BEIJING, July 29 Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni here on Monday.
Noting that China and Italy are at the two ends of the ancient Silk Road, Xi said the time-honored friendly exchanges between the two countries have made significant contributions to the overall exchanges and mutual learning between Eastern and Western civilizations, and to the progress of humanity.
The Silk Road spirit of peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit is a shared treasure of China and Italy, Xi said.
He said that amid accelerating global changes unseen in a century, countries will either progress together through connectivity and unity, or retreat separately through closure and division. China and Italy should uphold and promote the Silk Road spirit, view and develop bilateral relations from a historical dimension, strategic height and long-term perspective, and push their relations to go steady and far.
Xi said the healthy and stable development of China-Italy relations is in line with the common interests of both countries and their peoples. Despite the ongoing profound changes in the international landscape, China's commitment to valuing and developing relations with Italy has not changed, the nature of win-win cooperation of China-Italy relations has not changed, and the friendship between the two peoples has not changed, he added.
Xi called on both sides to carry on the tradition of friendly exchanges, and continue to understand and respect each other's development paths. Noting that China and Italy have complementary industrial advantages and represent opportunities for each other, Xi said both sides should adhere to mutual openness and cooperation.
The third plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China Central Committee has just concluded, and China will continue to promote high-level opening up, inject strong impetus into Chinese modernization, and bring new opportunities for expanding cooperation with Italy and other countries, he added.
Xi said China is willing to work with Italy to optimize and upgrade traditional cooperation in trade and investment, manufacturing, technological innovation and other fields, and to explore cooperation in emerging areas such as electric vehicles and artificial intelligence.
He noted that China welcomes Italian companies to invest in China and is willing to import more quality products from Italy. It is hoped that Italy will also provide a fair, transparent, secure and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies to develop in Italy, he added.
Both sides should cherish the achievements of cultural exchange and mutual learning, promote cultural inheritance and innovation, and enhance amity between the two peoples, he said.
Xi said China supports Italy in hosting the 2026 Winter Olympics and hopes that Italy will provide convenient visa measures for Chinese citizens traveling to Italy.
