Yan Dong, president of the CCCIT, gives a speech at the launch ceremony of the report Photo: Courtesy of CCCIT

The Chinese Chamber of Commerce in Italy (CCCIT) has released its first "Report on the Development of Chinese Enterprises in Italy," which showed that while surveyed Chinese firms remain committed to the Italian market, they also called on the Italian side to continue its efforts to create a favorable business environment, according to the report shared with the Global Times on Sunday. 

The report noted that Chinese-funded enterprises in Italy maintained overall stable operations, making great contributions to Italy's investment, tax revenue and employment. However, at the same time, Italy's protectionism and overall business environment still pose challenges to Chinese companies. A total of 92 Chinese companies in Italy participated in the survey.

According to the report, more than 65 percent of the companies surveyed believe that Italy is one of the key regional markets. More than half of the surveyed companies said they will gradually increase the number of employees in the next three years, and more than one-third of companies have made it clear that they will make further investments in existing businesses, the report said.

However, the report also indicated that Chinese-funded enterprises generally believe that protectionism is the biggest difficulty and challenge they face in their investments in Italy. There is also plenty of room for improvement in areas such as business service environment and government efficiency, according to the report. 

In particular, legislations such as Italy's "Golden Power" regime and the "EU Foreign Subsidy Regulation" have restricted the investment and development of Chinese-funded enterprises, according to the CCCIT. 

Yan Dong, president of the CCCIT, said in his speech that the chamber hopes to use the report to convey the operational status and challenges faced by Chinese-funded enterprises to relevant Italian authorities.

Liu Kan, Chinese consul general in Milan, said that the report offers a vivid summary of the development of Chinese enterprises in Italy, reflecting their long-term commitment and strong confidence in the Italian market, as well as their sincere expectations for an improved business environment. 

The year 2025 will mark the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Italy, which marks a new starting point with greater development opportunities, Liu said, noting that China's door to high-level opening-up will continue to widen.

Liu expressed hope that the Chinese and Italian business communities will seize new opportunities, work together to promote friendly exchanges and mutually beneficial cooperation, and contribute actively to elevating bilateral relations to new heights.