Historic route revival promotes people-to-people connections

Alessandro Zadro, head of the research department at Italy China Council Foundation, said: "China presents a highly promising market with a growing domestic demand driven by increasing per capita income, ongoing urbanization, the expansion of important inland regions, and a rising segment of affluent consumers who prefer Made in Italy products.

"Italy should seize opportunities in China, not only by boosting exports in traditional sectors such as fashion and luxury, design, agribusiness, and automotive, but also by expanding its solid market share in emerging and highly innovative sectors like renewable energy, new energy vehicles, biomedical advancements, and preservation of China's vast national historical and cultural heritage," he added.

Cooperation between China and Italy is also evident in areas of education and research. Strengthening ties as such is believed to be in the interest of both nations, considering their excellent academic institutions and tradition of academic excellence.

Currently, Italy has 12 Confucius Institutes promoting language and cultural exchange in the country. Efforts have been made over the past decade to promote the teaching of the Chinese language in the Italian high school system.

Federico Masini, director of the Confucius Institute at the Sapienza University of Rome, said: "Today, more than 17,000 students throughout Italy are studying Chinese as part of their curriculum, which is a significant number. Over 100 Chinese teachers, who are native Italian speakers, have been employed in the Italian education system to teach Chinese on a permanent basis. This achievement has played a vital role in bridging closer ties between China and Italy."