EVENT NEWS: FOCUS CHINA 2019

FOCUS CHINA 2019, an unprecedented Italian-Chinese event, where many Italian and Chinese guests came to the stage to express their thoughts on the future of cooperation between the two countries.

The opening of the event, moderated by Dr. Emanuela Troisi - Director of "Il Filo di Seta", saw the reading of an official greeting by His Excellency Dr. Li Junhua, Ambassador of the People's Republic of China in Italy:

"I thank everyone for attending this reception organized to celebrate together the seventieth anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.

On October 1st 70 years ago the People's Republic of China was founded. Since then the Chinese people have taken their destiny in their hands , has opened a new historical era and has risen from the East to the World to write a new chapter in history: in facing adversity one does not forget and never lose the initial spirit: the legacy of these 70 years. always pursued with force a mission: to create wealth for the Chinese people and to revive them, so we used all our strength, faced difficulties and fought.

We have freed 700 million people from poverty and ensured that 1 billion and 400 million people fully became part of a society characterized by a moderate level of well-being, realizing a true miracle of human history.

Today the standard of living of the Chinese people has shown a clear improvement; the level of quality of employment, real estate, health services has grown more and more, as have the opportunities guaranteed by the culture of the environment. The "Chinese dream" is becoming reality. In 70 years we have overcome the harshness and the difficulty making new fruits bloom. We support the leadership of the Chinese communist party we support reforms and the user; we place ourselves at the center of economic construction, we continue to increase the productivity development potential.

Over the course of several decades we have completed the industrialization process, greatly enhancing its strength. In 2018 our GDP reached 1360 billion dollars, representing 15.8% of the world company and placing China in second place in the world. We want to use it to the fullest and with respect and riches of the earth since the concept of eco-sustainable development has now entered our hearts.

The legacy of these 70 years brings with it a constant drive towards progress and renewal ". And he continues:" Faced with problems such as the bottleneck of growth or imbalances in development, we have launched the Belt and Road initiative to create new opportunities for China. Of course but even more to bring opportunities and advantages shared with all other countries in order to achieve greater results and greater well-being for all. Dear guests, friends all, Italy and China are ancient countries both home to great civilizations, they are also partners linked by a solid relationship of cooperation and mutual benefit, they have always respected each other basing their relationship on egalitarian criteria and logic. In March 2019 President Xi Jimping went to Italy on an official visit; on that occasion the two countries signed the "Memorandum of Understanding for Belt and Road Cooperation" defining the interruption for the development of bilateral relations in the New Age and injecting, thus, a new lifeblood. We are available - together with the new Government and all our Italian friends - to implement the intention between our two countries, to tighten the knot of the bilateral partnership even further and to promote the development of exchanges and relations between China and Italy .

We are ready, under the aegis of the "Belt and Road" and to work together with the Italian counterpart to grow new fruits and new cooperations in sectors such as structures, culture and tourism, science, technology and innovation, the winter sports, finance, telecommunications and "third markets". Faced with global challenges we are ready, together with Italy, to continue to respect multilateralism, to protect order, to abide by the rules, to be responsible, to follow free trade and promote an open world economy.

Dear guests, all friends, faced with a moment of change - of such importance and proportions that the World had not seen one for a century -, the future and destiny of China and of the entire planet are interconnected. If the world is fine, China is fine, if China is doing well the world is better. In Italy there is a proverb that reads "Who finds a friend finds a treasure". China will continue on the path of peaceful development, will continue to pursue its strategy of "win-win" openness and will strive to promote the creation of a common destiny for all humanity. China wants to work in concert with the international community, including Italy, to protect peace and serenity and to build wealth and prosperity together to share. Dear guests, all friends, let me now propose a toast all together. Let's raise the glasses and wish prosperity, success and continuous progress to the People's Republic of China and the Italian Republic! May the friendship between Italy and China be lasting and always young! ".

The speech by Dr. Li Shaofeng - Economic & Commercial Counselor - Consulate General of the People's Republic of China in Milan added: After the celebration of 70 years of the founding of the People's Republic of China, there have been enormous results, even if the difficulties have not been few. With the opening of Deng Xiao Ping and the reforms of Xi Jinping we have known the "New Era" of China with the "Belt and Road "to promote an international interchange in the world market. The most important gesture was the beginning of the OBOR, or the" New Era! of the Silk Road. BRI is not a short-term agreement and confirms China as a concept, an attitude that develops over 100 years. Today we are talking about OBOR and I hope that Italian friends will take advantage of this concept in order to develop concrete development actions. Among the most important authorities, Dr. Luigi Yao - CCPIT Chief Representative (China Council for the Promotion of International Trade), Milan who, given the important audience, declared to be very interested in the feedback on what was presented at the conference, among the entrepreneurs the institutional part.

