Xi meets Italian prime minister, calls for upholding Silk Road spirit

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who is on an official visit to China, at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, capital of China, July 29, 2024. [Xinhua/Ding Haitao]

BEIJING) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni here on Monday.

Noting that China and Italy are at the two ends of the ancient Silk Road, Xi said the time-honored friendly exchanges between the two countries have made significant contributions to the overall exchanges and mutual learning between Eastern and Western civilizations, and to the progress of humanity.

The Silk Road spirit of peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit is a shared treasure of China and Italy, Xi said.

He said that amid accelerating global changes unseen in a century, countries will either progress together through connectivity and unity, or retreat separately through closure and division. China and Italy should uphold and promote the Silk Road spirit, view and develop bilateral relations from a historical dimension, strategic height and long-term perspective, and push their relations to go steady and far.

Xi said the healthy and stable development of China-Italy relations is in line with the common interests of both countries and their peoples. Despite the ongoing profound changes in the international landscape, China's commitment to valuing and developing relations with Italy has not changed, the nature of win-win cooperation of China-Italy relations has not changed, and the friendship between the two peoples has not changed, he added.

Xi called on both sides to carry on the tradition of friendly exchanges, and continue to understand and respect each other's development paths. Noting that China and Italy have complementary industrial advantages and represent opportunities for each other, Xi said both sides should adhere to mutual openness and cooperation.

The third plenary session of the 20th Communist Party of China Central Committee has just concluded, and China will continue to promote high-level opening up, inject strong impetus into Chinese modernization, and bring new opportunities for expanding cooperation with Italy and other countries, he added.

Xi said China is willing to work with Italy to optimize and upgrade traditional cooperation in trade and investment, manufacturing, technological innovation and other fields, and to explore cooperation in emerging areas such as electric vehicles and artificial intelligence.

He noted that China welcomes Italian companies to invest in China and is willing to import more quality products from Italy. It is hoped that Italy will also provide a fair, transparent, secure and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies to develop in Italy, he added.

Both sides should cherish the achievements of cultural exchange and mutual learning, promote cultural inheritance and innovation, and enhance amity between the two peoples, he said.

Xi said China supports Italy in hosting the 2026 Winter Olympics and hopes that Italy will provide convenient visa measures for Chinese citizens traveling to Italy.

Xi stressed that in a world of economic globalization, only by upholding openness and cooperation in global industrial and supply chains can win-win development be achieved. China adheres to the path of peaceful development and never seeks hegemony, and is willing to share development opportunities with other countries, he added.

It is hoped that Italy understands and supports China's development concept and plays a constructive role in promoting dialogue and cooperation between China and Europe, and in actively promoting the positive and stable development of China-EU relations, said Xi.

Meloni said that as countries with an ancient civilization, Italy and China have always appreciated and learned from each other. The current international situation is undergoing profound changes, and China -- as an important major country -- plays an irreplaceable role in addressing global challenges.

Italy attaches great importance to China's international standing and role, and is willing to carry forward the time-honored Silk Road spirit, foster a closer and higher-level partnership with China, open up a new chapter for the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, and make new contributions to world peace and progress, she said.

Meloni said Italy adheres to the one-China policy and hopes to strengthen dialogue and cooperation with China, tap the potential for cooperation, deepen bilateral cooperation in such fields as trade, investment, electric vehicles and artificial intelligence, strengthen people-to-people exchanges, and encourage more Italian products to enter the Chinese market.

Italy opposes decoupling and protectionism, and is willing to play a positive role in further deepening and consolidating EU-China relations, Meloni said.

The two sides issued a 2024-2027 action plan on strengthening their comprehensive strategic partnership. 

Chinese President Xi Jinping meets with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who is on an official visit to China, at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing, capital of China, July 29, 2024. [Xinhua/Ding Haitao]