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ROME, Aug. 25-- Visiting Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here Tuesday that China and Italy should work together to plan for the development of Sino-Italian relations in the next 50 years. He made the remarks while meeting the press together with Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio after their talks. Wang said this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Italy, which is an important historical moment that connects the past and the future. He attributed the steady and healthy development of Sino-Italian ties in half a century to three factors. Firstly, as representatives of Eastern and Western civilizations, China and Italy always appreciate and learn from each other, respect the development path chosen by the people in the other country, and support each other's legitimate concerns on issues of core interests. Secondly, as major economies in the world, both China and Italy have always adhered to the policy of opening up and developing mutually beneficial and win-win relationships. Wang said China has become Italy's largest trading partner in Asia and Italy is the 4th largest trading partner of China in the European Union. China's direct investment in Italy has exceeded 10 billion U.S. dollars, and there are more than 6,000 investment projects in China from Italian investors. Thirdly, as friends and partners, both sides always lend a helping hand when the other country encounters difficulties, said Wang, citing the touching stories between the two governments and two peoples during the devastating Wenchuan earthquake that hit southwest China's Sichuan Province in 2008, and this year's COVID-19 pandemic. | 
