International news
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit Helsinki on 5 July for talks with Finland’s leadership as Beijing increases diplomatic engagement with Europe through a series of high-level visits that point to a broader effort by China, Finland and the European Union to maintain dialogue despite disagreements over security, trade and Ukraine.
According to the Finnish Government, Wang will meet Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen before holding talks with President Alexander Stubb in Helsinki. The agenda includes Finland-China relations, EU-China relations, European security and the situation in the Middle East and Ukraine.
The Finnish Government said the ministers will discuss bilateral relations alongside current foreign and security policy matters. It also published a statement from Valtonen, who said Finland and China have “long-standing, stable relations” and that China has an important role in global security and the international economy.
China’s Foreign Ministry confirmed Wang’s wider Nordic tour, which runs from 2 to 8 July. Besides Finland, he will visit Denmark, Sweden and Norway at the invitation of their foreign ministers.
