Dear Esteemed Friends,

As the auspicious Year of the Dragon Spring Festival draws near, we extend our heartfelt greetings and best wishes to you for the New Year.

In Chinese culture, the dragon is a symbol of auspiciousness. The Year of the Dragon signifies strength, prosperity, and change, indicating that 2024 will be filled with vitality and opportunities. People born in the Year of the Dragon possess qualities of decisiveness, wisdom, bravery, and innovation, which will guide us in facing future challenges.

Reflecting on the year 2023, China's economy continued its steady recovery and achieved a year-on-year GDP growth of 5.2%, remaining among the top performing economies in the world. Sino-Italian bilateral trade and investment have continued to grow, with deeper cooperation across various domains. China's implementation of a 15-day visa-free policy for Italy has facilitated exchanges between our nations. The formal unveiling of Tianjin Office of the China-Italy Chamber of Commerce in the Tianjin Italian SME Industrial Park has provided us with a more solid cooperation platform. Collaborative events orchestrated by the Tianjin Port Free Trade Zone and the China-Italy Chamber of Commerce—such as the Tianjin-Italy SME Business and Investment Conference, the Tianjin International Helicopter Expo, food safety dialogues, energy transition roundtable, among others—have built numerous bridges for our cooperation.

The inspiring lyrics from the opera Turandot "Vanish, o night! Set, stars! Set, stars! At dawn, I will win! I will win! I will win! " surged once more across Chinese cyberspace in 2023, painting a resplendent vision of our collective stride towards a brighter future. 2024 marks the 20th anniversary of the comprehensive strategic partnership between China and Italy, alongside the 700th anniversary of Marco Polo's passing, signifying an auspicious juncture in history. We eagerly anticipate furthering cooperation with our Italian counterparts in high-tech manufacturing, renewable energy, modernservices, and perpetuating the legacy of "Silk Road" friendship, ushering in an even more magnificent chapter in Tianjin-Italy collaboration!

Lastly, we extend our heartfelt wishes for a healthy New Year, filled with familial happiness, fulfilled lives, and prosperous careers!

The Tianjin Italian SME Industrial Park Team