Xi’an and Rome share a lot in common. For starters, each of these storied cities boasts an imperial past and both metropolises are home to a myriad of historical and cultural sites that are revered by academics and tourists around the world. The populations that call each city home also share a love of cuisine that cannot be understated (tortellini, biang biang mian, need we say more?). With so much in common, it makes perfect sense for the nations of Italy and China (and specifically the city of Xi’an) to cooperate economically – something that is currently underway.
On Thursday, January 9, the 2020 China-Italy Economic Cooperation and Exchange Conference was held at the Grand Hyatt Xi’an, organized and hosted by Fondazione Italia Cina (Italy China Foundation) and co-hosted by CHIC Group.
The conference was intended to advance political, economic and cultural development in both China and Italy, deepen cooperation between Italy and the city of Xi’an and facilitate the swift development of Sino-Italian cooperation projects. Italy officially joined Chinese President Xi Jinping’s flagship ‘Belt and Road Initiative’ in 2019.
“In the spirit of the Belt and Road Initiative, we have asked ourselves: Where did this start in China? And the answer, of course, is Xi’an,” Vincenzo Petrone, general manager of the Italy China Foundation, said during a press conference. “The next question we asked ourselves: What can we do to make Xi’an more well-known? So immediately, we realized, there is this great achievement in Xi’an, which is the Hi-Tech Zone… And so, we offered our services to the Hi-Tech Zone.”
Image via Fondazione Italia Cina
During the conference’s dinner, CHIC Group’s president, Charles Fischer, praised local government officials in Xi’an and announced development plans that would be undertaken with major Italian IPs, including Ferrari World, Umbrian Jazz Music and Milan Fashion Week, among others.
According to Petrone, a number of specific projects have been planned to help advance the Italy China Foundation’s specific goals, including seminars, forums and promotional events.
“One of the specific projects is the promotion of the Hi-Tech Zone in Italy. One of the ways of doing this will be a very large seminar for industrialists. So, together with CHIC Group, we organized a seminar in Milan and we expect many industrial companies to be a part of it,” said Petrone. “The second event we are planning is a large fashion forum. And, thirdly, we are planning to launch a promo event where we identify Chinese companies that are particularly active in Italy, and Italian companies that are active in Shaanxi, and host an awards [ceremony].”
Image via Fondazione Italia Cina
The Italy China Foundation was founded in Milan in November of 2003 by Italian businessman and economist Cesare Romiti. His goal: To improve the image and manner of Italy’s presence in China and to achieve a different strategic and commercial positioning. Since its inception, the foundation has grown to not only serve Italian companies working in China, but also Chinese enterprises that have shown an interest in Italy.
The organization has found particular success in its nuanced approach to the massive country that is China, according to people we spoke with at the China-Italy Economic Cooperation and Exchange Conference.
“For a long time, we have advocated for the Italian industrial world in China, and this has been done under the assumption that China is not a single cultural entity. China is among the most multicultural countries in the world,” said Petrone. “We are making programs that are tailormade for that specific entity.”
Image via Fondazione Italia Cina
In addition to Petrone and Fischer, the event was attended by President of SPICI Vincenzo Lipardi, Chairman of the Italian Association for Visual Communication (AIAP) Marco Tortoioli Ricci, Director of the Hi-tech Management Committee Gu Haiwen and Executive Director of CHIC Group Helen Tu, along with government officials for Xi’an and other both domestic and International enterprises from areas in science, tech, arts and more.
[Cover image via Fondazione Italian Cina]
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