On November 22, 2025 local time, Premier of the State Council Li Qiang met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Johannesburg.

Li Qiang stated that this year marks the 55th anniversary of the establishment of China-Italy diplomatic relations. In July last year, President Xi Jinping met with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in Beijing and mapped out a strategic blueprint for deepening China-Italy relations. Over the past year, the two sides have actively implemented the important common understandings reached between the two leaders. China is ready to work with Italy to further carry forward the traditional friendship, strengthen the synergy of development strategies, and forge a more stable and fruitful comprehensive strategic partnership.

Li Qiang noted that China is ready to work with Italy to continuously advance two-way opening up, enhance connectivity and alignment in markets, industries and related areas, and promote balanced and optimized development of bilateral trade. The two sides should fortify the traditional strengths of cooperation, expand exchanges and cooperation in emerging industries, and boost common development and prosperity. China welcomes more Italian companies to enter the Chinese market through platforms such as the China International Import Expo, the China International Fair for Trade in Services, the China International Consumer Products Expo, and the China International Supply Chain Expo. Li Qiang expressed the hope that the Italian side will provide a fair, transparent, non-discriminatory and predictable business environment for Chinese enterprises to invest in Italy. Both sides should strengthen tourism, education, sports, youth, sub-national, and cultural cooperation, and facilitate personnel exchanges to enhance mutual understanding and friendship between the two peoples. China is ready to strengthen coordination and cooperation with Italy within multilateral frameworks such as the United Nations and the G20, build broader consensus and reinforce the international community's confidence and resolve in practicing multilateralism and consolidating multilateral mechanisms.

Giorgia Meloni said that Italy-China relations enjoy a good momentum of development, with continuous bilateral exchanges at all levels and positive progress in practical cooperation. Italy is willing to take the opportunity of celebrating the 55th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries to make full use of mechanisms such as the Italy-China Government Committee and the Economic Cooperation Mixed Committee, speed up the implementation of the Action Plan on Strengthening the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, deepen cooperation in trade, investment, science and technology and other fields, and promote people-to-people and cultural exchanges. Italy welcomes more Chinese enterprises to invest and do business in the country, and encourages Italian companies to continue investing in China. Italy is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with China on multilateral platforms and jointly uphold multilateralism.