Mr.Yao has working experiences of promoting trade and investment and organizing the big national events in more than 80 countries and regions. His main research focus on trade and investment promotion, marketing, public relations, mass media, the strategy of branding and national image. We've made a question to Mr. Yao: "How do you imagine the future between Italy and China in 2020?" - A: 2020 will be the most important year for both Italy and China, as we will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, for which the two countries will hold many events like tourism and culture, sports, trade and people to people friendly exchanges. I just came back from China, and happy to see in the Beijing International Airport that there set up many huge advertisement board introducing the beautiful scenery of Italian cities like Rome, Milan, Venice, Sicily, and it is real encouraging. The Chinese business and trade circles have more and more interests in doing business with Italy. I feel very confident and optimistic in future bilateral relations in all respects.

CCPIT: Founded in 1952, China Council for the Promotion of International Trade (CCPIT) is a national foreign trade and investment promotion agency. The major responsibilities of the CCPIT include: implement relevant major national development strategies, and promote foreign trade, bilateral investment and economic & technological cooperation; carry forward cooperation with overseas trade promotion counterparts; receive overseas high-end trade and economic delegations; organize Chinese trade and economy delegations to visit foreign countries; manage overseas trade exhibitions organized by Chinese agencies, participate in affairs of Bureau International des Expositions (BIE) and World Expo on behalf of the Chinese government; hold or organize Chinese companies to attend trade and economic exhibitions, forums, fairs and other international conferences; represent domestic industry and commerce in the field of foreign trade, and involve into the formulation of trade and economic policies and rules, foreign trade negotiation and making of international commercial rules; carry out legal consulting, commercial conciliation , trade and maritime arbitration; sign and issue certificates of origin for export products and other certificates and documents related to foreign trade, provide intellectual property services such as patent application, trade mark registration, litigation and rights safeguarding; organize industries and enterprises to cope with trade disputes; provide trade and economic information, training services etc. 

The CCPIT will establish wide connections with relevant international organizations, trade & investment promotion agencies, commercial associations and business circle, to organize various forms of communication and cooperation. It is committed to enhancing services for companies and making positive contributions to development of bilateral and multilateral trade relationships, promotion of world economic prosperity and improvement of the well-being of all.

Dr. Massimiliano Cudia - Sole Director of Infra.To - Infrastructure for Mobility wanted us to understand "Chinese investments and developments in the automation of the underground and Italian public transport". Infra.To is one of the most important public companies in Europe, able to manage the entire cycle of engineering activities, from investigations and feasibility studies, to the management of works management and testing. Infra.To has designed and built line 1 of the Turin Metro, the first Automatic Underground in Italy, putting into operation the entire line consisting of 21 stations and 13.1 km of underground tunnel in a total of 11 years for a total cost of about 1 billion euros. The system chosen for the Turin underground is the VAL system, completely automated and equipped with trains with rubber wheels that allows better performance (better acceleration, less braking distance) and better comfort for passengers.

High pass frequency (one train every 69 sec.), a complete video surveillance system of trains and stations, low presence of personnel to manage the line and sophisticated security systems are just some of the advantages that the VAL system offers. Passenger satisfaction was consolidated with the extension of the line and the reorganization of the surface service, passing from the first 40,000 users / day to the current 155,000.

It is estimated that with the extensions of the line 1 currently under construction (additional 6 stops and 6 km of line) and the line 2 and line 3 projects that the City of Turin, together with Infra.To is planning to carry out, can achieve full sustainability and efficiency of public transport.

The increasing use of the metro has also led to a significant reduction in the use of private cars (-26,800 vehicles / day) with a consequent reduction in air pollution (-134 t CO2 / day).

 Positive effects on the environment have also occurred within the stations and trains: the quality of the Turin metro air, according to a study by the University of Naples, appears to be the cleanest among the metros of the world. This result has been achieved thanks to two factors: the rubber tires create lower emissions than the heavy-duty iron wheels; the presence of the quay tunnel allows to separate the station environment from the tunnel where the trains run, limiting the spread of fine dust.

