CRI听力:Finland Promotes Ski Resort to Chinese Investors

Finland is promoting land around its southern ski resort of Himos to affluent Chinese investors. It's the first time the Nordic country has look to China to promote a land development project.
With the local government offering favorable policies, some Chinese investors say they would possibly sign the deal. Chen Xin has the story.

Himos, seven kilometers from downtown Jamsa city, is among the top five ski resorts in Finland.
Although Himos attracts more than 200,000 tourists every year, it is still a semi-devloped area.
The local government is seeking Chinese investors to purchase 225 hectares of land in Himos, at a price of 14 million euros, or some 20 million U.S. dollars.

According to related laws in Finland, landowners have permanent land use rights.(www.hXen.com)

At a promotion activity in Beijing on Wednesday, Hannu Pelkonen, executive director of Jamsa city's Planning and Investment Department, said Chinese investors are welcome to develop the land and they would enjoy favorable policies from the local government.

"For us, we see that as an extremely good opportunities if we have Chinese investors for the land. It's the first one in Finland, and even the first one in Europe. We do have an infrastructure development subsidy of 25 percent from the government side. That can be used by anybody whoever wants to invest."

Futuvision, a Finland-based company, is the intermediary agency for the Himos program, providing services for Chinese investors who want to buy the land. Zhao Yinong is CEO of the company.

"Our role is to try to interpret a business opportunity in a format that Chinese investors can really understand. And we are authorized to handle some practical legal issues like helping Chinese investors to form an investment package and agreements, and so on."

After the promotion activity, some investors showed interest in the program. A man surnamed Wang from Shanxi-based Shangjin Investment Company is one of them.

"Our company mainly deals with domestic business. We have not yet invested in overseas markets. The program impressed me because first, the price is reasonable; second, the area's natural environment, lake, and mature sports facilities are attractive to us. We plan to join hands with some other companies to invest in the program."

Chinese investors are encouraged to build hotels, villas, cable cars and golf courses in the Himos area. The promotion also aims to attract more Chinese tourists to the region.

Chen Xin, CRI news.