BEIJING — China and Finland opened the 2019 China-Finland Year of Winter Sports on Jan 15 in Beijing.

China-Finland cooperation on sports, particularly winter sports, enjoys a solid foundation and a rapid development, said Vice-Premier Sun Chunlan when meeting with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto before the opening ceremony.

The two sides should continue to work closely to implement the consensus reached by the two countries’ leaders and to make the Year of Winter Sports full of highlights, Sun added.

Finland attaches great importance to the 2019 China-Finland Year of Winter Sports and expects cooperation on winter sports to inject new vitality into bilateral relations, Niinisto said.