China has confirmed its interest in Italy as a partner in numerous sectors. This is the message that the Secretary General of the Foreign Ministry, Ambassador Michele Valensise, brought home after his visit to the country.
New visa centre – huge demand from Chinese
After his visit to Shanghai, Valensise – who was accompanied by the Italian Ambassador to China, Alberto Bradanini – had a number of meetings in the Chinese capital, with the aim of further strengthening the already firm ties linking the two countries.
Valensise met the representatives of Italian companies and “System Italy” in Beijing, in the form of banks and Chambers of Commerce, and visited the newly opened Italian visa centre. The Secretary General underscored the importance placed by Italy on the huge Chinese demand for visas.
Beijing ready for new collaborative projects
But the fulcrum of Valensise’s visit to Beijing was his long and cordial meeting with the Deputy Foreign Minister, Song Tao. The two discussed bilateral, European and international issues, including Syria, Iran, Africa and the United Nations.
“The Government in Beijing”, commented Ambassador Valensise to the ANSA news agency, “looks on Italy with great interest and is open to new forms of collaboration. It is following the current reform process in our country with great interest and hopes it will soon be welcoming Prime Minister Letta on a visit to China”.
Intergovernmental Committee to meet in Rome
The meeting also demonstrated China’s keen interest in working on a concrete agenda with Italy in the coming months. With this in mind, the two countries are organising a meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee.
“The meeting with Deputy Foreign Minister Song Tao enabled us to examine the two countries’ agenda in detail. We are preparing the next meeting of the Italian-Chinese Intergovernmental Committee, which will take place in Rome, co-chaired by Foreign Ministers Emma Bonino and Wang Yi. The Committee will address many issues of common interest, from trade to investment to the role of Italian companies operating in China”.
The meeting between Italy and China’s diplomatic representatives also provided an opportunity to address other important issues, especially bilateral trade. “During our meeting, we also confirmed the priority sectors for collaboration: the agri-food sector, the environment, urbanisation and health. Sectors on which Italy is seeking more openness on the Chinese side to reduce the current imbalances”.
