The Finland Day event of the 2019 Winter Expo was held, with "ice and snow diplomacy" boosting industry collaboration

On October 18, 2019, the Finland Day event of the 4th International Winter Sports (Beijing) Expo was grandly held at the China National Convention Center in Beijing. As is well known, Finland has a long history in winter sports, and its abundant ice and snow resources provide ideal conditions for the development of such activities. Finland is a leading country in areas such as winter sports and education and training, the design and construction of sports venues and facilities, the manufacturing of ice and snow products and equipment, and ice and snow technology R&D. This year, China and Finland designated 2019 as the “China-Finland Winter Sports Year.” At the same time, Finland is also the Guest Country of Honor at the Winter Expo. Taking the opportunity of hosting the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics, the two countries have launched numerous collaborations in the fields of winter sports and industries.

At the beginning of the forum, a “Santa Claus” from Finland enlivened the atmosphere of the venue, bringing a sense of Finnish happiness to the scene and sharing the Finnish people's heartfelt love for ice and snow sports. The Winter Expo has built a platform for in-depth exchanges between China and Finland, and he hopes that the guests present will engage in profound discussions on how to promote the common development of winter sports in both countries.

The “Santa Claus” from Finland and Finnish Commercial Counselor to China Su Xiaoyue

Finnish Ambassador to China Sakari Tapiola delivered a speech on the “China-Finland Sports Year.” He expressed the hope of fully integrating ice and snow education, culture, and sports, engaging in commercial cooperation with China in the ice and snow industry, and promoting the sustainable development of the sector. He stated that some high-quality Finnish companies would showcase their professional ice and snow products at this Winter Expo. At the same time, Finland hopes to participate in the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics by being involved in the training and coaching of Chinese athletes, supplying winter sports equipment, building more winter sports centers and venues, advancing the development of winter sports training, and supporting the sustainable development of ice and snow sports and the preparation for the Winter Olympics.

Finnish Ambassador to China Sakari Tapiola

Finnish Minister of Science and Culture Hanna Kosonen introduced a series of innovative and sustainable solutions at the forum to assist in the preparation of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics and Paralympics. She said Finland is honored to be the first country to have a “Winter Sports Year” as part of its bilateral relationship with China, and that the two countries have laid a very solid foundation in their bilateral cooperative ties. Finland has always been a sports-loving nation, with sports deeply rooted in the blood and everyday life of its people, and it possesses professional ice and snow sports technology and experience. Hanna Kosonen hopes that the bilateral cooperation between China and Finland in winter sports will continue to grow.

Finnish Minister of Science and Culture Hanna Kosonen

Peng Weiyong, Deputy Director of the Department of Economic Affairs of the General Administration of Sport of China, said in his speech that 2019 is the China-Finland Winter Sports Year—the first sports-themed year jointly organized by China and another country. The two nations have collaborated in areas such as Olympic preparation and training, the development of the ice and snow industry, sports education and training, and sports scientific research, achieving gratifying results. The successful bid for and preparation of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics has created a historic opportunity for the popularization and promotion of winter sports in China, as well as the rapid development of the ice and snow industry. Finland boasts rich ice and snow resources, a long-established winter sports industry, mature operational models, and extensive management experience. Meanwhile, China’s winter sports industry is just getting started but has vast market potential, rapid growth, and promising prospects. The complementarity between the two countries' winter sports industries is strong, with great potential for cooperation. China sincerely welcomes the Finnish sports industry to share in the opportunities presented by the development of China’s winter sports sector, and hopes that Finland will become a participant and witness in this process.

Peng Weiyong, Deputy Director of the Department of Economic Affairs of the General Administration of Sport of China

Taking the Winter Expo as an opportunity, China and Finland are fostering diversified cooperation across various vertical sectors of the ice and snow industry. At the forum, the Finnish Sports Institute of Vierumäki signed framework agreements with Shanghai University of Sport, Xi’an Physical Education University, Capital University of Physical Education and Sports, Beijing Kunlun Red Star Hockey Club, and Beijing Worldview Research and Education Technology Co., Ltd. The Finnish Ruka Ski Resort signed cooperation agreements with the Zhangjiakou Wanlong Ski Resort, the International Ice Dragon Boat Federation, and Huati Dongshi. The Finnish Forssa International Leather Industry Park signed distribution agreements with Finland’s Mikaya Ltd. and KSF Sports Ltd. The signing of these agreements will jointly promote the development of Sino-Finnish ice and snow culture, sports, and education.

