Office of the President of the Republic
Press Release 1/2019
7 January 2019
The President of the Republic of Finland Sauli Niinistö and his spouse Mrs Jenni Haukio will make a state visit to China on 14-15 January 2019.
President Niinistö will meet with the President of China Xi Jinping in Beijing on Monday 14 January. In addition to bilateral relations between Finland and China, the presidents will discuss relations between great powers and other international topics. The programme will also include meetings with for example Chinese premier Li Keqiang and the Chairman of the National People’s Congress Li Zhanshu as well as a high-level seminar on climate change.
During their visit, President Niinistö and Mrs Haukio will also attend the opening of the China-Finland Winter Sport Year. During President Xi’s state visit to Finland in April 2017, President Niinistö and President Xi agreed to hold a theme year dedicated to winter sports between the two countries.
President Niinistö’s delegation in Beijing will include Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Anne-Mari Virolainen and Minister for European Affairs, Culture and Sport Sampo Terho. Mayor of Helsinki Jan Vapaavuori, Mayor of Lahti Pekka Timonen and Chairman of the Committee for Innovative Business Cooperation between Finland and China Risto Siilasmaa will also participate in the visit.
Presidents Niinistö and Xi have previously met on several occasions, most recently in April 2017 when President Xi and his spouse Peng Liyuan made a state visit to Finland. President Niinistö and Mrs Haukio made an official visit to China in 2013.