国内英语新闻:China, Finland sign clean tech deals worth 250 mln U.S. dollars

BEIJING, May 26 (Xinhua) -- Companies from China and Finland signed twelve deals on clean technology with a total contract value of around 250 million U.S. dollars on Wednesday.

"The immediate value of all the contracts and agreements is about 200 million euros (about 245.76 million U.S. dollars), and their potential exceeds 1.5 billion euros (about 1.84 billion dollars)," Leif Fagernas, director general of the Confederation of Finnish Industries, said at the Cleantech Finland China Seminar in Beijing.

Visiting Finnish President Tarja Halonen and Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang attended the seminar, and pledged to promote clean tech cooperation between the two countries.

Chinese Vice Premier Li Keqiang (rear L2) and visiting Finnish President Tarja Halonen (rear L3) attend a signing ceremony after the opening ceremony of Cleantech Finland China Seminar in Beijing, capital of China, on May 26, 2010.

"As China is experiencing rapid industrialization and urbanization, we have to build a resource-saving and environmentally friendly society as soon as possible," Li said.

He added that the promotion of clean development would help transform China's pattern of economic development.