Sino-Finnish Enterprise Signing Ceremony

As a global powerhouse in ice and snow sports, Finland has top-tier professional athletes and winter sports coaches. The event invited Tanja Poutiainen-Rinne, silver medalist in women’s giant slalom at the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics and a member of the Finnish Olympic Committee’s Athletes’ Commission, and Miko Voutilainen, coach of the Finnish national cross-country skiing team, to share their insights on ice and snow sports. Tanja Poutiainen-Rinne recounted her professional journey, stating that national-level athletes should serve as leaders and role models. She believes role models can greatly inspire and guide younger generations, which is why she chose to remain in the sports field after retirement to motivate and train young athletes and develop their careers. Miko Voutilainen, who once served as head coach of the Chinese national team and led the team to win five gold medals at the 2017 World Championships, currently works at the Vuokatti Olympic Training Center, which has become an official partner of both the Chinese Winter Sports Administration Center and the Chinese Paralympic Committee. Over 200 athletes from the Chinese national team have trained there. He shared a range of competitive ice and snow knowledge and skills at the event, offering ideas for deeper exchange and development of winter sports between China and Finland.

Tanja Poutiainen-Rinne, Member of the Finnish Olympic Committee’s Athletes’ Commission

Miko Voutilainen, Coach of the Finnish National Cross-Country Skiing Team

Industry exchange is also a topic of mutual interest between China and Finland. The forum invited executives from leading Finnish companies to share their experiences and insights. Mikko Särinen, Market Advisor of Lahti, Finland, discussed the city’s urban collaborations in winter sports and tourism. He said that 2019 is a very important year for winter sports cooperation between China and Finland, and the door to collaboration has been opened. Finland maintains an open attitude and hopes for more cooperation with China. Antti Teppo, CEO of Finnish company Vepe, introduced his company and said Vepe aims to promote the development of China’s hockey ecosystem, expecting to bring more Finnish enterprises to offer solutions for China and truly introduce Finnish winter sports culture to the country. Reima CEO Elina spoke at the forum, sharing with attendees the global development of functional children’s clothing. Reima hopes to encourage more children to take part in winter sports and better serve children’s growth.

Mikko Särinen, Market Advisor of Lahti, Finland

Antti Teppo, CEO of Finnish Vepe Company

Elina, CEO of Finnish Reima Company

Roundtable Forum Venue

The event concluded with a roundtable forum discussion. Jyri Oksanen, General Manager of the Finnish Ice Hockey Association’s National Junior Team, served as moderator and invited Lika Lehtimäki, Director of the FIS Academy GISS (Get into Snow Sports) Program, Mikko Salonen, CEO of the Finnish Olympic Committee, Jarkko Aro, Sales and Marketing Manager of the Finnish Snowboard Association, Jani Homa, Market Development Director of the Business Joensuu Development Company, and Ismo Hämäläinen, Executive Director of the Finnish Ski Association, to engage in a lively discussion on three topics: how to promote the development of Finnish winter sports, how to advance the dissemination of ice and snow sports culture, and how to better support the preparation of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. The participating guests offered many valuable suggestions.

Su Xiaoyue, Finnish Commercial Counselor to China, delivered closing remarks for the Finland Day event. He emphasized the importance of China’s goal to get 300 million people involved in ice and snow sports, and suggested that China and Finland deepen cooperation in areas such as athlete training, children’s ice and snow sports, sports equipment, and infrastructure. He used the phrase “If you have a confidant, distance cannot keep you apart” to describe the friendship between China and Finland, and expressed hope for deeper future collaboration in the ice and snow industry.

Su Xiaoyue, Finnish Commercial Counselor to China

The Finland Day event fully demonstrated Finland’s expertise in ice and snow, while also highlighting that cooperation between China and Finland is a key action under the framework of global integration, with significant implications for international exchange and collaboration in ice and snow sports and industries. Taking the Winter Expo as an opportunity, China and Finland will align their ice and snow industry resources, establish a number of exemplary cases and outstanding models, enabling more people to enjoy the fun of ice and snow sports and supporting the development of the sector in both countries.