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China, Finland push for closer economic tie to tackle crisis

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-06-26 14:19

China and Finland on Thursday agreed to push for closer economic cooperation to tackle the ongoing global financial crisis.

Visiting Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang unveiled broad measures to work together with Finland to fight the global financial crisis after meeting with Finnish Prime Minister Matti Vanhanen.

Li and Vanhanen joined a signing ceremony of several government and business agreements between the two sides, under which Li said China would purchase Finland's advanced environment-friendly technologies.

China would also send a large group of entrepreneurs to Finland within two weeks to make major purchases of Finnish goods, according to Li.

The two governments also planned to hold talks in August on reducing double-taxing to facilitate bilateral trade and investment activities.

Li said these measures were major fruits of his visit to Finland, adding that the measures reflected the shared political will between China and Finland to push for closer cooperation in tackling the financial crisis and opposing protectionism.

Vanhanen said that the Finnish government and the Finnish people, battered by the ongoing financial crisis, were looking forward to seeing the large group of Chinese entrepreneurs in Finland.

The Finnish leader stressed that the Sino-Finnish relations had always been solid and strong, adding that the two sides were getting increasingly closer as they took effective measures to deepen bilateral cooperation in all fields.

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Vanhanen said the 2010 World Expo to be held in Shanghai, China was a good opportunity for promoting the Sino-Finnish relations, and that Finnish companies would actively participate in the event.

He promised that Finland would continue to play a constructive role in promoting China-EU relations and pushing for the lifting of an EU arms sales ban on China as soon as possible.

Vanhanen reiterated that the Finnish government would firmly adhere to the one-China policy.

During their talks, Li highlighted several key points in developing the Sino-Finnish relations.

He said China and Finland should attach strategic importance to their relations, further expand mutually beneficial economic cooperation, and create new areas for cooperation in culture and education.