(MENAFN) Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Italian counterpart Antonio Tajani engaged in high-level talks on Wednesday in Rome, addressing urgent bilateral and global challenges, including the conflicts in Palestine and Ukraine, according to an official release Thursday.

Wang Yi participated in the 12th Joint Meeting of the China-Italy Government Committee alongside Tajani, where both parties agreed to intensify economic and trade cooperation, the Chinese Foreign Ministry stated.

In a separate meeting, the two senior diplomats reinforced calls for deeper collaboration. Wang emphasized the strategic roles of both nations, stating, "China and Italy are two major economies that support free trade, as well as two major forces that safeguard multilateralism."

Highlighting the complexity of current international dynamics, Wang urged both sides to "uphold an open spirit to expand and optimize practical cooperation, and make greater contributions to their respective economic development and the well-being of the two peoples."

He further noted China’s ongoing unilateral visa-free policy for Italian citizens, welcoming more Italians to embark on what he described as a spontaneous "journey to China."

Tajani responded by affirming Italy’s commitment to enhanced multilateral cooperation with China, aiming to jointly facilitate peaceful solutions to conflicts, including the "Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the Ukraine crisis."

He also stressed Rome’s dedication to "uphold free trade, maintain the smoothness of the global supply chain, and make joint efforts to peacefully resolve international disputes through dialogue."

Reiterating Italy’s stance, Tajani said, "Italy firmly adheres to the one-China policy and will never waver from this position."

Notably, Italy was the only Group of Seven country to join China’s Belt and Road Initiative in 2019, though it withdrew from the infrastructure project in 2023.

Bilateral trade between China and Italy has surged, now exceeding $80 billion.

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