SPEECH BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC AT A DINNER IN HONOUR OF THE VISIT TO FINLAND BY PRESIDENT JIANG ZEMIN OF CHINA IN THE PRESIDENTIAL PALACE ON 6.7.1995

It gives me great joy to extend to you, Mr. President, a warm welcome to our northern country. This is the first visit to Finland by a head of state of the People's Republic of China, and we accord it value as a historic event.

Relations between China and Finland are good. I believe that a sincere wish to work for peaceful development of the international community as well as the fact that our relations are founded on long-term experience have contributed to this. Diplomatic relations were established between our countries 45 years ago. President Mauno Koivisto and Mrs. Tellervo Koivisto made a state visit to China in 1988. Many other influential Finnish figures have also visited your country, and several leading persons from China have been here in Finland in recent years. I hope that your visit will strengthen the ties between our countries also through our personal friendship.

We are coming to the end of a century of wars, but also of enormous development. For the past five decades, we Finns have been able to enjoy an era of peace. In that time our country has developed into a welfare society, the essential characteristics of which are democracy, the rule of law, a market economy and maintenance of social welfare services.

Your visit is taking place at a time of enormous change in the international system. The possibilities of cooperation and peace are increasing.

China is an increasingly important factor in the international community. In particular, Mr. President, the changed status of your country is accentuatd when international security concerns are being addressed.

Membership of the European Union provides Finland with a better opportunity than earlier to promote broadinternational cooperation. Our membership of the Union likewise puts us in a better position in developing relations of cooperation with Asian countries.

Finland is participating in the European Union's efforts to build cooperation structures between Europe and Asia. We consider it important that the various regions of the world are able to engage in constructive dialogue with each other.

Respect for human rights and democracy are fundamental elements of our own society. Universal strengthening of those principles increases international security. Finland supports the principle of equality among states in international interaction.

Your country's importance to us as an economic cooperation partner is growing. Trade between our countries has quadrupled in five years. Finnish companies have been able to export large volumes of products, especially high-technology ones, to your country, which is also an important investment location for them. There remain opportunities to cooperate in developing major projects in such sectors as silviculture, the forest products industry, energy management and environmental protection, especially air- and water-pollution control. Further developing transport links between our countries would also benefit both of us.

It has been agreed today that a Finnish consulate-general will be opened in Shanghai. This indicates the willingness of the State of Finland to make its contribution to the development of relations between our countries. As for doing business itself, we rely on companies' own activity.

We take a positive view of a development in which Finnish interests have been able to depend on functioning cooperation links direct to the regional and local levels. We hope that, when resources permit, direct cooperation relationships can be developed alongside the excellent ones handled at the national level.

Cultural exchange agreements have significantly helped flows between our countries in the arts and sciences. Cultural exchanges between the authorities, on the one hand, and independent exchanges between those active in cultural life, on the other, are not mutually exclusive, but complementary. The more cultural exchange shifts onto a basis independent of state direction and financing, the more active and varied it will become.

We also hope that research cooperation and exchanges of students between our countries will become more intensive than they now are.

It is our hope that we will be able to continue and develop the cooperation that has begun so well between us in the field of jurisprudence. Finland wishes to see positive development in China in relation to the ongoing process of building a state based on the rule of law, the rights of the individual and participation by citizens in political affairs.

Cooperation in the environmental sphere is also of global importance. We regard it as very positive that China is participating in international environmental cooperation and is committed to the implementation of international conventions on the environment. We are glad that the outlines for environmental cooperation between our countries can be agreed on during your visit.

We should create an international community founded on cooperation and stable development, a community in the development of which all states have the opportunity to take part.

Relations between our countries are built on a solid foundation. To quote a Chinese proverb, the tree of our friendship has "deep roots and a steady yield of fruit". I believe that our cooperation will quickly increase and strengthen from even its present level.

May I propose a toast to your health, Mr. President and Mrs. Wang Yeping, to the success of the Chinese people and to the further development of relations between our countries.