With Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo set for a four-day China sojourn starting Sunday, Human Rights Watch is rallying for a human rights reckoning. The plea comes as Europe grapples with lucrative but fraught engagements with Beijing.
More than protocol, HRW views the trip as Finland’s proving ground for defending democratic tenets amid great-power rivalry. Predecessors from Ireland, Sweden, France, Germany, and Canada honed in on trade, muting abuse alarms—a trend signaling de-Americanization quests.
Yet, HRW contends, embracing China’s autocracy amid Trump-era frictions risks pan-European panic. Finland’s 2025-2029 action plan with China prioritizes innovation, eco-tech, and markets, with human rights as an afterthought, blinding it to Beijing’s Finnish incursions.
Accusations abound: China’s unparalleled atrocities, Xinjiang’s detentions, surveillance, and Turkic forced labor imperil Finland’s sectors despite EU safeguards ahead. The regime’s rights void propels worldwide erosion, job hemorrhaging, and Western ire.
Hong Kong quakes under speech penalties, Tibet’s heritage crumbles, and transnationally, activists cower. Orpo must seize this to fuse ethics with economics, averting complicity.
Ultimately, the visit spotlights a pivotal choice. Prioritizing rights fortifies Finland’s global posture, models resilient alliances, and shields against authoritarian overreach.