Prime Minister and Minister of the Environment market Finland's environmental expertise

On 10 September, Prime Minister Jyrki Katainen, Minister of the Environment Ville Niinistö and a delegation of thirty Finnish cleantech companies participated in a seminar which focused on ways of resolving China's serious environmental problems. The aim of the Team Finland trade mission in China is to present Finland's cleantech expertise and market Finnish innovations with which to curb and eliminate environmental problems. "Environmental problems incur substantial costs to China and endanger the country's economic growth. By 2015, China intends to invest USD 1,000 billion in measures to improve the state of the environment. This will create significant opportunities for Finnish businesses and the foundation for Finnish-Chinese cooperation in the field has already been laid. Currently, the total value of cleantech trade between our countries amounts to almost one billion euro," Prime Minister Katainen said in Beijing. During their visit, Prime Minister Katainen and Minister of the Environment Niinistö will also discuss the Beautiful Beijing project with the Chinese authorities. The project will provide concrete business opportunities for Finnish companies to help resolve environmental problems in the Beijing area. The Beautiful Beijing project was launched this spring and it aims to improve the quality of air in Beijing significantly. Finnish businesses are expected to receive new orders from China at the beginning of 2014. "Minister Niinistö and I have told our Chinese hosts about the Clean Day concept to be implemented within the framework of the Team Finland network. The event, which will combine environmental protection and technology, is to become an annual feature in China, too. In Beijing, the first Clean Day event will be organised in autumn 2014," Prime Minister Katainen said.