Chengdu, the capital of the southwestern Chinese province, played host to the first forum dedicated to Italian excellence. Over 100 Chinese firms were in attendance. The kermesse, organised by the Italian Embassy to China and the Consulate General of Italy in Chongqing, enjoyed the participation of high-level representatives of Italian institutions in China as well as of local partners. The Italian Trade Agency (Ice), the Italian Chamber of Commerce in China, the Foreign Trade office of the Province of Sichuan, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (Cepit) of Sichian, the steering committee of the new technology development area of Tianfu and the Provincial Committe for the Development and Reforms of Sichuan all contributed to the success of the event. The forum’s agenda was focused on some of the most important themes of bilateral cooperation between Italy and China, such as environmental protection, health, aerospace and urbanisation. These issues are included in the bilateral cooperation agreements Italy and China finalized in 2014 and are also part of the mission the Italian Ambassador to China, Ettore Sequi, is to conduct in Chengdu. Ambassador Sequi was accompanied by some of Italy’s most important companies in China, namely Giacomini and In3act for the environmental sector, Italian Aerospace Network and Leonardo for aerospace, Bracco Sine and Daedalus for the health sector and Progetto Cmr for urban development. Sichuan is one of the fastest growing areas in China, which last year recorded a 7.9 percent growth, one point higher than the national average (6.9 percent at the end of 2015). Together with neighbouring Chongqing ,which hit an 11 percent growth , Sichuan is one of the most dynamic areas developing in China, experiencing a major economic transformation, going from a model based on exports and investments to playing a major role in domestic consumption and innovation of industrial facilities to support the growing trend. Together with the Made-in-Italy forum, the Amabassador visited, together with the director of the Italian Trade Agency (Ice) Amedeo Scarpa, the new high-tech area of Tianfu, where he met the local secretary of the Communist Party, Zhou Siyuan. Mr. Sequi later went to the University of Chengdu to meet the president of the institution and discuss about the exchange of professors, researchers and students between the two countries. Themes as dialogue between Italian and Chinese research istitutes and cooperation between Italy and Sichuan on innovation were also discussed in the premises of the Commission for the Development and Reforms of Sichuan. At the end of the mission, the ambassador met the representatives of the Italian community living in Chengdu, an event during which he awarded an honorary medal to Augusto Bordini, general manager of Chengdu Two Lions Trading food & wine imports platform.
