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Finland

The latest news, analysis and opinion on Finland. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.

Capital

Helsinki

Head of State

President Alexander Stubb

Head of Government

Prime Minister Petteri Orpo

(From left) Joshua Zahl, Chen Jing and Zhou Ming. Photo: Handout/Tsinghua University

SCMP Highlights

7 scientists, mathematicians, physicists and experts who moved to China in 2025

From a world-leading statistician to a mathematics luminary, here are some experts who made the move.

24 Dec 2025 - 4:15PM

Japan

Japan dismayed over Finnish beauty queen’s ‘slanted eyes’ photos

18 Dec 2025 - 3:56PM

Nordic nations

Finnish PM apologises for MPs’ ‘racist’ gestures in Miss Finland scandal

17 Dec 2025 - 9:20PM

Racism and other prejudice

Miss Finland ‘racism’ scandal is damaging country, PM says

Prime Minister Petteri Orpo weighs in as Finnish politicians mimic a racist gesture in solidarity with stripped beauty queen.

17 Dec 2025 - 1:36PM

Miss Finland Sarah Dzafce competes during the Miss Universe pageant on the outskirts of Bangkok, Thailand, in November. Photo: EPA

Racism and other prejudice

Miss Finland loses her crown due to anti-Chinese racism scandal

Sarah Dzafce apologised after a photo surfaced of her making a gesture seen as derogatory to Asian people.

16 Dec 2025 - 2:43PM

Ukraine war

Ukraine sends US a revised peace plan as Trump blasts European allies

US president says ‘pretty strong words’ were used in his discussion with leaders from the UK, France and Germany.

11 Dec 2025 - 2:10PM

Social media

Editorial | Curbs on children’s social media use and screen time must strike a balance

The digital world is part of young people’s lives; there is a need to limit risks without depriving children of the benefits of being online.

10 Dec 2025 - 7:15AM

A schoolboy looks at his phone in Melbourne on November 27, 2024. Australia will ban young teenagers from social media on December 10, launching a world-first crackdown designed to unglue children from addictive scrolling on the likes of Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Photo: AFP

TikTok

TikTok to invest more than US$37 billion in Brazil data centre

China is Brazil’s top trading partner and is seeking to expand economic and political ties across the region amid tensions with the US.

4 Dec 2025 - 10:45AM

Ukraine war

‘Issues remain’: US-Ukraine talks advance, but Europe cautious on Russia deal

Trump hails ‘big progress’ in talks, while Germany confirms US plan was modified with Nato and territorial demands removed.

25 Nov 2025 - 1:03AM

Africa

Africa attracts smaller EU nations scrambling for influence

Estonia and Finland are among those seeking to boost their presence on the continent, revamping diplomatic and trade ties over the past five years.

23 Nov 2025 - 5:46PM

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa speaks with EU Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen at the G20 Leaders’ Summit plenary session in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Saturday. Photo: AFP

China-EU relations

Letters | Europe must separate legitimate security concerns from politics

Readers discuss the Nexperia dispute between China and the Netherlands, a suit against the Malaysian government, and Hong Kong patient records.

14 Nov 2025 - 11:30AM

An employee holds a box with wafers in a production line of Dutch semiconductor company Nexperia in Hamburg, Germany, on June 27, 2024. Photo: Reuters

Technology

China dominates global patent race with record filings

China filed nearly half of all patents worldwide in 2024, outpacing the US by more than threefold, WIPO data show.

13 Nov 2025 - 6:13AMvideocam

SCMP Highlights

How China is closing tech gap on West; rare earth find: SCMP daily highlights

From China’s ‘strategic new frontiers’ to scientists discovering rare earth minerals in a fern, here’s a round-up from today’s coverage.

12 Nov 2025 - 11:28PM

Science

Rising star mathematician Wu Meng returns to China from Finland

Now affiliated with Hunan University, the award-winning professor solved a major part of Furstenberg’s conjecture dating to the 1960s.

12 Nov 2025 - 2:41PM

Wu Meng (centre) wrote a paper about his proof of Furstenberg’s conjecture, earning him the 2023 International Congress of Chinese Mathematicians Best Paper Award. Photo: Handout

Vietnam

Avoiding ‘strategic suicide’: Vietnam’s US-Russia-China diplomatic dance

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth’s visit pushed military cooperation, but Vietnam wants to ensure it keeps all its geopolitical options open.

