Aerial photo shows a China-Europe freight train bound for Helsinki, Finland departing from Putian Station of Zhengzhou, central China's Henan Province, Nov. 20, 2020.(Photo: Xinhua)

A number of Finnish political and business figures emphasized that the importance of the Chinese market cannot be ignored and they will be committed to expanding cooperation with China at an event held on Monday to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the signing of the China-Finland intergovernmental trade agreement, Xinhua News Agency reported on Tuesday.

Chinese and Finnish government officials, heads of business organizations and nearly 100 people including business representatives attended a seminar held by the Chinese Embassy in Finland.

In 1953, China and Finland signed an intergovernmental trade and payment agreement, which was the first intergovernmental trade agreement between China and a Western country.

Officials and representatives said that Finland-China economic and trade relations have made great progress in the past 70 years, and the two countries are mutually beneficial and win-win.

A Finnish trade official said that China is committed to promoting high-quality and sustainable economic development, which will provide new opportunities for bilateral trade and investment between Finland and China, according to the Xinhua report. The two sides have potential for cooperation in new energy, circular economy and digital medical care, the official said.

A researcher from a Finnish bank was quoted as saying that China is an important trading partner for the country, and China has become one of the most popular destinations for Finnish companies outside of the EU.

Wang Tongqing, Chinese Ambassador to Finland, said at the event that China-Finland economic and trade cooperation has become the "ballast stone" and "propeller" of bilateral relations, and the results are not easy. China and Finland have always adhered to the concept of mutual benefit and win-win cooperation, have always opposed decoupling, and have always been committed to promoting the future-oriented cooperative partnership between China and Finland.

He said that the Chinese and Finnish economies are highly complementary, and there is great potential for cooperation in the fields of technological innovation, information communication and clean technology. At the same time, the two countries can also give full play to their respective advantages and jointly develop third-party markets, Wang said.

In the future, the two countries are expected to focus on innovation as the engine to promote two-way trade and investment, create more points of converging interests and cooperation growth points, and form a new pattern in which traditional trade and emerging industries between China and Finland complement each other and develop simultaneously, Wang said.