President Tarja Halonen asked an audience question at Yle's exam. As an answer, the candidates found a situation where they could also be in contact with Russia.
Mightily last presidential election exam Thursday night didn't reveal many new differences between the candidates.
Candidate of the Association of Voters Pekka Haavisto (vihr) again challenged the coalition's candidate Alexander Stubbia for example, about his positions related to nuclear weapons and the Nuclear Energy Act, which has been seen in several discussions in recent days.
Haavisto tried to challenge Stubb this time also for his previous statements related to China.
Haavisto highlighted Stubb in 2017 column written by where he said goodbye to the United States and welcomed China.
Haavisto considered the column to have been “very optimistic” when it considered that China is moving forward with a market economy model and even openness.
“I don't think we should be too blue-eyed about China, what do you think?” Haavisto asked Stubb.
Haavisto stated that it has quickly reached a situation where it has been discovered that the dependence on China is too strong and efforts should be made to get rid of it. He also reminded about the connection of the Chinese ship to the Balticconnector gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia.
The pipe was damaged in October and the involvement of the Chinese vessel Newnew Polar Bear has been researched.
Stubbs reminded that he wrote not only the column in question but also an article about China for the Financial Times in 2016. In it the warning was that the West's technology dependence on China is like Africa's raw material dependence on China.
“I warned against blue eyes then,” Stubb remarked.
According to Stubb, the column mentioned by Haavisto was time-bound.
Stubb stated that Finland must be a reliable partner for the West and a strategic competitor for China.
“So let's be vigilant, a bit like China hawks.”
Haavisto further reminded that during his time as foreign minister, a mapping of China risks was carried out, for example in relation to technology dependence.
Haavisto was also asked if Stubb is too blue-eyed when it comes to China.
Haavisto said he was surprised by Stubb's more recent article, which referred to China's commercial opening. Haavisto said that it seems to him rather that the president Xi Jinping freedoms have been reduced during
Stubb stated that such a change took place during the corona period.
“During the Corona period, he put on the table the type of control system that we have never seen in the world before. That's why you have to be vigilant.”
At the same time, Stubb pointed out that, for example, the fight against climate change and technological breakthroughs cannot be done without China.
Haavisto tried to take on the role of a tempter at the end of the China section and asked how Stubb would have acted regarding the Balticconnector pipe.
Stubb said that he would have called Xi Jinping and conveyed the message that the matter must be thoroughly investigated, after which the guilty will be considered.
Stubb shared his own speculation about guilt.
“By the way, it may very well be that there is some form of Russian-Chinese cooperation. So you have to be vigilant with China all the time.”
I took the exam perhaps the most surprising moment was seen when the question was asked by the “spectator from Hakaniemi”, i.e. the president Tarja Halonen.
Halonen asked how the candidates would act if a transport ship destroyed by a drone was about to cause an oil disaster in the Gulf of Finland.
In their answer, the candidates emphasized cooperation with neighboring countries in the oil fight. Both saw that, in this situation, they could also cooperate with the Russian authorities.
Stubb reminded that the situation would be different if the attack was real, i.e. a kind of hybrid attack.
In any case, the first goal must be to protect the environment, he said.
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