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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

China-EU relations

Europe’s crisis tourism: how the Iran war swallowed the EU’s geopolitical agenda

From trade with China to the Middle East conflict and resulting energy shock, Brussels’ agenda has been repeatedly knocked off course.

31 Mar 2026 - 6:03AMvideocam

Ukraine war

Finland’s president says Ukraine talks may be at ‘end of the road’

26 Mar 2026 - 7:40PMvideocam

European Union

EU inspects Druzhba pipeline in bid to unclog Hungary’s block on Ukraine aid

19 Mar 2026 - 6:26PMvideocam

Wellness

World’s ‘happiest’ places revealed as social media weighs on us

Heavy social media use is undermining youth well-being in many countries, according to a UN-sponsored report.

19 Mar 2026 - 2:11PMvideocam

A girl in Sydney uses her phone. Australia restricted young people’s access to social media services late last year. Photo: AP

China-EU relations

EU strips AI, chips and quantum from industrial plan aimed at countering China

Leaked draft shows biotechnology and robotics are other cutting-edge sectors to be cut from Industrial Accelerator Act ahead of unveiling.

4 Mar 2026 - 1:16AMvideocam

Hong Kong property

How a European agent won one of Hong Kong’s most exclusive luxury flat listings

A Finnish national turned a two-week trip into a new career, and now manages high-end listings in one of the world’s top real estate markets.

2 Mar 2026 - 8:30AM

US-China trade war

Xi Jinping meets foreign leaders: tracker 2026

World leaders are flocking to Beijing this year as Trump’s trade war spurs US allies to look for new ties.

26 Feb 2026 - 10:55AM

Ukraine war

4 years into Ukraine conflict, Zelensky says Putin ‘did not win this war’

The president said Kyiv wanted ‘lasting peace’ and any truce agreement ‘must not simply be signed, it must be accepted by Ukrainians’.

24 Feb 2026 - 8:41PM

Crime in Hong Kong

Captain pleads not guilty to damaging Baltic Sea gas pipeline in Hong Kong court

Wan Wenguo, captain of the Hong Kong-flagged NewNew Polar Bear, denies damaging a key gas link between Finland and Estonia in 2023.

11 Feb 2026 - 5:26PM

Greenland

Open Questions | Trump’s ‘imperial’ agenda and the end of the old world order: Luuk van Middelaar

Political theorist says rapid acceleration of the US president’s ‘offensive, almost imperial’ agenda has left Europe disoriented.

9 Feb 2026 - 1:10PMvideocam

Diplomacy

Opinion | American allies are finally hedging against American risk

As US policy becomes more self-centred and unpredictable, traditional allies realise their best bet lies with diplomatic diversification.

3 Feb 2026 - 8:30PMvideocam

United States

Outside In | Gradually, then suddenly, the world is waking up to the US threat

Middle powers are pivoting to Beijing and hedging with new partners as China’s economic displacement of the US rapidly expands.

30 Jan 2026 - 4:30PMvideocam

US-China trade war

World leaders flock to Beijing in search of trade deals

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer will be the fifth world leader to visit China this month, as nations seek to increase trade and hedge their reliance on the US.

27 Jan 2026 - 5:19PM

China-EU relations

China’s Xi says major powers must set example as world faces ‘risks, challenges’

‘China and Europe are partners, not rivals,’ President Xi Jinping tells visiting Finnish prime minister.

27 Jan 2026 - 8:24PMvideocam

Chinese President Xi Jinping greets Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo at the Great Hall of the People, in Beijing on Tuesday. Photo: Xinhua

Mergers & Acquisitions

China’s Anta snags Puma from France’s Pinault family in US$1.8 billion deal

China’s largest sportswear firm is acquiring 29 per cent to become Puma’s biggest shareholder while strengthening its global expansion.

27 Jan 2026 - 5:10PM

China-EU relations

Finland’s leader set for 4-day China visit as Europe seeks to counter Trump

Petteri Orpo to lead executives from more than 20 companies in first China visit by a Finnish prime minister since 2017.

