Italy-China, Draghi on the phone with Li Keqiang: "Fairer and stronger trade relations"

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May 17, 2021 President Draghi had a telephone conversation this morning with the Prime Minister of the People's Republic of China, Li Keqiang.

At the center of the talks, bilateral collaboration, EU-China relations and cooperation in the multilateral context, with particular reference to the fight against the pandemic, the Italian Presidency of the G20 and the fight against climate change, also in light of the Italian co-partnership of the Cop26 together with the United Kingdom and the Cop15 Chinese Presidency on biodiversity.

President Draghi in particular stressed the need to strengthen and make bilateral economic-trade relations more equitable. In the conversation, the already existing dialogue tools were recalled, in the context of which President Draghi hoped that issues on which differences of opinion still exist could be effectively addressed.

"China is ready to work with Italy to promote cooperation in the fields of trade, investment, energy and climate change". This was stated by the Chinese Prime Minister, Li Keqiang, during a telephone conversation with the Prime Minister, Mario Draghi.

Li Keqiang, quoted by the Xinhua agency, stressed the importance of expanding cooperation on a cultural level and in exchanges between people, in view of the Year of Culture and Tourism between Italy and China to be held next year, and to increase cooperation within the G20 framework.

"The deepening of relations and cooperation between China and Italy", the Chinese premier later stated, "will help improve the well-being of the peoples of the two countries".