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ROME, March 22-- Visiting Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Italian Senate Speaker Maria Elisabetta Alberti Casellati here Friday on expanding exchanges and cooperation between the two countries' legislative institutions. China and Italy have enjoyed a traditional friendship, with the ancient Silk Road closely linking the two peoples, Xi said. Since they established diplomatic relations nearly 50 years ago, the China-Italy ties have seen healthy and stable development, and the two countries have become important partners who trust each other and work together, Xi said. The visit is meant to consolidate the stability and strategic nature of the China-Italy relations in the long term, and comprehensively elevate the level of their mutually beneficial cooperation, Xi said. China is willing to enhance high-level guidance with the Italian side, respect each other's major concerns, jointly build the Belt and Road, explore cooperation with third parties, boost cultural exchanges and local-level cooperation, and strengthen popular support for bilateral relations, Xi said. The Chinese president stressed that in recent years, China's National People's Congress and the Italian Senate have established a regular exchange mechanism. China supports the two countries' legislative bodies to carry out multi-level, wide-ranging and multi-channel exchanges and cooperation, and share successful experience on major issues such as legislative supervision, state governing, national economy and the people's livelihood, on the basis of mutual respect and mutual learning, Xi said. | 