26 Jan 2026 - 4:22PMvideocam

Canada

Canada considers sending small contingent of troops to Greenland

Canada’s Carney reviews role in Nato exercises as European allies push back against Trump’s threats to take Greenland.

20 Jan 2026 - 11:49AM

Greenland

Europe prepares retaliation over Trump’s Greenland ultimatum

Eight European countries consider US$108 billion retaliation and ‘anti-coercion’ tools after Trump vows tariffs on Europe over Arctic island.

19 Jan 2026 - 4:00PM

Danish soldiers after disembarking at the harbour in Nuuk, Greenland on Sunday. Photo: Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix via Reuters

Donald Trump

Trump hits 8 Nato allies with tariffs to force Greenland sale

The duties will start at 10 per cent in February and go up to 25 per cent in June if no deal is reached for the US to buy the island.

19 Jan 2026 - 3:35AM

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China-EU relations

China’s charm offensive: Beijing bypasses Brussels to soften EU trade push

From aircraft orders in France to reopened beef and pork markets for Ireland and Spain, mainland officials are leaning hard into diplomacy.

17 Jan 2026 - 12:13PMvideocam

Canada

Trump’s Venezuela and Greenland threats make Canada fear it’s next

The shock capture of Maduro and talk of seizing the Arctic island are forcing Canadians to take Trump’s 51st state threats seriously.

11 Jan 2026 - 5:12AMvideocam

In December 2024, US President Donald Trump posted an AI-generated image of himself standing on mountain with a Canadian flag next to him and the caption “Oh Canada!”. Image: Truth Social/realDonaldTrump

Food and Drinks

Your Hong Kong weekend food guide for January 9-11

Indulge in a culinary journey this weekend, from limited-time yakitori to a Nordic-inspired afternoon tea, and a brand new weekend Mediterranean brunch.

7 Jan 2026 - 2:08PM

This weekend’s dining highlights include a grill master’s offerings at Yakitori Yamato. Photo: Handout

US-Venezuela conflict

Trump doubles down on Greenland after US intervention in Venezuela

US president’s comments on Greenland and a ‘SOON’ social media post by the wife of a top aide spur anxieties in the Arctic.

5 Jan 2026 - 2:57PM

Crime

‘Criminal damage’: Finland police say ship seized after cable damage

Various energy and telecommunications infrastructure has been hit in recent years, with many leaders and experts suspecting Russia.

31 Dec 2025 - 9:45PMvideocam

Nordic nations

2 dead as Storm Johannes batters Nordic nations, thousands left without power

One person was killed after being hit by a falling tree near Sweden’s Kungsberget ski resort, police said.

28 Dec 2025 - 3:05PM

People walk in heavy snow as departures are cancelled at the train station in Are, Sweden on Saturday. Photo: TT News Agency via AP

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

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

Japan

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

Sarah Dzafce was stripped of her Miss Finland title after an image of her making the offensive gesture went viral.

18 Dec 2025 - 3:56PM

Nordic nations

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

PM Petteri Orpo offers regrets to Japan, China and South Korea after MPs mimic ousted beauty queen Sarah Dzafce’s offensive squinting gesture.

17 Dec 2025 - 9:20PM

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Finland

Europe’s crisis tourism: how the Iran war swallowed the EU’s geopolitical agenda

From trade with China to the Middle East conflict and resulting energy shock, Brussels’ agenda has been repeatedly knocked off course.

Finland’s president says Ukraine talks may be at ‘end of the road’

EU inspects Druzhba pipeline in bid to unclog Hungary’s block on Ukraine aid

World’s ‘happiest’ places revealed as social media weighs on us

Heavy social media use is undermining youth well-being in many countries, according to a UN-sponsored report.

EU strips AI, chips and quantum from industrial plan aimed at countering China

Leaked draft shows biotechnology and robotics are other cutting-edge sectors to be cut from Industrial Accelerator Act ahead of unveiling.

How a European agent won one of Hong Kong’s most exclusive luxury flat listings

A Finnish national turned a two-week trip into a new career, and now manages high-end listings in one of the world’s top real estate markets.

