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China's commerce minister Wang Wentao met on Monday with Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, and said Italian enterprises are welcome to enlarge their business and investment in the Chinese market.  

During the meeting, Wang said China is conducting high-quality opening-up which will provide new development opportunities for international enterprises including those from Italy.  

"China and Italy have great development potential in bilateral trade and investment. China welcomes Italian enterprises to increase their investment in the Chinese market, and to promote fine products and services via various exhibitions including the China International Fair for Trade in Services and the China International Consumer Products Expo," said Wang.  

Wang pledged that China will make full use of special mechanisms for foreign investment-backed projects, in a bid to provide all foreign enterprises with better service and an improved business climate.

Tajani said China is an important trade partner for Italy, and the Italian government holds a positive attitude toward deepening bilateral trade and further facilitating a balanced development pattern. Tajani said more Chinese companies are welcome to invest in Italy, and said his government is willing to enhance dialogue on optimizing the business environment and policy-making for foreign firms. 

Both sides hailed the work of the Joint Economic Cooperation Committee in facilitating trade, and agreed to push forward relevant work to implement bilateral trade cooperation agreements. 

Tajani started its official visit to China from Sunday to Tuesday, and attended the 11th Joint Meeting of the China-Italy Government Committee, which was held on Monday, with Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi.

Wang praised fruitful results in various sectors in China-Italy cooperation. Progresses made in China-Italy Year of Culture and Tourism, ancient Rome exhibition, supports to Winter Olympic Games in Beijing and Milan, respectively, and ancient Silk Road highlighted bilateral cultural exchange.  

China and Italy also made remarkable achievement in terms of co-building the Belt and Road Initiative, said Wang. In the past five years, China-Italy annual trade volume increased from $50 billion to nearly $80 billion, and Italy's export volume to China saw 30 percent of increase. 

Multiple cooperation projects including first domestically-built cruise liner under China-Itali cooperation kicked off its maiden voyage, and the CR929 aircrafts participated by Italian companies, formed two rounds of third-party cooperation lists, Wang noted.

He reaffirmed that in confronting new situation and opportunities, China will adhere the policies of opening-up and mutual benefit with Italy, focus on practical cooperation and promote inclusiveness and mutual understanding, further facilitate greater development of China-Italy comprehensive strategic partnerships. 

In March 2019, China and Italy signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to jointly advance construction of the Belt and Road Initiative. 

Despite reports in some Western media outlets saying that Italy was considering declining renewing the Belt and Road cooperation agreement with China, Chinese experts said Tajani's visit shows signs of seeking cooperation and dialogue.