Wang Yi Has a Phone Call with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Italy Antonio Tajani

On November 21, 2022, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi had a phone call with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Italy Antonio Tajani at request.

Wang Yi said that Italy is a major country in Europe, and China attaches great importance to China-Italy relations. President Xi Jinping has established profound mutual trust and friendship with President Sergio Mattarella. Last week, President Xi successfully met with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Bali, making strategic guidance for the development of bilateral relations. China stands ready to work with Italy to actively follow through on the important consensus reached between the leaders of the two countries, so as to continuously advance China-Italy comprehensive strategic partnership and add new dimensions.

Wang Yi said that China is ready to maintain the momentum of high-level exchanges with Italy, hold a joint meeting of the governmental committee between the two countries as early as possible, and strengthen cooperation in economy and trade, finance, science and technology, and other fields. As two ancient civilizations, China and Italy have deep cultural heritage. The two countries can view each other in a more reasonable and inclusive manner and cope with differences by learning from profound history. He believes that the two sides can follow the spirit of mutual respect to further enhance mutual trust and consolidate the political foundation of bilateral relations. China and Italy are highly complementary to each other in economy, and bilateral cooperation is mutually beneficial with huge potential. China will adhere to high-level opening-up and import more high-quality products from Italy, strengthen bilateral cooperation in fields including energy transition, green development, science and technology, and advance third-party cooperation. More Italian enterprises are welcome to invest and do business in China. He hopes that Italy will continue to provide a fair, transparent and non-discriminatory business environment for the growth of Chinese enterprises in Italy. China supports Italy in hosting the next Winter Olympics, and is ready to continue to increase flights between the two countries to facilitate personnel exchanges between both sides.

Wang Yi noted that China always sees the European Union (EU) as a comprehensive strategic partner, supports the EU’s strategic autonomy, and hopes for stability and prosperity in Europe. China’s policy toward the EU maintains stability and consistency, and remains immune to the evolving international landscape. China-EU relations do not target any third party, nor should it be limited by any third party. Friends from all sectors of Europe are welcome to pay more visits to China to see the real China and experience China’s development and progress. He hopes that Italy will continue to play a positive and constructive role in China-EU interactions.

Tajani said that China is a global major country and an important cooperative partner of Italy. The meeting between Prime Minister Meloni and President Xi Jinping yielded fruitful outcomes. Italy stands ready to work with China to follow through on the consensus between the leaders of the two countries, strengthen bilateral dialogue, expand cooperation in fields such as economy and trade, science and technology, energy, and the third-party market, and further advance the development of Italy-China relations. The Italian market is open to Chinese enterprises. He hopes that in the post-COVID era, the EU and China will keep and deepen dialogue and cooperation in tourism and other fields.

The two sides also exchanged views on the Ukraine issue.