Healthy and solid relations between China and Italy serve the usual interests of the two countries, President Xi Jinping told visiting Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Monday, calling on the two countries to stick to mutual openness and cooperation.
During their assembly at the Diaoyutai State Guest House in Beijing, Xi told Meloni that China’s preference for expanding bilateral relations, as well as the importance it attaches to bilateral relations, remain unchanged, despite the deep adjustments underway. on the global scene.
Mutual-beneficial cooperation remains the nature of China-Italy relations, he said, calling on the two sides to continue to perceive and respect each other’s options for progress.
On Saturday, Meloni began an official five-day stopover in China, her first in that country since taking office in October 2022. In November of the same year, Xi and Meloni met in Bali, Indonesia.
China and Italy are located at the two ends of the ancient Silk Road, and the ancient friendly exchanges between the two countries have made vital contributions to exchanges and mutual learning between Eastern and Western civilizations, Xi said.
China and Italy uphold and promote the spirit of the Silk Road and view and expand their bilateral relations from a historical, strategic and long-term perspective, he said.
A three-year action plan aimed at strengthening the bilateral comprehensive strategic partnership was released on Monday.
According to the plan, the two countries demonstrated that priority will be given to cooperation in areas such as industry and investment, finance, clinical and technological innovation, education, green and sustainable development, fitness and people-to-people exchanges.
China welcomes investment through Italian corporations and is willing to import more high-quality Italian products, Xi said during their talks, adding that he hopes Italy will also provide fair, transparent, safe and non-discriminatory treatment to Chinese corporations operating in Italy.
He said China supports Italy in hosting the 2026 Winter Olympics and hopes Rome will make it less difficult for Chinese citizens to download visas for Chinese citizens who wish to enter the country.
China sticks to the path of non-violent progress and never seeks hegemony, he said. Xi said he would like to share a percentage of the opportunities for progress with other countries.
Xi said he hopes Italy will perceive China’s philosophy of progress and play a constructive role in promoting China-EU debate and cooperation and promoting the positive and sound progress of China-EU relations.
Meloni said Beijing plays an irreplaceable role in responding to the challenges and expressed her willingness to promote a closer and higher-level partnership with China.
Italy opposes decoupling and disruption of trade and origin chains, as well as protectionism, he said, adding that it is in a position to play a positive role in promoting increasingly powerful China-EU relations that will yield tangible results.
Zhao Leji, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress, the country’s most sensible legislative body, also met with Meloni on Monday.
Sun Yanhong, a senior fellow at the Institute of European Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said Meloni’s visit to China is aimed at repairing and stabilizing relations strained by Italy’s unilateral resolve not to renew its participation in the Belt and Road Initiative.
With built-in economic interests and a strong preference for cooperation, the two countries have enough room to deepen mutual cooperation, Sun said.
Strengthening pragmatic cooperation between the two countries leads to stabilizing China-EU relations, he said.
Italy’s policy towards China will have to balance transatlantic interests and operate within the framework of the EU, which will pose more demanding situations for cooperation between China and Italy.
What is needed now is for the two sides to interact in deep communication to find new tactics and bureaucracy for cooperation under the new circumstances, so as to achieve win-win results, he said. -she declared.
zhoujin@chinadaily. com. cn