Finland China Visit: PM Must Address Human Rights Repression

Finland China visit scheduled for January 25 to 28, 2026, places Prime Minister Petteri Orpo at the center of a critical diplomatic moment. Accompanied by more than 20 Finnish business leaders, the visit reflects a wider pattern among democratic states seeking deeper trade engagement with China . Similar approaches have recently been taken by Ireland, Sweden, France, Germany, and Canada, where economic cooperation often overshadows meaningful human rights engagement.

Trade Engagement Versus Democratic Values Growing economic ties between Europe and Beijing highlight the difficulty democracies face while attempting to diversify partnerships and reduce reliance on the United States. Recent political uncertainty and coercive tactics associated with the Trump administration have accelerated this shift. However, aligning more closely with an openly authoritarian state raises serious concerns for European democracies committed to human rights and rule of law.

Finland’s Joint Action Plan with China for 2025 to 2029 illustrates this tension. Emphasis is placed on innovation, green technology, and trade expansion, while references to human rights remain vague and limited. This lack of clarity ignores how repression inside China increasingly affects Finland’s economy, security, and policy space.

Repression In China And Global Impact Systematic human rights abuses carried out by the Chinese government continue to draw international condemnation. Crimes against humanity in Xinjiang involving mass arbitrary detention, pervasive surveillance, and forced labor targeting Uyghurs and other Turkic Muslims directly threaten global supply chains. Finnish clean energy and technology industries face growing exposure to these risks, especially as European Union forced labor import bans are expected to take effect in late 2027.

Labor rights violations extend well beyond Xinjiang. Weak labor protections inside China have fueled a global race to the bottom, undermining jobs in Europe and contributing to social resentment and political instability across democratic societies.

Shrinking Freedoms Beyond China’s Borders Civil liberties once comparable to those in Helsinki have sharply declined in Hong Kong. Residents now face lengthy prison sentences for peaceful criticism of authorities. Cultural and religious repression continues in Tibet, while transnational repression increasingly targets activists and diaspora communities across Europe.

China’s growing international influence also complicates global security discussions, particularly given its political and economic support for Russia amid the war in Ukraine. Suppression of dissent abroad restricts open debate and informed policymaking within democratic states.

Responsibility Of Finland’s Leadership Petteri Orpo’s China visit represents more than a trade mission. Opportunity exists for Finland to assert that economic cooperation cannot be separated from respect for human rights and international law. Silence or vague diplomacy risks legitimizing repression while weakening Finland’s credibility as a defender of democratic values.

Clear and public engagement on human rights during this visit would signal that economic interests do not override fundamental freedoms. Democratic leadership requires confronting abuses, not sidelining them for short-term gains.