BEIJING, Oct. 29 -- Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks with Finnish President Alexander Stubb in Beijing on Tuesday.

Xi noted that Finland was one of the first Western countries to establish diplomatic ties with the People's Republic of China and the first Western country to sign an intergovernmental trade agreement with China.

Since the establishment of diplomatic ties, China and Finland have always enjoyed friendly relations based on mutual respect and trust, setting a fine example of state-to-state relations that transcends historical, cultural and institutional differences, and promotes equal exchanges, Xi said.

"As the world is undergoing accelerated changes unseen in a century and the risks and challenges facing human society are increasing, the future-oriented new-type cooperative partnership between China and Finland holds exceptional value and should be cherished and advanced," Xi said.

China is willing to work with Finland to strengthen strategic cooperation, carry forward friendly traditions, and further advance this cooperative partnership to better benefit the two countries and peoples and make new contributions to world peace and development, Xi added.