In the wake of these results, Infra.To, in synergy with the Polytechnic University of Turin, has carried out an experimental project in the gallery called "energetic segments". It is a system that makes it possible to exploit the thermal energy stored in the ground using the coating (the segments) of the underground tunnel with important economic and environmental benefits. The ashlars in fact serve as geothermal exchangers with operation in heating and cooling mode. Applied on a large scale (eg subway line 2) it would make it possible to heat / cool numerous buildings, public or private, that arise near the line.

The importance of investment, public or private, in rapid mass transport represents an essential condition for Turin and for any urban reality to develop an efficient transport network and to carry out an important requalification of the whole city territory with positive effects also for the general economy of the country.

Eng. Federico Seghesio - Head of Middle East Region Leonardo Spa - continued with his speech: "From niche player to market leader: past, present and future of Leonardo Helicopters in China". Leonardo started operating in China around the mid-1980s, making its first sales to government operators in the mid-1990s.

For about a decade, the activity of Leonardo Elicotteri (in AgustaWestland) in China has focused on sporadic opportunities in the parapublic segment, managing the market through peripheral commercial offices and without investing in a substantial presence in the country. The first significant change for Leonardo took place in 2004, when AgustaWestland, in anticipation of a possible opening and liberalization of Chinese airspace, started collaborations with AVIC to transfer and locate industrial and design activities (first OEM in the sector helicopter to do this in China) and established a joint venture with Jiangxi Changhe Aviation Industries (Jiangxi Changhe Agusta Helicopters Industry Co. Ltd - CAH) for the final assembly of civilian AW109E helicopters. Following the prolongation of the process of reform and modernization of airspace management, the Jingdezhen plant in Jiangxi province has today changed mission and is equipped for the maintenance, repair and support of AW109 and AW139 civil helicopters operating in China.

In parallel AgustaWestland has invested in strengthening the commercial and "direct" support structure, with the opening of offices in Beijing and Shanghai. These moves have seen the Company's penetration strength increase in the market and have led to a significant first growth in the number of AgustaWestland / Leonardo helicopters in the country, particularly in the Police segment. Starting in 2014, the second phase of Leonardo's growth was inaugurated, with further activities for the localization of skills and the creation of strategic distributions dedicated to specific segments of the Chinese market, Police and HEMS.

Although the distribution model by segments has not proved to be sustainable over the medium term, the presence of Leonardo helicopters has tripled in the country to more than 120 units, and today Leonardo can be considered the most important producer in the medium and helicopter turbine sector. high tonnage for civil and government jobs. Thanks to the activity of the sales and support teams and to the direct investments of the company for an organic growth of the activities located on the territory, Leonardo is now a partner of the Chinese aeronautical and space system and proposes itself as interlocutor for the development not only of aeronautical solutions but of the entire ecosystem of segments such as HEMS, Law Enforcement, Disaster Management and Offshore transport services of which Leonardo is the world leader with the AW139 and AW189 platforms.

Leonardo's new development phase focuses on the partnership with local organizations and stakeholders for the creation of system development models, combining international best practices and local needs and peculiarities, putting on the table, in addition to extensive international experience, investments and world-leading technologies in a strategic sector such as high-tech aerospace. Dr. John J. Cheng, President of Ganten Italia Srl expressed his vision: for the first time a Chinese company came to Italy to acquire a source of mineral water: the Tavina. This has meant that the part of marketing development on mineral waters has had an effect on the market, with an increase with the use of testimonials in the sports field such as the Juventus soccer team. Dr. Luca Sheng Song, China Power Italy Director like many Chinese by now, is a son of perfect integration: he speaks Italian, a Bocconi who created China Power in Italy and represents the new current of Chinese business companies.

"We mainly train gas and light to the Chinese in Italy to bring customers to a more conscious consumption, for example with the simplest part: the bill is written in Chinese and in Italian. This is a stimulus to continue on the path of integration. An interesting talk by Prof. Fabio Massimo Parenti, Professor at the International Institute of Lorenzo de'Medici (Florence), Foreign Associate Professor China Foreign Affairs University (Beijing), explains the concept: “Beyond business: the BIS as a vehicle for promoting peace ". - "Ideas walk with men's legs" (Pietro Nenni). The promotion of peaceful relations requires commitment, confrontation and dialogue. Peace is not only the absence of war, although the latter represents the indispensable pre-condition for any possible human development. Peace can be considered the only true universal human right, collective even before individual, as it is the only one that guarantees the right to life. From this point of view, the BRI is essentially an important opportunity in this direction.

