President Xi Jinping said China and Europe are partners, not adversaries, in his meeting with visiting Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo in Beijing on Tuesday.

Xi said cooperation between China and Europe outweighs competition, and their common ground outweighs differences, according to Xinhua News Agency.

The president added that China hopes Finland will play a constructive role in promoting the healthy and stable development of China-Europe relations.

Xi also said Beijing and Helsinki should deepen mutually beneficial cooperation in areas such as energy transition, circular economy, agriculture and forestry industries, and scientific and technological innovation, Xinhua reported.

He said China is ready to work with Finland to firmly uphold the international system with the United Nations at its core and the international order based on international law, to jointly respond to global challenges.