9 Nov 2025 - 1:30PM

US and Vietnamese flags fly during a welcome ceremony for visiting US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in Hanoi, Vietnam, on November 2. Photo: AP

China-Asean relations

Southeast Asia still under pressure amid US-China trade truce: analysts

Strategically vital region described as remaining on front lines of great-power competition with no easy path forward.

6 Nov 2025 - 5:02PMvideocam

France

Louvre jewels may be irrecoverable as French police race against time

Police hunt for Louvre raiders before priceless Napoleonic jewels are melted down and cut into untraceable individual stones.

21 Oct 2025 - 12:54PMvideocam

South Korea

Is South Korea’s school smartphone ban the answer to teen tech addiction?

The nationwide ban comes after a government survey found nearly 43 per cent of teenagers have trouble controlling their phone use.

21 Sep 2025 - 11:15AMvideocam

Smartphones collected from students are seen in a plastic basket during class at a primary school in Suwon, South Korea. Photo: AP

Germany

Germany slams Israel boycott, Eurovision ‘brings nations together’

Spain and others will boycott the world’s largest live televised music event in May if Israel participates over the ongoing assault on Gaza.

20 Sep 2025 - 7:26PM

China-EU relations

Flagging imbalances in China, EU chamber urges course correction in 5-year plan

Exhorting the need for a ‘new, productive development model’, latest chamber position paper airs members’ grievances.

17 Sep 2025 - 5:01PMvideocam

China's military weapons

Western leaders parse China military parade displaying national pride

US President Donald Trump says America deserves more credit for helping China gain its freedom.

4 Sep 2025 - 10:45PMvideocam

Military personnel take part in a parade in Beijing on Wednesday to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Japan’s World War II surrender. Photo: AP

Ukraine war

Trump says Putin’s dislike of Zelensky delaying meeting between 2 leaders

The US president also said that he still believed a deal to end Russia’s war on Ukraine was in sight.

26 Aug 2025 - 11:20AMvideocam

US President Donald Trump (right) with Russia’s Vladimir Putin in Anchorage, Alaska, on August 15. Photo: Getty Images/TNS

United States

Trump says he will arrange Putin, Zelensky meeting after speaking with both

After meetings with Zelensky and top European leaders in White House, Trump says trilateral meeting is also in the works.

19 Aug 2025 - 10:34AMvideocam

Ukraine war

Zelensky warns against ‘rewarding’ Russia for Ukraine war ahead of Trump meet

Trump had earlier pressed Kyiv to make concessions in exchange for peace.

18 Aug 2025 - 9:40PMvideocam

Books and literature

The Moomins’ 80th birthday draws fans across Europe for special event

Fans flocked to Tampere in southern Finland to celebrate the country’s most lovable literary cartoon family, created by author Tove Jansson.

17 Aug 2025 - 3:15PM

Moomins fans celebrate the 80th anniversary of the publication of the Finnish children’s classic, The Moomins and the Great Flood, and the birthday of the author Tove Jansson, in Tampere, Finland, on August 9, 2025. Photo: AP

China-Russia relations

China hosts exhibition emphasising ‘Russianness’ of realist painter Ilya Repin

The celebrated 19th-century artist is at the centre of a culture war between Russia and Ukraine.

17 Aug 2025 - 2:00PM

The collection of oil paintings and sketches by Ilya Repin is on show at the National Museum of China until mid-January. Photo: Xinhua

Ukraine war

Europe rallies behind Ukraine after Trump-Putin summit fails to offer ceasefire

Bloc will ‘uphold pressure on Russia’, leaders say in statement that also highlights tightrope walk in keeping Trump engaged on Ukraine.

16 Aug 2025 - 9:06PMvideocam

Ukraine war

Trump could meet Putin over Ukraine war as soon as next week

A Trump-Putin meeting could be followed by a trilateral involving the Russian leader and Zelensky.

7 Aug 2025 - 4:01PM

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Finland

7 scientists, mathematicians, physicists and experts who moved to China in 2025

From a world-leading statistician to a mathematics luminary, here are some experts who made the move.

Japan dismayed over Finnish beauty queen’s ‘slanted eyes’ photos

Finnish PM apologises for MPs’ ‘racist’ gestures in Miss Finland scandal

Miss Finland ‘racism’ scandal is damaging country, PM says

Prime Minister Petteri Orpo weighs in as Finnish politicians mimic a racist gesture in solidarity with stripped beauty queen.

