Visiting Finnish President Tarja Halonen received an honorary doctoral degree from the Chinese Academy of Forestry (CAF) in Beijing Wednesday, saying her country will increase cooperation with China in the forestry sector.
Halonen said ties between the two countries' forestry departments will become increasingly important in the next few years, expecting much more cooperation in this field.
Such cooperation has been carried out in scientific research, education, forestry resource management, timber processing, machinery making, and trade in forest products in recent years, according to CAF president Jiang Zehui.
The cooperation will be broadened and fruitful in future, said Jiang, who presented the degree to President Halonen.
Halonen also attended a ceremony to sign an agreement on Sino-Finnish cooperation in forestry science and technology, and met Chinese and Finnish participants at a symposium on management and investment in forestry industry.
(Xinhua News Agency November 28, 2002)