As the first stop of President Xi Jinping’s first state visit in 2019, Xi’s visit to Italy, also the first one by a Chinese president in a decade, is of epoch-making for mutual relations and will open a new chapter in pragmatic cooperation, according to China’s ambassador to Italy.

After the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Italy in 1970, especially since the comprehensive strategic partnership between the two countries, bilateral relations have entered a fast lane of development, which injected great vitality into comprehensive cooperation, said Li Ruiyu, the ambassador.

High-level exchanges between the countries have maintained a good momentum. Premier Li Keqiang and Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte opened the regular meeting mechanism. The two sides have always supported each other’s core interests and major concerns, which continuously consolidated mutual trust, the ambassador added.

The ambassador also pointed out that high complementation lies in the economic structure of the two countries. The $542.3-billion trade volume of two countries hit a new historical record last year, and the scale of two-way investment reached over $20 billion.

Earlier this month, Italy also expressed its interest in joining the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), which brings broader cooperative prospects, such as infrastructure construction and aerospace, for the two countries, Li noted.

Meanwhile, Li emphasized the long-lasting friendship of the two countries. After a massive earthquake in 2008 struck Wenchuan County, SW China’s Sichuan province, the Italian government quickly donated relief supplies and dispatched an emergency team to carry out rescue work. Under the background of international financial crisis and the European debt crisis, China and Italy have also worked together to overcome difficulties.

Li also pointed out that the year 2020 marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Italy. “President Xi Jinping’s visit will set a new direction and propose a new vision for bilateral ties. Standing on the new historical coordinates, the two sides raise China-Italy relations to higher level,” Li said.