ANKARA

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Italian counterpart Antonio Tajani discussed bilateral and global issues, including the situation in Palestine and the Ukraine conflict, an official statement said on Thursday.

Wang attended the 12th Joint Meeting of the China-Italy Government Committee with Tajani in Rome on Wednesday, as the two sides agreed to deepen economic and trade relations, read a statement by the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

The two top diplomats also held a separate meeting.

Calling for enhanced bilateral cooperation, Wang said that China and Italy are two major economies that support free trade, as well as two major forces that safeguard multilateralism.

Wang said that In a world facing complex and intertwined changes, both sides should uphold an open spirit to expand and optimize practical cooperation, and make greater contributions to their respective economic development and the well-being of the two peoples.

China has implemented a unilateral visa-free policy for Italian citizens and will continue to extend it, welcoming more Italian friends to enjoy a spontaneous "journey to China," he added.

Tajani, in return, said that Italy stands ready to strengthen multilateral cooperation with China and to work together to promote the peaceful resolution of issues such as the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and the Ukraine crisis.

He added that Rome is willing to join hands with China to uphold free trade, maintain the smoothness of the global supply chain, and make joint efforts to peacefully resolve international disputes through dialogue.

Tajani said that Italy firmly adheres to the one-China policy and will never waver from this position.

In 2019, Italy became the only member of the Group of Seven nations to join China's Belt and Road Initiative, but exited the global infrastructure development project in 2023.

The China-Italy bilateral trade volume has climbed to over $80 billion.