On April 4, 2017 local time, President Xi Jinping arrived in Helsinki by special plane, starting his state visit to the Republic of Finland.

Finnish Air Force dispatched two fighter jets to escort Xi Jinping's special plane after it entered Finland's airspace. At around 5:55p.m. local time, Xi Jinping's special plane arrived at Helsinki-Vantaa Airport. When Xi Jinping and his wife Mme. Peng Liyuan walked out of the cabin door, they were warmly welcomed by representatives of the Finnish government, Minister of Agriculture and the Environment Kimmo Tiilikainen of Finland and others beside the ramp.

Xi Jinping extended warm congratulations and best wishes to the Finnish government and people on the centenary of Finland's independence. Xi Jinping pointed out that despite numerous mountains and rivers keeping China and Finland apart, the two peoples have friendly sentiment towards each other. Finland was one of the first Western countries to recognize and establish diplomatic relations with the People's Republic of China, and the first Western country to sign an inter-governmental trade agreement with China. No matter how the international situation changes, China-Finland relations have maintained a steady and sound development since the establishment of diplomatic relations 67 years ago. In recent years, bilateral cooperation in economy, trade, science and technology, environmental protection, people-to-people and cultural engagement and other fields has been increasingly deepened. At present, both sides are actively establishing and advancing the new type of future-oriented cooperative partnership, and bilateral relations are facing new development opportunities. I look forward to exchanging in-depth views with Finnish leaders on China-Finland relations and other issues of common concern, thus drawing the blueprint for the development of bilateral relations.

Wang Huning, Wang Yang, Li Zhanshu, Yang Jiechi and other delegation members arrived by the same plane.

H.E. Chen Li, Chinese Ambassador to Finland also greeted President Xi Jinping at the airport.

After concluding his state visit to Finland, Xi Jinping will travel to Mar-a-Lago in Florida, the US, for China-US Presidents' Meeting.