China, Finland Agree to Build Long-Term Strategic Partnership During Xi's Visit

China’s President Xi Jinping and President of Finland Sauli Niinisto said their countries would work to create a long-term future-oriented partnership, local media reported on Thursday.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — On April 4, Xi began his two-day visit to Finland ahead of the trip to the United States. On Wednesday, the two presidents signed a Joint Declaration on establishing and promoting the future-oriented new-type cooperative partnership.

The countries should boost high-level exchanges and work to increase mutual trust, Xi said at a press conference after the signing ceremony, as cited by the China Daily, adding that the people of China and Finland had a long history of friendly relations.

Niinisto, in his turn, welcomed the Chinese leader's visit and stated that Finland supported the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by Beijing and aimed at strengthening ties between Asia and Europe, the media added.

The parties agreed to boost cooperation in the economic area and underlined the importance of exploring the possibilities provided by cooperation within the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative.

The Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st-century Maritime Silk Road, or Belt and Road Initiative, is a development strategy proposed by Xi in 2013. The initiative, also called One Belt, One Road, consists of two main components – the Silk Road Economic Belt of countries situated along the original Silk Road, and the Maritime Silk Road aimed at boosting maritime cooperation in Southeast Asia, Oceania, and North Africa.