China willing to improve economic ties with Italy: vice premier

Chinese Vice Premier Wu Yi said Tuesday that China is willing to improve trade and economic cooperation with Italy, giving priority to the development of two-way investment.

The Chinese government is satisfied with the stable growth of China-Italy economic ties, Wu said at a meeting with a delegation of Italian entrepreneurs led by Antonio Marzano, minister of Production Activities, and Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, head of the Confederation of Italian Industries.

Italy is China's fifth trade partner in EU member states. Wu said during Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's visit to Italy in May this year, the Chinese Ministry of Commerce and the Italian Ministry of Industry successfully hosted a seminar on mutual investment, which aroused positive response from the enterprises of the two countries.

Marzano said the Italian government values its economic ties with China and his ministry will encourage more Italian enterprises to seek business opportunities in China.

The Italian delegation is composed of entrepreneurs from the fields of energy, electricity, finance, logistics and manufacturing.