Italy-China – Strategic partnership with the CEC strengthens

Italy is strengthening its strategic partnership with the China Entrepreneur Club (CEC) at the China Green Companies Summit in Jinan. It is arranged by the organisation of Chinese entrepreneurs which is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year. Italian companies form the biggest foreign delegation. Prof. Marco Simoni, economic advisor to Italy’s Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, is leading the Italian delegation in Jinan as a sign of the importance with which our government regards the event and relations with the CEC. The professor gave the opening talk at the session on Italy, entitled: “The Italian Advantage: Tradition, Technology and Sustainability”. The event is also attended by the Ministry of the Environment, which works closely with our embassy in Beijing to strengthen strategy in environmental protection in China, with the aim of supporting Italian businesses. The two day summit includes meetings and debates on a number of issues: insights into the 13th five-year programme and environmental problems in China, analysis of the future for the Chinese manufacturing industry, and so on. The CEC was founded in 2006 and has 47 members, including some of the country’s most dynamic companies, which have a joint annual turnover of more than 300 billion euros. In November last year the members of the club visited Milan, Florence and Rome, where they met Italian Prime Minister Renzi. A few weeks ago the premier also met Jack Ma, a CEC member, in Verona, at the Vinitaly event. Italian ambassador to China, Ettore Sequi, said: “Meetings with the CEC always result in concrete and exciting initiatives. I am convinced that our businesses,which have always been an example of tradition, innovation and sustainability, can be the ideal partners for implementing these projects.”