This morning, shortly before his departure from Shanghai, the final stop on his mission to China, Minister Tajani visited the “Zikawei” Municipal Library in Shanghai.
Founded in 1847, the Library stands as a true testament to the exchange between Western and Eastern cultures, facilitated in part by the work of the Jesuits, whose residence is housed within the building.
From the second half of the 19th century onwards, various Italian Jesuits carried out study and research activities at the Zikawei Library. The missionaries of the Society of Jesus played a key role in relations between Europe and China, as early as the 16th century, fostering high-level cultural and scientific exchanges. The presence of figures such as Matteo Ricci contributed – through a strategy of dialogue with the Chinese elite – to building one of the first structured channels of interaction between civilisations.
Minister Tajani had the opportunity to retrace this history, examining an exceptional selection of rare books compiled by Italian Jesuits such as Prospero Intorcetta, Martino Martini and Matteo Ricci himself.
This brought the mission to China to a close. During the Beijing leg of the visit, Minister Tajani met with Chinese officials – his counterpart Wang Yi, Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao and Minister of Culture and Tourism Sun Yeli – and led initiatives to promote economic and cultural ties. The talks focused not only on strengthening bilateral relations but also on key international issues.
During his stop in Shanghai, Minister Tajani met with the large Italian business community in China, reaffirming the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and opened the exhibition “Italia Meravigliosa” (Marvellous Italy), organised to mark the National Made in Italy Day.
