China's foreign minister visits Finland, seeks to leverage anti-US sentiment

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi is embarking on a Nordic tour, including a stop in Finland, aiming to gauge the region's atmosphere and potentially exploit any distrust towards the United States. This diplomatic push comes in the wake of a dispute where US President Donald Trump expressed interest in acquiring Greenland, prompting Nordic nations to rally in support of Denmark and Greenland.

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China smells a gap like this, that now is a good time to drive a wedge in further.

Analysts like Sari Arho Havrén from Business Finland observe that China might be sensing an opportunity to deepen its influence. However, Havrén believes China may be misinterpreting the situation, stating that Nordic countries' critical stance towards the US does not automatically translate into a pro-China sentiment. "China smells a gap like this, that now is a good time to drive a wedge in further," Havrén said, but added, "China has smelled wrong." The tour began in Denmark, considered the most crucial stop due to the Greenland issue, but initial reactions from Danish officials did not indicate a shift towards China's favor.

Wang Yi's visit precedes a NATO summit in Ankara, where both Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen and President Alexander Stubb are scheduled to attend. A major impediment to closer Sino-Nordic relations is China's stance on the war in Ukraine. Reports suggest Wang previously told EU official Kaja Kallas that China cannot accept a scenario where Russia loses its war. This position is problematic for Nordic countries, all NATO members, who view China as a key enabler of Russia's aggression.

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But China has smelled wrong.

Havrén further noted that Nordic nations' NATO memberships make them strategically interesting to China. However, she reiterated that rapprochement with China is unlikely given Beijing's alignment with Russia. The relationship between China and Finland, once largely unproblematic, has become strained due to the Ukraine war and the broader US-China geopolitical rivalry. Recent reports also indicate Chinese pressure on the Finnish embassy in Beijing to cancel a Pride event, highlighting growing tensions.

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It is also possible that there is some kind of miscalculation in this regard. There will be no rapprochement with China on that side.