China ready to enhance strategic alignment with Italy: Premier Li

JOHANNESBURG -- Chinese Premier Li Qiang said on Saturday that China is ready to strengthen the alignment of development strategies with Italy and forge a more stable and fruitful comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries.

Li made the remarks when meeting with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on the sidelines of the 20th Group of 20 (G20) Summit scheduled here for Saturday and Sunday.

Noting this year marks the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, Li said that in July last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping met with the Italian prime minister in Beijing, where they mapped out a strategic blueprint for deepening bilateral relations.

Over the past year, the two sides have actively implemented the important consensus reached between the two leaders, Li said, adding that China stands ready to work with Italy to further carry forward their traditional friendship.

China is willing to work with the Italian side to continuously promote two-way opening up, enhance connectivity and alignment in markets, industries and related areas, and promote balanced and optimized development of bilateral trade, Li said.

The Chinese premier expressed hope to build on the traditional strengths of cooperation between the two countries, expand exchanges and cooperation in emerging industries, and boost common development and prosperity.

China encourages more Italian companies to enter the Chinese market through platforms such as the China International Import Expo, the China International Fair for Trade in Services, the China International Consumer Products Expo, and the China International Supply Chain Expo, Li said.

China also expects Italy to provide a fair, transparent, non-discriminatory and predictable business environment for Chinese enterprises to invest in Italy, he added.

Li said both sides should enhance people-to-people exchanges in such areas as tourism, education, sports, youth and local cooperation, and facilitate personnel exchanges to deepen mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples.

China is ready to strengthen coordination and cooperation with Italy within multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations and the G20, build broader consensus and reinforce the international community's confidence and resolve in practicing multilateralism and consolidating multilateral mechanisms, Li said.

Meloni, for her part, said Italy-China relations enjoy a good momentum of development, with continuous bilateral exchanges at all levels and positive progress in practical cooperation.

She also said that Italy stands ready to take the opportunity of celebrating the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries to step up the implementation of the action plan on strengthening the comprehensive strategic partnership, deepen cooperation in trade, investment, science and technology and other fields, and promote people-to-people exchanges by giving full play to such mechanisms as the Italy-China Government Committee and the bilateral mixed commission on economic cooperation.

Italy welcomes more Chinese enterprises to invest and do business in Italy, and encourages Italian businesses to continue investing in China, she said.

Meloni added that her country is ready to strengthen communication and coordination with China on multilateral platforms and jointly uphold multilateralism.