On December 6, the Consulate General of Finland in Shanghai hosted a National Day reception in celebration of the 100thanniversary of independence of Finland. Shanghai Vice-Mayor Xu Kunlin and other officials attended the event. Before the start of the reception, Xu Kunlin met briefly with Wahlberg Jan, the consul general of Finland.

Xu Kunlin said the cooperation between Shanghai and Finland enjoys a sound foundation and Shanghai’s exchange with its sister city Espoo has been highly productive. With the recovery of the global economy in recent years, he hoped more Finnish businesses will come to invest in Shanghai and welcomed the Finnish government and companies to attend the first China International Import Expo to be held in Shanghai in November next year.

Consul General Wahlberg Jan said Finland is one of the earliest countries to establish diplomatic relations with China and since then the two countries have maintained friendly relations and exchange. This year marks the 100thanniversary of independence of Finland and he called for increasing cooperation with Shanghai in shipbuilding, music, culture, education and other areas. The Finnish Consulate General will also play a bigger role in promoting business investment and exchange between the two countries and regions.