, Xi said in a meeting with Finnish Prime Minister Juha Sipila in Helsinki during his state visit.

He noted that the Chinese economy has maintained good momentum against the background of a sluggish global economic recovery.

China, he said, is confident it can maintain healthy economic development as well as expand opportunities and benefits to other countries, including Finland.

Xi said the development in Europe is conducive to promoting world peace and stability, adding that China expects Europe to be prosperous, stable and open and the European Union to develop further and become stronger.

He expects Finland to play a more active role in bridging China-Europe relations.

China also is willing to work with Finland to promote China-Nordic relations, Xi said. Finland leads the Nordic Council this year.

Sipila said Finland appreciates China's positive role in global affairs and highly values President Xi's speech made at Davos, Switzerland, at the beginning of this year.

His country will promote cooperation with China in fields such as investment, and clean technology and under the Belt and Road Initiative, he said.

While meeting with Maria Lohela, speaker of the Finnish Parliament, also on Wednesday, Xi called on the Chinese and Finnish legislatures to maintain exchanges at various levels to deepen the understanding between lawmakers of the two countries.

The Finnish Parliament, or Eduskunta, is one of the first Western parliaments to carry out friendly exchanges with the National People's Congress of China, Xi said, adding that he appreciates the part played by Lohela in actively promoting cooperation between the two legislatures.

Xi said China encourages the Chinese and Finnish legislatures to optimize their existing paths of cooperation so relations between the two nations can be expanded.

Xinhua contributed to this story.