Xi Jinping meets foreign leaders: tracker 2026

World leaders are flocking to Beijing this year as Trump’s trade war spurs US allies to look for new ties.

4 years into Ukraine conflict, Zelensky says Putin ‘did not win this war’

The president said Kyiv wanted ‘lasting peace’ and any truce agreement ‘must not simply be signed, it must be accepted by Ukrainians’.

Captain pleads not guilty to damaging Baltic Sea gas pipeline in Hong Kong court

Wan Wenguo, captain of the Hong Kong-flagged NewNew Polar Bear, denies damaging a key gas link between Finland and Estonia in 2023.

.css-19im5qg{color:#c79a00;}Open Questions | Trump’s ‘imperial’ agenda and the end of the old world order: Luuk van Middelaar

Political theorist says rapid acceleration of the US president’s ‘offensive, almost imperial’ agenda has left Europe disoriented.

.css-1pcrwvc{color:#2aa191;}Opinion | American allies are finally hedging against American risk

As US policy becomes more self-centred and unpredictable, traditional allies realise their best bet lies with diplomatic diversification.

Outside In | Gradually, then suddenly, the world is waking up to the US threat

Middle powers are pivoting to Beijing and hedging with new partners as China’s economic displacement of the US rapidly expands.

World leaders flock to Beijing in search of trade deals

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer will be the fifth world leader to visit China this month, as nations seek to increase trade and hedge their reliance on the US.

China’s Xi says major powers must set example as world faces ‘risks, challenges’

‘China and Europe are partners, not rivals,’ President Xi Jinping tells visiting Finnish prime minister.

China’s Anta snags Puma from France’s Pinault family in US$1.8 billion deal

China’s largest sportswear firm is acquiring 29 per cent to become Puma’s biggest shareholder while strengthening its global expansion.

Finland’s leader set for 4-day China visit as Europe seeks to counter Trump

Petteri Orpo to lead executives from more than 20 companies in first China visit by a Finnish prime minister since 2017.

Canada considers sending small contingent of troops to Greenland

Canada’s Carney reviews role in Nato exercises as European allies push back against Trump’s threats to take Greenland.

Europe prepares retaliation over Trump’s Greenland ultimatum

Eight European countries consider US$108 billion retaliation and ‘anti-coercion’ tools after Trump vows tariffs on Europe over Arctic island.

Trump hits 8 Nato allies with tariffs to force Greenland sale

The duties will start at 10 per cent in February and go up to 25 per cent in June if no deal is reached for the US to buy the island.

China’s charm offensive: Beijing bypasses Brussels to soften EU trade push

From aircraft orders in France to reopened beef and pork markets for Ireland and Spain, mainland officials are leaning hard into diplomacy.

Trump’s Venezuela and Greenland threats make Canada fear it’s next

The shock capture of Maduro and talk of seizing the Arctic island are forcing Canadians to take Trump’s 51st state threats seriously.

Your Hong Kong weekend food guide for January 9-11

Indulge in a culinary journey this weekend, from limited-time yakitori to a Nordic-inspired afternoon tea, and a brand new weekend Mediterranean brunch.

Trump doubles down on Greenland after US intervention in Venezuela

US president’s comments on Greenland and a ‘SOON’ social media post by the wife of a top aide spur anxieties in the Arctic.

‘Criminal damage’: Finland police say ship seized after cable damage

Various energy and telecommunications infrastructure has been hit in recent years, with many leaders and experts suspecting Russia.

2 dead as Storm Johannes batters Nordic nations, thousands left without power

One person was killed after being hit by a falling tree near Sweden’s Kungsberget ski resort, police said.

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

Sarah Dzafce was stripped of her Miss Finland title after an image of her making the offensive gesture went viral.

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

PM Petteri Orpo offers regrets to Japan, China and South Korea after MPs mimic ousted beauty queen Sarah Dzafce’s offensive squinting gesture.

Open Questions | Trump’s ‘imperial’ agenda and the end of the old world order: Luuk van Middelaar

Opinion | American allies are finally hedging against American risk