At 3 p.m. (local time in Finland) on October 16, 2018, the unveiling ceremony of the Finland Branch of the Belt and Road Research Institute (Shenzhen) for International Cooperation and Development (BRRIICD) was officially held in the World Trade Center Building in Helsinki. Ms. Leena Riekkola, chairman of the China-Finland Economic Association on the Finland side, Dr. Arto Henrikki Lahti, a prominent Finnish scholar, Tong Jianliang, chairman of the Association on the Chinese side and John Bohlen, vice president of the Association, Yang Xianghong, general manager of Shenzhen Yueyuan Culture Development Co., Ltd., Ge Yang, Secretary-General of Shenzhen Marine Culture & Art Research Society, and Feng Ming, chief photojournalist of Shenzhen Evening News, attended the ceremony.
Group photo of Ms. Leena Riekkola (first from left), Dr. Arto Henrikki Lahti (middle), and Prof. Tao Yitao
Ms. Leena Riekkola mentioned in her speech that the establishment of the Finland branch of the BRRIICD indicates a new beginning for the cooperation between Finland and China and has far-reaching significance. In the future, with the help of the Finland branch of the BRRIICD and China-Finland Economic Association, Finland and China will fully mobilize their resources for expanded cooperation in more areas.
Ms. Leena Riekkola, chairman of the China-Finland Economic Association on the Finland side, delivers a speech at the ceremony
Dr. Arto Henrikki Lahti, a prominent Finnish scholar, attended the unveiling ceremony. Dr. Arto Henrikki Lahti, who has been working on the Finland-China economic issues, expressed his ardent expectations for the establishment of the Finland branch of the BRRIICD. From a historical perspective, he talked about that Finland garnered a great deal of experience in the shift from a backward country to a developed one with the highest quality education for all in the world. He said they hope to further the communication and cooperation with China in the future so as to achieve common development and prosperity.
Dr. Arto Henrikki Lahti delivers a speech at the ceremony
In her speech, Prof. Tao Yitao thanked all parties, Ms. Leena Riekkola and Dr. Arto Henrikki Lahti in particular, for their vigorous support for the establishment of the Finland branch of the BRRIICD. She said that the Finland branch is the third branch of the BRRIICD following the Malaysian Forest City Branch and the Melaka Branch and is also the performance and practice of the cooperation agreement signed at the China-Finnish Education Forum held in Shenzhen in December 2017. It is a new starting point that provides a broader platform for cooperation between the two sides. She hoped that both sides can fully utilize their resource advantages of think tanks and economic associations to carry out more mutually beneficial cooperation.
Prof. Tao Yitao delivers a speech at the ceremony
After the unveiling ceremony, the attendees had an in-depth meeting in the office of the China-Finland Economic Association to explore the possibilities of future cooperation between the two sides on education and nail down the steps and plans for the next step. Prof. Tao Yitao praised that the meeting is efficient and pragmatic. She said a strong executive team is required to ensure action which is imperative for seeing a concept through to fruition. Since there is no previous example to go by, the two sides need to innovate and explore the way forward to open up a new model of cooperation between China and Finland.
A meeting is held after the ceremony
Prof. Tao Yitao and her party pose for a group photo with the members of the Finland-China Economic Association at the unveiling ceremony
