Wang Yi Holds Talks with Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Luigi Di Maio

On October 29, 2021 local time, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks with Italian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Luigi Di Maio in Rome.

Wang Yi said, China attaches great importance to Italy's status and role as a major European Union country and places priority on our partnership with Italy. China supports the Group of 20 (G20) Rome Summit under the Italian presidency, and President Xi Jinping will attend the Summit via video link and deliver an important speech. China stands ready to work with Italy to promote the G20 to advocate multilateralism, reject unilateralism and protectionism, hold high the banner of unity, and boost strong recovery and growth of the global economy.

Wang Yi said, China and Italy are comprehensive strategic partners. The two countries, in the face of the complicated and changing international situation, need to respect, understand and trust each other on issues involving each other's core interests. Both sides should maintain long-term and stable development of bilateral relations with a long-term strategic vision. Italy took the lead in western countries to carry out the Belt and Road cooperation with China. China is willing to make a list of priorities for cooperation with Italy and continue to promote tripartite cooperation, so that the two countries will continue to be at the forefront of high-quality Belt and Road cooperation.

Wang Yi said, China is ready to continue expanding practical cooperation with Italy and advance mutually beneficial cooperation in energy, aviation and aerospace, communications, green, digital, agriculture and other areas. China hopes that Italy can provide an open, fair and non-discriminatory business environment for Chinese enterprises.

Di Maio thanked President Xi Jinping for attending the Summit via video link and sending State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi as his Special Representative to the site, which reflects China's support for Italy in hosting the Summit. Italy stands ready to strengthen coordination and cooperation with China, practice multilateralism, and make joint efforts with China in addressing global challenges.

Di Maio said, Italy firmly adheres to the one-China policy. At present, Italy-China economic and trade cooperation is full of vitality, with bilateral trade growing substantially. China has become Italy's largest export destination in Asia. Italy is full of confidence in the prospects of bilateral cooperation with China, and is willing to take the Belt and Road cooperation as a new starting point to promote all-round cooperation.

Both sides agreed to take the chance of successfully hosting the China-Italy Year of Culture and Tourism to promote people-to-people exchanges to achieve greater results. The two sides agreed to support each other in hosting the Beijing Olympic Winter Games and the Milan Olympic Winter Games, and expand new areas of cooperation in ice and snow industries. Wang Yi hopes that Italy will work with China to carry forward the Olympic spirit and oppose the politicization of sports.

Both sides exchanged views on climate change response. Wang Yi said, China has been unswervingly pursuing the path of green, low-carbon and sustainable development. Having not completed industrialization, China has formulated the goal to peak carbon dioxide emissions and achieve carbon neutrality, which is so far the world's most difficult and intensive emission reduction to accomplish. It fully demonstrates China's firm determination to tackle climate change. China will make arduous efforts to this end, and will walk the talk and fully honor our commitments. Di Maio said, Italy highly appreciates China's great efforts in environmental protection and emission reduction, and the positive progress China has made in green transformation and development. Italy is willing to continue to strengthen cooperation with China in addressing climate change.

The two sides also exchanged views on the Afghan issue and other international and regional issues of common concern.