JAN Wahlberg, who came to Shanghai two years ago, would have liked to spend more time amid nature but the top diplomat instead has been kept busy by the booming ties between China and Finland.

The Finnish Consul General in Shanghai is not only amazed by China’s meteoric rise but has been a key player as trade and tourism between the two countries accelerated.

“At the beginning I was very amazed by China and Shanghai — by how developed it is, how cosmopolitan it is, and how much things happen all the time. It feels like there is more to 24 hours here in Shanghai,” he tells Shanghai Daily.

For the past two years, Wahlberg has witnessed a surge in bilateral relations between the two governments, and among companies and ordinary people. Earlier this year, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Finland for the first time, and more Chinese investors are showing interest in Finnish companies, especially in the gaming industry.

Last year, Chinese tech giant Tencent signed a deal worth 8 billion euros (US$9.13 billion) with Finnish mobile game company Supercell. The bilateral trade in 2016 reached 6.7 billion euros, with 2.7 billion euros worth of imports from Finland, mainly in machinery and material.

“There are about 350 Finnish companies in China, and half of them are in our jurisdiction in the greater Shanghai area,” the consul general says. “A lot of such companies are dealing in machinery, but major Finnish lifestyle brands are also here. Many young Finnish entrepreneurs are seeing Shanghai as the new Silicon Valley and have chosen to be here.”

Wahlberg says many Finnish companies are strong in entrepreneurial skills. They are also very confident in their products, but in some cases there’s still room to improve in marketing. Especially when it comes to localize marketing in China, they should bear in mind that they are looking for investors specifically in this region. “Marketing is very important in China.”

Promoting Finland and Finnish culture and business is also a major task of the consulate general’s office.

While most Chinese associate Santa Claus with Finland, very few know that the people behind “Angry Birds” are all Finnish. They still get confused with Finland and Holland, since the Chinese names are very similar — Fenland and Helan.

Last month, the Finnish Consul General in Shanghai organized a one-day “We Love Finland” festival to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the independence of Finland, and to promote Finnish culture and business among the Chinese.

Finnish companies involved in machinery, fashion, furniture and other industries displayed their innovative products, but the angry Red and cute Moomin were the stars of the show.

Finnish musicians and Shanghai International Choir performed Finnish and Chinese classics, while Finnish students in the city volunteered for a fashion show that showcased the works of various Finnish designers.

“We organized similar events before with other Nordic countries. It was the first time that we hosted it alone. It was the 100th anniversary and we wanted to do something special,” the diplomat says.

He considers President Xi’s recent visit to Finland as an opportunity for more collaborations between the two countries.

“It’s a very comprehensive partnership that covers the whole aspect of our bilateral relationship. What I want to highlight is the clean tech, which has lots of potentials and possibilities,” he explains.

Wahlberg threw light on the southern new district in Nanjing and a Sino-Finnish collaboration in building an eco-city with a population of 450,000 in the next eight years.

He is also betting big on the gaming industry. Recently many young professionals entered the gaming industry, leading to a boom in Finland.

“In general, the big Chinese companies have done quite well in employing locals, so people are not so stressed about Finland being bought by the Chinese,” he says.

He has also been promoting Finland as an education superpower, a fact relatively unknown among the Chinese.

“We know how to educate young people, especially how to stimulate their creativity. We don’t force them. And we are very strong in vocational training,” he says. “Education is the base of our society. Education and clean tech are what we excel in.”

Finland has seen a rapid increase in Chinese visitors, with over 356,000 visits in 2016. In terms of the visas issued by the diplomatic missions of Finland in China, the growth was almost 100 percent compared with the previous year.

Wahlberg considers the lake region a great place to relax, especially for those coming from busy cities.

“We have thousands of lakes, and you never need to travel far to find one,” he says. “It is a wonderful experience to stay in a summer house there, and this is the best season to go. You can enjoy the nature and pick berries in the woods.”

His own favorite is one by the Baltic Sea. It has very basic furnishing and modern facilities, and he usually stays there for a month every year.

“The Finnish idea of a summer vacation may sound like a work camp to you,” he laughes.

Q: How did you become a diplomat?

A: I don’t quite remember, but my mom told me I wanted to become the Secretary General of the United Nations when I was little. But I always visualized myself in international jobs.

I exchanged for a year in Chile during high school, went to the United States for bachelor’s, and then did master’s in Chile. So by the time I graduated, I already lived abroad for 10 years, it was only natural for me to choose this job.

I can’t see myself in one place. I enjoy moving from one to another.

Q: As a diplomat, you move a lot. What is the one thing you take with you on the flight?

A: Basically, it is a book from the country I am going to. For China, I read several books by Yu Hua, some translated into Finnish. It was quite an excellent preparation for me.

Q: What has been your best experience of being a diplomat?

A: It was Finnish Presidency of the European Union in 2006, for six months. I was working in Brussels. It was very intensive and I learned so much about multi-lateral diplomacy.

Q: With that experience, what do you think of the Brexit and its aftermath?

A: Many people blame EU for things that are not related to EU. I believe it is just a temporary phase. European integration has a very solid base, and we always find ways to bridge differences.

We can also see closer links with China now, as EU is looking for new partnership and we are finding China as a global partner in increasingly more areas where we can work together.

Q: What is your favorite place in Shanghai?

A: I was very lucky to find a house on Changle Road, a small one from 100 years ago. I love all the trees and I bike there all the time.

Life in that area is much slower than the rest of the city.