For the construction of peaceful relations through exchange, dialogue, mutual knowledge. The BRI is a reality in the making and is anchored in a process of Chinese internationalization that accelerated at the end of the nineties for multiple purposes - energy, trade, production and technology. Officially launched in 2012, this initiative marks the mandate of Xi Jinping, opening a new season of Chinese leadership in the world. "Interconnection" is the key word to sum up the BRI, aimed at increasing connections between locations, covering spaces that have been disconnected and marginalized for too long in global networks. Something that China rightly sees as a problem to be solved, first of all with neighboring countries. What is too often overlooked concerns the cultural and political scope of the project. This dimension, when addressed, is often discussed, alas, with the obsolete categories of the cold war. That is, in a logic of confrontation between powers. In fact, we frequently forget too many key points of the BRI which give a very different political, values and cultural framework. In short, we could talk about an initiative that puts the real economy first, therefore the well-being of the people, but also and above all the cooperation with respect to the competition.

The Arch. Federico Caravaggi, Head of Asia Business Development at the European Institute of Design (IED) expressed his idea in "Design and Story Telling on the Silk Road" and is convinced that the ever-increasing centrality that design is taking on is a big opportunities to further bring two worlds so apparently different, China and Italy, but in reality very similar. It goes beyond mere globalization or the exchange of products or technologies. This is a boost to cultural exchange, of experiences, required by the evolution of the markets and the necessary increase in the competitiveness of the Light and Heavy Industry that follows, where design becomes the fulcrum of innovation because it is able to add seduction, surprise, emotions to those that are the performance and technological values of products or services.

The opportunity is therefore represented by the comparison of what is inherent in the uniqueness of the cultures and millenary traditions of the two worlds. And they just wait to be told ... through Design. The experience of IED - EUROPEAN DESIGN INSTITUTE. Dr. Francesco Hu - President of iH Hotels Group, owns 5 facilities in Milan, originally created for Expo 2015. Today he is involved in hotel management and is convinced that the main idea is to export the Italian lifestyle to Europe and China. Dr. Junjie Sun - CEO of UNION TRADE Spa, formerly Next China Trading: originally established to help the Chinese community in Italy, today it has developed into different types of cuisine: from Sichuan to Shanghai.

His collaboration between the communities is the path he is pursuing, always trying to expand the choice for his customers. Dr. Joe Zou, Director of Public Affairs and Communication Huawei Italy then commented: Huawei is a giant with 180,000 employees, 80,000 of which are destined for research and development in 170 countries: In Milan it occupies a prominent position with its building with 100 people, including 80 Italian employees; a model of collaboration with Italian friends and Italian carriers such as Vodafone or Wind. Dr. Alex Lin - Director China Telecom Italia was represented by his PR & communication manager who confirmed a company work that was able to provide a series of safe and stable services.

We then listened to Dr. Alan Christian Rizzi - Undersecretary of Relations with International Delegations of the Lombardy Region, which confirms the trust between the increasingly close and concrete relations between the two countries and, the data reported by Gianfranco Serra are reported and bring China in third place in the interchange with the Region Lombardy. The ability to analyze the new route of the Silk Road will use the know-how of excellence that will lead to extraordinary results through the interchange Lombardy China. Even if there is a lack of the voice of the European Community, the Lombardy Region remains within the 4 most important European regions.

It is therefore necessary to intensify the paths for the development of common relations. The Hon. Dr. Marco Osnato, Member of the Italian Parliament and Finance Committee Member of the Chamber of Deputies and Secretary of the Parliamentary Commission for Fiscal Federalism Implementation considers this day as a demonstration that ethics is consolidating to take more and more space in relations between Italy and China. An analysis of the opportunities is based on a concrete common growth to have an exaltation of the two parts that is not in contrast with the commercial policy, while the great technological growth (see 5G), which must see us in the front line with the Chinese development with for example infrastructure; a development that consists of a compatible involvement on the one hand and must be done by recalling the great history of Italy and China. Dr. Maria Ines Aronadio Director of Coordination Office Promotion of Made in Italy at ICE (Agency for the promotion abroad and internationalization of Italian companies) presented the analysis "The New Silk Road: a new context for the Made in Italy".

