Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke by phone with Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani on Monday about bilateral cooperation.
Italy is a major European country and China values its relations with it very much, Wang said, adding that Chinese President Xi Jinping and his Italian counterpart Sergio Mattarella have established deep friendship and mutual trust. .
Last week, Wang said, President Xi and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni had a successful meeting on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali, setting strategic direction for the development of bilateral relations.
China is willing to work with Italy to actively implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, as well as to constantly make progress and inject new dimensions into the China-Italy comprehensive strategic partnership, he said. he declares.
China is ready to maintain the momentum of high-level exchanges with Italy, hold another joint meeting of the Sino-Italian Governmental Committee as soon as possible, and strengthen cooperation in areas such as economy, trade, finance. , science and technology, he continued.
As ancient civilizations with vast cultural heritage, China and Italy can view each other more rationally and inclusively and handle their differences with greater historical depth, Wang said. He also expressed the hope that the two sides can uphold the spirit of mutual respect, enhance mutual trust and consolidate the political foundations of bilateral relations.
The Chinese and Italian economies are highly complementary, bilateral cooperation is mutually beneficial and enjoys immense potential, he said. China will firmly pursue its high-level opening-up, and is willing to import more quality Italian products to strengthen bilateral cooperation in energy transition, green development, science and technology, and promote cooperation with China. third parties, Wang pointed out.
China wants more Italian companies to invest in the country and wants Italy to continue to provide a fair, transparent and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies, Wang said.
China supports Italy in hosting the next Winter Olympics and will continue to expand flights between the two countries to facilitate personnel exchanges, he noted.
China has always regarded the European Union (EU) as a comprehensive strategic partner and supports the EU’s strategic autonomy, Wang said, adding that China hopes Europe will remain stable and prosperous.
China’s policy towards Europe is marked by stability and continuity regardless of changes in the international environment, said the Chinese foreign minister.
Wang stressed that China-EU relations do not target any third party and are not controlled by anyone else. Thus, he invited European friends from all walks of life to come to China to learn more about the real situation and see China’s development and progress for themselves.
He also expressed hope that Italy will continue to play a positive and constructive role in China-EU exchanges.
For his part, Tajani said that China is a great country and an important partner of Italy, and the meeting between Meloni and Xi has borne fruit.
The head of Italian diplomacy assured that his country is ready to make joint efforts with China to implement the consensus of the leaders of the two countries, strengthening bilateral dialogue and developing cooperation in the fields of economy. , trade, science, technology, energy and third-party markets, in order to promote the development of Italian-Chinese relations.
The Italian market is open to Chinese companies, Tajani said. He expressed the hope that in the post-pandemic period, Europe and China would maintain and deepen dialogue and cooperation in the tourism sector, among others.
The two sides also exchanged views on the Ukrainian issue.
Chinese, Italian foreign ministers discuss bilateral cooperation over phone