In a significant step towards enhancing cultural collaboration, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Italian President Sergio Mattarella met on Friday in Beijing. The leaders jointly engaged with representatives from the China-Italy Cultural Cooperation Mechanism Conference and the Dialogue between Chinese and Italian University Presidents.
The gathering underscored over a millennium of friendship between China and Italy, a bond that has nurtured profound cultural and people-to-people exchanges. President Xi highlighted how these enduring ties serve as a model for equal dialogue and mutual development among civilizations.
“Our exchanges date back over 1,000 years and have set a fine example of equal dialogue and common development among different civilizations,” Xi remarked. He emphasized the importance of continuing this legacy to promote mutual learning between Eastern and Western cultures.
In recent years, the China-Italy Cultural Cooperation Mechanism has advanced initiatives such as the Year of Culture and Tourism in each other’s countries and established twinning relationships between UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Universities from both nations have expanded academic exchanges and joint research, yielding fruitful results in emerging disciplines.
Amid a world experiencing disorder and transformation, Xi called for collaboration to encourage visionary individuals to practice China-Italy friendship. He advocated for participation in building a community with a shared future for mankind, contributing jointly to global peace and development.
President Mattarella praised the significant contributions of the cultural cooperation mechanism and university dialogues in fostering understanding and cooperation. “Both Italy and China are ancient civilizations with splendid cultures,” he stated, noting that the story of Marco Polo exemplifies the mutual learning between East and West.
Mattarella emphasized the need to build more bridges for people-to-people exchanges, strengthen unity, and oppose confrontation. He expressed that these efforts would provide a solid foundation for the comprehensive strategic partnership between Italy and China.
The meeting between the two leaders reflects a shared commitment to deepening cultural ties and enhancing bilateral relations, setting a positive trajectory for future cooperation.
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Xi, Mattarella meet China-Italy cultural conference representatives
cgtn.com