After 2017, a record year for Italian exports to China, in 2018 many sectors have undergone a notable increase, such as pharmaceuticals, which are increasingly important compared to other categories. To Italy, 2nd EU manufacturing country and 9th world exporter, still has ample margins to be seized in the Chinese market, bearing in mind that we stand only as the 24th supplier in China and 4th among EU suppliers. The overall interchange of goods with China (currently our 5th commercial partner) represents only about 5% of the total volume of our international trade. Even 2018 marked a sustained increase in almost all the most representative sectors of Italian exports: from furniture, to food and wine, to clothing, mechanics and above all to pharmaceuticals, which recorded higher percentages than all the others sectors (808 mln; + 49%). For the Made in Italy, interesting and uncommon opportunities arise from the MoU of Italy's accession - the only G7 country so far - to the New Silk Road (BRI) Project signed in March 2019 on the occasion of the visit of President XI Jinping in Italy and reconfirmed on the occasion of the participation of the Italian Prime Minister at the second BRI Forum called by the same Chinese Head of State in Beijing in May of the same year.

The declination of the MISE Promotional Program carried out by the ICE Agency proposed for 2020 is part of this perspective. And it is no coincidence that China was reconfirmed as the absolute market (behind the USA and Canada) as a destination for promotional resources also for 2020. The promotional drivers to be leveraged are: ecommerce and digital marketing; startup; approach for supply chains; Italian communication plan for technological innovation; strengthening agreements with large-scale retail trade; Italy-China investments and collaborations also in Third Countries; System shares. Made in Italy must be promoted and communicated as a syntonic and best choice for a China that wants to pass from quantity to quality, aiming to represent more than the current 1% of total Chinese imports.

The effort must also include an update of the promotional and communication tools, which promotes both consumer goods and the field of technological innovation in the round. Dr. Stefano Di Martino, Ambassador for Friendship of the Chinese People in the World reiterated in his speech "The New Silk Road in the 70th Anniversary of the Foundation of the People's Republic of China": Today we are here to talk about the New Silk Road , a project that President Xi Jinping has launched since 2013. On this day, we also remember the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. There is a lot of talk about the Silk Road in the world. Italy was one of the first countries to join with the agreement protocol, signed in March 2019, also creating some concerns in the West. We believe that this adhesion can bring and will certainly bring important fruits to Italy and Europe. We are joined by thousands of elements. Several hundred years of cultural relations, diplomatic and commercial relations.

Our two millennial civilizations are very similar. The long journey that Marco Polo went on, from the Jesuits like Ricci, Intorcetta, Martini and others who have been to China and have sown Italian culture in the East and brought the Chinese culture to Italy with Art, Music, Calligraphy, the kitchen and much more, were the best ambassadors. We believe that this New Silk Road, today, may be a great card that Italy can play and must play for its own interests and that of its people. We are two countries on a par with intelligence, culture, technology, UNESCO sites, art.

We celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China, celebrated in recent days in Beijing and the world thanks to all the Overseas Chinese Communities. The Chinese have been here for over 100 years. I greet them with affection also for the presence they wanted to show today and for the support they wanted to give to this initiative of promotion and debate on the Silk Road that sees them involved also because they are really the best Ambassadors of China today in Italy and in the world. They are the people who get up and work every day and with their activities produce wealth for themselves and also for Italy, giving work to many Italian citizens. Today, Chinese entrepreneurs are holding companies in our country that produce positive energies that give movement to our economy. In the seventieth century of the People's Republic of China, we, today, are here to talk about this immense and great project which involves more than 200 countries along the five routes thought.

We are in this prestigious place, seat of the Lombardy Region which was the first skyscraper in the city and the first building that has surpassed, in height, the Cathedral of Milan and that is the symbol of Lombardy's desire to go upwards, of accelerate your journey as a protagonist going fast towards your goals, like China does. I think it is very beautiful, today, to speak from here to remember our past and talk about this project and the future, honored, that the Lombardy Region is hosting this debate. Here we will listen to the experiences of Chinese state-owned companies and those of entrepreneurs who have been present in Italy for years and who have built their business realities with their work, their sweat and their sacrifices. I think it is very beautiful today to expose it and to tell it here, publicly, to prove, if it were needed, that Chinese who are in Italy and Chinese companies that today are investing and investing in Italy do not come here to take away but to leave wealth and wealth on our territory. Today we are here for this!

