Italy ties ready for boost, Xi says

He calls for tapping partnership potential in such sectors as shipping, telecommunications

China stands ready to work with Italy on the Belt and Road Initiative by strengthening its alignment with the European country's development strategies to bring bilateral ties to a new level, President Xi Jinping said.

Xi made the remarks in a signed article published in the Italian daily newspaper Corriere della Sera on Wednesday ahead of his European tour, with visits to Italy, Monaco and France.

Though far apart from each other, China and ancient Rome were linked by the old Silk Road over 2,000 years ago, Xi said in the article, mentioning the cultural exchanges between the two countries in the distant past.

He said Beijing is willing to deepen cooperation with Rome in such areas as land and marine transportation, aviation, aerospace and cultural exchanges to build the Belt and Road in the new era.

"I'm willing to avail myself of this visit to work with Italian leaders on the blueprint of Sino-Italian relations and lead the ties into the new era," Xi said.

He called on the two sides to tap more potential for partnership in port logistics, shipping, energy, telecommunications and medicine, and encourage enterprises from both countries to develop third-party cooperation to seek mutual benefit and win-win results.

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte has said he may sign a series of memorandums of understanding on Belt and Road infrastructure investments during Xi's upcoming visit to Italy, Reuters reported. If they are signed, Italy would be the first one of the Group of Seven industrialized nations to participate in the BRI.

Speaking at a news conference in Beijing on Wednesday, Vice-Foreign Minister Wang Chao said the country appreciates Italy's active involvement in the BRI.

"We believe the signing of relevant cooperation documents conforms to the common interests of both countries," Wang said, adding that Belt and Road cooperation aims to generate mutually beneficial and win-win results.

Regarding skepticism about the BRI, Wang said practice will prove that the initiative will have positive effects on countries' economic development and bilateral cooperation.

He added that the infrastructure investment of Chinese companies in Europe is purely business practice and will abide by market rules and business principles on the basis of equality, mutual benefit and transparency.

China will continue to support Chinese companies in developing cooperation with their Italian counterparts on telecommunications, particularly in the 5G network, Wang said.

The two countries have witnessed productive economic cooperation in recent years. Bilateral trade topped $50 billion last year, while the two-way accumulative investment reached more than $20 billion.

Xi also called for intensifying coordination with Italy in international affairs and within multilateral organizations such as the United Nations, the Group of 20 and the World Trade Organization.

China is ready to deepen communication and cooperation with Italy on major issues such as global governance, climate change and WTO reforms to safeguard their shared interests, uphold multilateralism and free trade, and promote world peace, development and prosperity, Xi said.

Regarding Xi's visit to Monaco, Wang said it will open a new chapter for their bilateral ties, which have become a good example of interactions between big and small countries.

In France, Xi and French President Emmanuel Macron will exchange views on Sino-French and China-European Union relations as well as regional and international issues of common concern, Wang said.

They will also witness the signing of cooperation agreements between the two countries on energy, transportation, agriculture, finance, science and technology, and culture, he added.