Italian leader hopes to boost bilateral ties with China

Italian president Sergio Mattarella said in an interview that he hopes China and Italy can further strengthen cooperation across a number of areas such as the economy, in the international arena and in cross-cultural exchanges.

Chinese president Xi Jinping will on March 21. He will meet Italian president Mattarella, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, president of the Senate Maria Elisabetta Alberti Casellati and president of Italian Chamber of Deputies Laura Boldrini separately.

"I am really delighted to have this opportunity to respond to president Xi's warm reception in 2017. president Xi will visit Rome and Palermo, and will meet with the highest-ranking Italian officials," Mattarella said, adding that this shows that China-Italy relations are stable and built on mutual respect.

"I think there is no better way than this to celebrate our 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties next year, that is 2020," he noted.

Mattarella emphasized that the economy is the foundation of China-Italy relations and the continuing development of bilateral trade, cooperation and investments between companies of the two countries helps to motivate bilateral ties.

"For a long time, Italy has not just seen China as its most important trade partner, but also as the engine of international trade. Italy sticks to a real, open, multi-lateral trade relationship, and this is in our character as one of the founding members of the European Union,"Mattarella noted.

This year marks the 15th anniversary of the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Italy, and the leaders of the two countries are expected to exchange views on the development of China-Italy relations and China-EU relations during Xi's upcoming visit.

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