Li Qiang and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni Jointly Attend the Opening Ceremony of the Seventh Meeting of the China-Italy Entrepreneurs Committee

On the afternoon of July 28, 2024, Premier Li Qiang of the State Council and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni jointly attended and addressed the opening ceremony of the seventh meeting of the China-Italy Entrepreneurs Committee at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. More than 150 entrepreneurs from China and Italy attended the event.

Li Qiang said that since the establishment of the China-Italy Entrepreneurs Committee 10 years ago, it has played a positive role in promoting bilateral economic and trade cooperation and developing bilateral relations. Against the backdrop of a sluggish global economic recovery, China and Italy should strengthen economic and trade cooperation to inject more impetus into the development of the two countries. Li Qiang called on the two countries to vigorously promote and practice the Silk Road spirit of peace and cooperation, openness and inclusiveness, mutual learning and mutual benefit, keep the enthusiasm of reaching out to each other, adhere to the principle of mutual benefit, nurture an attitude of helping each other succeed, continue to support each other's development and work together to achieve common prosperity.

Li Qiang pointed out that the continuous and in-depth development of the China-Italy comprehensive strategic partnership will create more stable expectations for economic and trade cooperation between the two sides, bring broader opportunities and attract more resources. China is advancing Chinese modernization on all fronts through high-quality development, and the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China made systematic plans for further deepening reform comprehensively and promoting Chinese modernization. This will not only promote the rapid growth of China's economy but also the economic optimization and upgrading, continue to unleash huge development potential and provide broad space for cooperation between enterprises of the two countries. At present, the new round of scientific and technological revolution and industrial transformation is deepening, and the cooperation and reshaping of the global industrial chain is pregnant with unlimited business opportunities. China and Italy should tap new opportunities for cooperation in line with the general trend and deepen mutually beneficial cooperation. The two sides should support their enterprises in tapping the potential of cooperation in smart manufacturing, new energy, biomedicine and other fields, and continue to expand and deepen cooperation.

Li Qiang stressed that China will always open its door to companies from Italy and other countries, create a transparent, stable and predictable institutional environment, further relax market access, guarantee national treatment for foreign companies, and provide more support and convenience for foreign companies to invest and do business in China. Li Qiang expressed the hope that Chinese and Italian entrepreneurs will seize the opportunity and move forward side by side to achieve greater development for their own enterprises, make the "cake of common interests of the two countries bigger" and promote friendly and cooperative relations between the two countries.

Giorgia Meloni said that in the face of the current complex and volatile global situation, Italy and China should strengthen their comprehensive strategic partnership, give full play to complementary advantages and strengthen economic and trade cooperation. Italy is ready to expand practical cooperation with China in economy, trade, investment, artificial intelligence and other fields on the basis of mutual respect and trust, fairness and mutual benefit, create new cooperation models, unleash cooperation potential, enhance the competitiveness of enterprises and jointly address global challenges. She expressed the hope that the economic and trade cooperation between Italy and China will produce more results and add new impetus to the development of bilateral relations.

Wu Zhenglong attended the opening ceremony.