Italian President Carlo Azeglio Ciampi said in Rome Friday that his country is willing to broaden cooperation with China in all fields and that his visit to China will push forward the bilateral friendly relations.

Ciampi made the remarks at the airport before leaving for Chinafor a state visit on Dec. 4-9.

As a civilized country with a long history, he said China is one of the leading players in the world stage in the 21st century.Both Italy and China have shared common views on many important international issues and they have carried out cooperation in manyfields, said the 84-year-old president.

Ciampi said his state visit to China would serve as an impetus to boost bilateral cooperation. He also hoped that the two countries and two peoples will strengthen their traditional friendship through coordination in the fields of politics, culture, science and technology, and economy and trade.

In addition to government ministers, more than 200 Italian businessmen are accompanying Ciampi during his China visit.

Source: Xinhua