Dr. Wang Bo, Deputy Director of Bank of China Ltd Milan Branch tells us about the activities and planning for the promotion of Italy-China relations. Bank of China Ltd Milan Branch was established on December 18, 1998: the first Chinese bank to open in Italy. From the very beginning, Bank of China Milan Branch aimed to put its customers and their needs at the center, activating a market-oriented business strategy, trade flows between Italy and China and the growth of relations between the two countries and offering a a wide and diversified range of services (trade finance, bilateral credit lines, banking pools, retail banking and treasury services). The primary objective of the Bank of China Milan Branch is to implement the internationalization of the network of services offered by the Bank of China Group through the vast connection between the various foreign branches, promoting commercial relations between Italy and China as a point of contact ; encouraging mutual understanding and collaboration between the two countries; positively supporting the development of mutual trade; assisting Italian companies investing in China and Chinese companies which, in turn, do so in Italy; supporting foreign students present in Italy; providing high efficiency financial services. To date we are developing activities that also support Italian companies that, starting with small and medium-sized enterprises, are interested in developing services and products and enjoying the competitive advantages of "Made in Italy" on fashion, design and lately also for services dedicated to third age and health, as well as supporting winter sports. These are the spaces where Bank of China intends to invest at the moment. Bank of China Milan Branch has long been a privileged subject to refer to to develop business with China.

Another important Chinese State Bank, ICBC (Europe) S.A. Milan Branch, through the voice of its General Manager, Dr. Wei Xiaogang addressed his speech "New strategies and financial opportunities for the development of cooperation between Italy and China" on the panel: we are now working on solid foundations for initiatives related to Belt and Road, after the signing of the memorandum of understanding in March. As Bank of China we have an intense planning activity aimed at the financial development of infrastructure projects. The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC) was founded on January 1, 1984, with an initial capital of 20.8 billion yuan, from the Chinese Government - which is its largest shareholder - ICBC is the largest bank in the world for total assets, as well as one of the largest Chinese banking group (together with Agricultural Bank of China, China Construction Bank and Bank of China). Active in 40 countries across 6 continents, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China provides financial services to more than 4 million corporate customers and 400 million retail customers.

On 27 October 2006 ICBC was simultaneously listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange and on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, with a record IPO of over 21.9 billion dollars - exceeded only, in August 2010, by the initial public offering of the Agricultural Bank of China for 22.1 billion. In January 2011 it was the first bank in the world in terms of market capitalization and profits. In 2013, the British magazine "Bankers" placed ICBC in 1st place in the top list of the 1000 largest banks in the world. ICBC ranked 1st on the list drawn up by the "Forbes" magazine on the 2000 most important companies in the world, being classified as a "financial institution of global systematic importance".

In 2015, the "Fortune 500" ranking declared ICBC the fourth largest company in the world in terms of turnover and in absolute 1st place for profit (with 44.7 billion dollars). From 22 January 2011 the bank is also present in Italy, with a branch in the central area of Milan, in a street parallel to the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. ICBC Milan Branch relies on the global platform of the ICBC Group which guarantees financial and technological support. Thanks to this it is able to provide extensive financial services to its customers (Trade finance, Syndicate Loan, Project financing, Corporate loans, various forms of deposit, Foreign exchange trading, Derivative products, Settlement service and Investment banking). The ICBC headquarters in Rome mainly deals with services and products for corporate customers. ICBC has offices in Amsterdam, Brussels, Pusan, Frankfurt am Main, Hong Kong, London, Lisbon, Luxembourg, Madrid, Milan, Moscow, New York, Paris, Singapore, Seoul, Sydney, Tokyo.

Also taking part were Dr. Gianmarco Senna - President IV Commission for Productive Activities Training and Employment - Lombardy Region and Dr. Fabio Terragni - President of Metro 4 (M4) Milan for a dialogue on infrastructures and technologies between Italy and China, confirming the great interest of Italy towards China and noting China's great interest in Italy. This historic moment will improve the level of awareness and well-being of Italian and Chinese populations for a more strategic and common vision of the future.

This event also had an exceptional audience; many interested personalities and entrepreneurs. I quote two for all: Dr. Wu Xinghua, one of the first Chinese to settle in Milan to found the future Chinatown, Dr. Maria Moreni, President of the ITALY-CHINA LINK Association, 11th Winner of the China-Italy Friendship Award for the exceptional contribution to China-Italy friendship conferred by CPAFFC Chinese People's Association For Friendship with Foreign Countries and Consultant accredited to the Italian Government. Many others have shown great interest in developing relations with China and Chinese groups in Italy and Europe. We cannot imagine a future without these very important relationships for an ever better level of life and well-being.