On the afternoon of July 29, 2024, President Xi Jinping met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who is on an official visit to China, at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing.
Noting that China and Italy are at the two ends of the ancient Silk Road, Xi Jinping pointed out that the time-honored friendly exchanges between the two countries have made significant contributions to the exchanges and mutual learning between Eastern and Western civilizations and 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. Amid accelerating global changes unseen in a century, countries will progress together through exchanges and unity, and regress in seclusion and division. China and Italy should uphold and promote the Silk Road spirit, view and develop bilateral relations from a historical and long-term perspective and strategic height, and promote the steady and sustained growth of China-Italy relations.
Xi Jinping stressed that the sound and stable development of China-Italy relations is in line with the common interests of the two countries and peoples. Despite the ongoing profound changes in the international landscape, China's willingness to set store by and grow relations with Italy has remained unchanged, so have the win-win nature of China-Italy relationship of cooperation and the friendship between the two peoples. It is desirable that the two sides 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 are opportunities for each other, Xi Jinping said that both sides should adhere to mutual openness and cooperation. The third plenary session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China has just concluded, and China will continue to promote high-standard opening up, inject strong impetus into Chinese modernization, and create new opportunities for expanding cooperation with Italy and other countries. China is ready to work with Italy to improve and upgrade traditional cooperation in trade and investment, industrial manufacturing, technological innovation, third-party markets and other fields while exploring cooperation in emerging areas like electric vehicles and artificial intelligence. China welcomes Italian companies to invest in China and is ready to import more quality products from Italy. Xi Jinping expressed the hope that Italy will also provide a fair, transparent, secure and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese companies to develop in Italy. Both sides need to cherish the achievements of mutual learning between the two civilizations, promote the mutual promotion between cultural inheritance and innovation, and work to enhance amity between the two peoples. China supports Italy in hosting the 2026 Olympic Winter Games and hopes that Italy will provide visa facilitation for Chinese citizens traveling to Italy.
Xi Jinping 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 ready to share development opportunities with other countries. Xi Jinping expressed the hope that Italy understands and supports China's development philosophy and plays a constructive role in enhancing dialogue and cooperation between Europe and China, and actively promoting the positive and stable development of EU-China relations.
Giorgia Meloni said that she is delighted to visit China upon invitation after the meeting with President Xi in Bali in November 2022. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the comprehensive strategic partnership between Italy and China and the 700th anniversary of the death of Marco Polo. Both being 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 ready 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. Italy adheres to the one-China policy and hopes to strengthen dialogue and cooperation with China, tap more into the potential, deepen bilateral cooperation in such fields as economy, trade, investment, electric vehicles and artificial intelligence, strengthen people-to-people and cultural exchanges, and encourage more Italian products to enter the Chinese market. Italy opposes decoupling and severing industrial and supply chains, rejects protectionism, and is ready to play a positive role in further deepening and consolidating EU-China relations.
The two sides issued the Action Plan on Strengthening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Between the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Italy (2024-2027).
Wang Yi was present at the meeting.