Li Zhanshu, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, meets with Speaker of the Finnish Parliament Anu Vehvilainen via video link in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 9, 2021. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)

BEIJING -- Li Zhanshu, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, met with Speaker of the Finnish Parliament Anu Vehvilainen via video link on Thursday.

Li said that mature and stable China-Finland relations meet the common interests and expectations of the peoples of both countries. He said it is hoped that the two sides will continue to strengthen political mutual trust, consolidate the political foundations for the healthy development of bilateral relations, and always adhere to the principles of mutual respect, equality, seeking common ground while shelving differences, and pursuing win-win cooperation.

Li called on both sides to steadily advance connectivity, promote the construction of the Belt and Road, and expand pragmatic cooperation in fields such as trade and investment, information and communication, energy conservation and environmental protection, and anti-pandemic work.

It is hoped that the two sides will deepen cultural and people-to-people exchanges and consolidate the friendship between the two peoples, Li said. Noting that winter sports cooperation is an important aspect of China-Finland cooperation, he welcomed the Finnish delegation to participate in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.

Li said the NPC is willing to work with the Finnish Parliament to strengthen exchanges and cooperation and make positive contributions to the sustained and healthy development of bilateral relations.

He called for the maintenance of high-level exchanges and the deepening of communication among special committees and friendship groups.

"We should learn from each other's experience in legislation, supervision and governance, and approve, revise or issue legal documents conducive to the development of bilateral relations in a timely manner, and provide a rule-of-law guarantee for pragmatic cooperation," Li said.

Li said democracy is a common value shared by all people and there is no one-size-fits-all model of democracy, adding that China will adhere to and improve its people's congress system, and keep developing whole-process people's democracy.

Noting that Finland will actively participate in the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, Vehvilainen said Finland's parliament stands ready to work with the NPC to cement cooperation between the two countries in economic development, free trade, COVID-19 response, green transformation, climate change and winter sports. 

Li Zhanshu, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, meets with Speaker of the Finnish Parliament Anu Vehvilainen via video link in Beijing, capital of China, Dec. 9, 2021. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)