Finland–Taiwan relations
Finland |
Taiwan |
|---|---|
| Diplomatic mission | |
| Finland Trade Center in Taipei | Taipei Representative Office in Finland |
| Envoy | |
| Freddy Lim | |
Finland–Taiwan relations are informal and largely economic, because the two countries do not have official diplomatic ties.[1] On 13 January 1950, Finland acknowledged the People's Republic of China government in Beijing as the legitimate government of China, and diplomatic relations were established in October the same year.[2] When referring to the country, the government of Finland tends to use the designation Taiwan instead of the official Republic of China.[3]
A Taiwanese representative office was opened in Helsinki in 1990 and a corresponding Finnish office in Taipei a year later.[4] These offices function as de facto embassies, as the countries have no formal diplomatic relations.
The Taipei Representative Office in Finland keeps relations with Finnish parliamentarians from various political parties.[5] In May 2020, Taiwan donated 200,000 surgical masks to the Northern Finnish healthcare district, and they were received by Mikko Kärnä, who was the chair of the informal Taiwan friendship club of the Finnish parliament.[6]
In 2005, under the term of Taipei representative in Finland Janet Chang, the Arrangement on Air Services between Taiwan and Finland was signed, indicating the potential for direct flights to operate between Taiwan and Finland in the future. Finland has also engaged in the Global Cooperation and Training Framework (GCTF) in Taiwan, which was initially initiated by Taiwan and the United States in 2015. Specifically, in 2024, the Finland Trade Centre in Taiwan co-hosted a GCTF event, but the content of the workshop was not made publicly available.[7]
In 2025 heavy metal musician and politician Freddy Lim was appointed as the Taiwanese representative in Finland.[8][9]
Educational Cooperation
In 2026, Aalto University launches an EMBA program with National Central University in Taiwan.
See also
References
- ^ Chen, Julie Yu-Wen (2025) Finland’s Relations with Taiwan amid Rising Geopolitical Tensions. In Una Aleksandra Bērziņa-Čerenkova, Karlis Bukovskis, and Imants Lieģis (eds.) Not Important Enough to Neglect: Taiwan in the Diplomacy of Northern and Central Europe, p. 70-83. Riga: Latvian Institute of International Affairs. </https://www.liia.lv/en/publications/not-important-enough-to-neglect-taiwan-in-the-diplomacy-of-northern-and-central-europe-1429
- ^ "Kahdenväliset suhteet - Suomi ulkomailla". Kiina (in Finnish). Retrieved 2021-08-31.
- ^ "Suomi ja Taiwan - Suomi ulkomailla". Taiwan (in Finnish). Retrieved 2021-08-31.
- ^ "Bilateral relations between Finland and Taiwan". Taipei Representative Office in Finland 駐芬蘭台北代表處. Archived from the original on 2021-08-23. Retrieved 2021-08-31.
- ^ Chen, Julie Yu-Wen; Kallio, Jyrki (2023) Finland–Taiwan Relations: An Overview and Review of Changes after the COVID-19 Pandemic, in Julie Yu-Wen Chen and Torbjörn Lodén (eds.) Slowly Taking Off: Nordic-Taiwan Relations, p. 27-45. Stockholm: Institute for Security & Development Policy.https://www.isdp.eu/publication/slowly-taking-off-nordic-taiwan-relations/
- ^ "Taiwan donated 200 000 surgical masks to the coronavirus battle of Finland". Helsinki Times. 2020-05-26. Retrieved 2021-08-31.
- ^ Chen, Julie Yu-Wen (2025). Taiwan-Finland Relations: Warming Slowly. In Matej Šimalčík, Kristina Kironska, Alfred Gerstl (eds.) Partners in Need, Partners Indeed? Tracking Europe-Taiwan Relations Amidst Global Disruptions. Bratislava: Central European Institute of Asian Studies. (published December 16, 2025). pp. 111–116. ISBN 978-80-8239-036-3.
- ^ Galiher, Stephen Andrew. "Chthonic Vocalist Freddy Lim is the New Taiwanese Ambassador to Finland". vice.com. Vice. Retrieved 2 June 2025.
- ^ Chi-ling, Wu; Yen-hsiang, Chao. "Taiwan's representative to Finland explores heavy metal diplomacy". focustaiwan.tw. Focus Taiwan. Retrieved 1 December 2025.