In recent years, economic-trade cooperation between China and Italy has been growing at a rather fast pace, with bilateral trade fluctuating. In 2021, bilateral trade between the two countries reached a record level of $73.95 billion, with Italian exports to China increasing by 36.3 percent. Italy's Ambassador to China Luca Ferrari noted that trade between Italy and China has grown rapidly in the past 10 years, and during this period the two countries have maintained close contacts and pursued collaborations in the fields of investment, education, science and technology, cultural and so on. More than 1,300 Italian companies have established themselves in China, where they produce and provide services for the Chinese and Asian markets, making significant profits.

China has continued to accelerate the pace of opening up to the outside world. In addition to increasing imports, it has continually optimized the business environment, expanding its attractiveness for foreign investment. Director of the Beijing ICE Agency and Coordinator of the ICE/ITA Networks in China and Mongolia, Gianpaolo Bruno believes that the Chinese economy has great room for growth in the medium to long term and will be able to develop its full potential. The goal of achieving a new development model based on Dual Domestic and International Circulation will provide an important impetus for the future development of the Chinese economy.

In the face of various trials, the Chinese economy has shown great resilience and now also presents its full potential for economic recovery and growth. He pointed out that as one of the largest markets in the world, as well as the second largest economic power on the planet, China brings great opportunities to Italy's high-quality products with its economic development and improved consumption; Italian companies will be able to benefit from this long wave of growth and China's economic development in the medium to long term.

The Italian model of specialized international trade, with its competitive advantages determined by quality, creativity, innovation and design, fits perfectly with the demand pattern of the Chinese economy in terms of consumer and investment goods. Since the first China International Import Expo, Italy has always been one of the important participating countries. About 110 Italian companies participated in the fourth CIIE, with an exhibition area of more than 10,000 square meters. The Italian-Chinese Chamber of Commerce, the Italian-Chinese Foundation, the Italian Association for Foreign Trade and the Italian Foreign Trade Commission also participated positively in the Expo, committed to spreading the concept of "Italian quality, Italian design" in the Chinese market and introducing more high-end Italian products to China and further promoting exports to China. In 2022, the China International Import Expo will open its fifth session; this year also marks the Italy-China Year of Culture and Tourism.

Marco Bettin, chief operating officer of the Italy-China Foundation and secretary-general of the Italy-China Chamber of Commerce, said that the spread of the epidemic on a global scale has brought many difficulties to business operations; but despite this, there are still many Italian companies showing a strong interest in participating in the Fair, seeing it as an important business opportunity and an important event to explore the market potential." "Made in Italy" is more in line with the growing demand for high-quality and technologically advanced products from China's middle-income group. "I think Italian companies, especially SMEs, cannot focus only on exporting goods and services to China. In the medium and long term, they should actively engage and expand cooperation locally to develop products and services in China. "Made in China" is also improving its technologies and quality; enterprises in the two countries should dialogue and cooperate so as to jointly gain a position in the international market."

In recent years, China has been actively expanding the range of imported products, optimizing the retail import rose of cross-border e-commerce and developing new business models such as cross-border e-commerce. Through "Silk Road Online" e-commerce, Chinese consumers have continued to put food, beauty, fashion, maternity and health products from all over the world, including Italy, into their shopping carts.

Gianpaolo Bruno said he is very optimistic about the new opportunities that cross-border trade is offering Italian companies through Chinese e-commerce platforms. "Thanks to e-commerce, it is possible for Italian companies to sell their products in the Chinese market without having to register their own legal entity in China. I also believe that large e-commerce platforms in China are playing a huge role in enabling many Italian companies, especially SMEs, to access the Chinese market and sell their products."

On September 5, the 2022 China International Fair for Trade in Services (CIFTIS) was held in Beijing. This year, the "Italian national delegation" participated in CIFTIS for the first time, focusing on Italian "soft power," including tourism, art and culture, catering, transportation and logistics, and indeed IT services. The theme of this year's CIFTIS is "Cooperation in services promotes development, green innovation welcomes the future." Among other things, Luca Ferrari evaluated positively the principles and measures implemented by China to achieve sustainable development. He noted that the goal advanced by the Chinese leadership to move from reaching peak carbon emissions to carbon neutrality in 30 years is in itself a huge effort and that the green economy will be able to play an increasingly significant role in the framework of Italian-Chinese economic cooperation.

In this context, Italy has over the past twenty to thirty years developed very important capabilities in the field of sustainable economy, green economy and alternative energy. It is therefore cooperating a lot with China in developing the use of hydrogen, both as a housing energy and - but also especially - as a productive energy: in other words, using hydrogen to produce steel for example. China is the world's largest steel producer. If it used hydrogen instead of coal to produce steel, it would pollute less. In all these areas, Italy's technology and industrial capacity in the renewables sector is very strong, very advanced and extremely sophisticated. China is making increasing use of such technology and capacity. I am sure that the green economy will play an increasing role in the development of Italian-Chinese economic relations.

Every project, every order, and every parcel conveys Chinese consumers' desire for a better life, and testifies to the country's determination to transform a large market of 1.4 billion people into a truly global market. It is believed that with the help of the Shanghai EXPO, the digital economy and internet platforms, China-Italy economic and trade cooperation will explore further opportunities for cooperation and "Made in Italy" will be better known and appreciated in China.