Miss Finland loses her crown due to anti-Chinese racism scandal

Sarah Dzafce apologised after a photo surfaced of her making a gesture seen as derogatory to Asian people.

Ukraine sends US a revised peace plan as Trump blasts European allies

US president says ‘pretty strong words’ were used in his discussion with leaders from the UK, France and Germany.

.css-1m2rp1p{color:#34b8b5;}Editorial | Curbs on children’s social media use and screen time must strike a balance

The digital world is part of young people’s lives; there is a need to limit risks without depriving children of the benefits of being online.

TikTok to invest more than US$37 billion in Brazil data centre

China is Brazil’s top trading partner and is seeking to expand economic and political ties across the region amid tensions with the US.

‘Issues remain’: US-Ukraine talks advance, but Europe cautious on Russia deal

Trump hails ‘big progress’ in talks, while Germany confirms US plan was modified with Nato and territorial demands removed.

Africa attracts smaller EU nations scrambling for influence

Estonia and Finland are among those seeking to boost their presence on the continent, revamping diplomatic and trade ties over the past five years.

.css-sioo19{color:#c79a00;}Letters | Europe must separate legitimate security concerns from politics

Readers discuss the Nexperia dispute between China and the Netherlands, a suit against the Malaysian government, and Hong Kong patient records.

China dominates global patent race with record filings

China filed nearly half of all patents worldwide in 2024, outpacing the US by more than threefold, WIPO data show.

How China is closing tech gap on West; rare earth find: SCMP daily highlights

From China’s ‘strategic new frontiers’ to scientists discovering rare earth minerals in a fern, here’s a round-up from today’s coverage.

Rising star mathematician Wu Meng returns to China from Finland

Now affiliated with Hunan University, the award-winning professor solved a major part of Furstenberg’s conjecture dating to the 1960s.

Avoiding ‘strategic suicide’: Vietnam’s US-Russia-China diplomatic dance

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth’s visit pushed military cooperation, but Vietnam wants to ensure it keeps all its geopolitical options open.

Southeast Asia still under pressure amid US-China trade truce: analysts

Strategically vital region described as remaining on front lines of great-power competition with no easy path forward.

Louvre jewels may be irrecoverable as French police race against time

Police hunt for Louvre raiders before priceless Napoleonic jewels are melted down and cut into untraceable individual stones.

Is South Korea’s school smartphone ban the answer to teen tech addiction?

The nationwide ban comes after a government survey found nearly 43 per cent of teenagers have trouble controlling their phone use.

Germany slams Israel boycott, Eurovision ‘brings nations together’

Spain and others will boycott the world’s largest live televised music event in May if Israel participates over the ongoing assault on Gaza.

Flagging imbalances in China, EU chamber urges course correction in 5-year plan

Exhorting the need for a ‘new, productive development model’, latest chamber position paper airs members’ grievances.

Western leaders parse China military parade displaying national pride

US President Donald Trump says America deserves more credit for helping China gain its freedom.

Trump says Putin’s dislike of Zelensky delaying meeting between 2 leaders

The US president also said that he still believed a deal to end Russia’s war on Ukraine was in sight.

Trump says he will arrange Putin, Zelensky meeting after speaking with both

After meetings with Zelensky and top European leaders in White House, Trump says trilateral meeting is also in the works.

Zelensky warns against ‘rewarding’ Russia for Ukraine war ahead of Trump meet

Trump had earlier pressed Kyiv to make concessions in exchange for peace.

The Moomins’ 80th birthday draws fans across Europe for special event

Fans flocked to Tampere in southern Finland to celebrate the country’s most lovable literary cartoon family, created by author Tove Jansson.

China hosts exhibition emphasising ‘Russianness’ of realist painter Ilya Repin

The celebrated 19th-century artist is at the centre of a culture war between Russia and Ukraine.

Europe rallies behind Ukraine after Trump-Putin summit fails to offer ceasefire

Bloc will ‘uphold pressure on Russia’, leaders say in statement that also highlights tightrope walk in keeping Trump engaged on Ukraine.

Trump could meet Putin over Ukraine war as soon as next week

A Trump-Putin meeting could be followed by a trilateral involving the Russian leader and Zelensky.

Editorial | Curbs on children’s social media use and screen time must strike a balance

Letters | Europe must separate legitimate security concerns from politics