Huang Kunming, secretary of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee, met with Italian President Sergio Mattarella in Guangzhou during the latter's visit to the province on November 12.

Huang extended a warm welcome to Mattarella and his delegation, and gave a rundown of the province's efforts in implementing the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress, the second and third plenary sessions of the 20th CPC Central Committee and in advancing Chinese modernization through further reform.

Huang Kunming, secretary of the CPC Guangdong Provincial Committee, meets with Italian President Sergio Mattarella in Guangzhou during the latter's visit to the province on November 12. [Photo/gdfao.gov.cn]

He highlighted Guangdong's role as one of the cradles of the ancient Maritime Silk Road and its long history of cultural exchanges with Italy, which exemplifies the enduring ties between the two countries.

He noted the growing exchanges between Guangdong and Italy under the framework of the China-Italy comprehensive strategic partnership, which has seen significant progress in trade, culture and education.

He noted that this year marks the 20th anniversary of the China-Italy comprehensive strategic partnership. On November 8, the two heads of state held talks and witnessed the signing of multiple bilateral cooperation documents, setting a new course for the future of China-Italy relations and further strengthening ties between Guangdong and Italy.

Huang emphasized Guangdong's commitment to implementing the important consensus reached by the two heads of state. He expressed the province's readiness to work closely with Italy, leveraging platforms like friendship city relations to enhance multi-level exchanges.

Huang proposed expanding cultural and tourism cooperation, organizing joint events in music, art, fashion and heritage to promote mutual understanding and strengthen people-to-people ties. These efforts will contribute to deepening the China-Italy comprehensive strategic partnership and advancing stable China-EU relations.

Mattarella expressed his delight in visiting Guangdong, a region with significant historical ties to Italy. He praised Guangdong's remarkable development and its critical role in fostering China-Italy relations.

He said that this year marks both the 20th anniversary of the China-Italy comprehensive strategic partnership and the 700th anniversary of the death of the legendary Italian explorer Marco Polo, adding that Italy is committed to further strengthening the longstanding friendship with Guangdong. He emphasized the importance of deepening cooperation in trade, investment, technology and green development, encouraging more Italian businesses to invest in the province. 

Mattarella also called for enhanced collaboration in culture, education, language teaching and cultural heritage preservation, aiming to foster dialogue and mutual learning between Eastern and Western civilizations. He emphasized the need to strengthen people-to-people exchanges, to inject fresh momentum into China-Italy and China-EU relations for the benefit of both nations.

Chinese Ambassador to Italy Jia Guide and senior provincial officials Wang Xi, Feng Zhonghua, Guo Yonghang and Zhang Xin attended the meeting.

Video link: https://www.gdtv.cn/tv/12d205c37d1fbe7e14e76ce47f38857a