On June 28, officials of Haidian District held an online meeting with their counterparts from Savonlinna of Finland, Haidian’s international sister city. Li Junjie, Mayor of Haidian District, and Janne Laine, Mayor of Savonlinna, exchanged views on enhancing friendly cooperation.

Li Junjie said that Haidian District has stayed committed to innovation-driven development, sped up the development of Haidian as the core area of an international center for science and technology innovation, and achieved significant results in high-quality development. Savonlinna is endowed with rich resources. The complementarity of resources promises great potential for cooperation between the two regions. It is hoped that the two sides will further expand all-round and multi-level exchanges to build a closer and more pragmatic partnership, and work together to set an example for sister-city exchanges and cooperation.

Janne Laine gave an introduction to the latest advancements in Savonlinna’s industries, including machinery, electronics, new energy, technology, and tourism. He expressed admiration for the achievements that Haidian District has made in the fields of economy, science, and technology. He pointed out that Savonlinna and Haidian District have forged a strong friendship over the years, and carried out fruitful cooperation in education, healthcare, and tourism. He hoped that the two sides can further deepen friendship and expand cooperation, thus achieving win-win results in economic and social development.

Going forward, Haidian District will continue to strengthen its relationship with Savonlinna by increasing personnel exchanges and improving the efficiency and quality of practical cooperation in various fields, including education, healthcare, technology, culture, and tourism.

Founded in 1639, Savonlinna is a major tourism city of the Saimaa Lake region in eastern Finland.

In 2015, Haidian District and Savonlinna signed a letter of intent to promote friendly understanding and cooperation. In 2021, the two sides signed an agreement to establish sister-city relations.