Italian companies with operations in China are playing a vital role in turning "excellent" bilateral relations into "something concrete", foreign minister Luigi Di Maio told a local business delegation in Shanghai.
"Your work in China is crucial for us as allows what are excellent bilateral ties to be translated into something concrete," Di Maio told the Italian business representatives, the foreign ministry tweeted.
The meeting took place at the end of Di Maio's visit to the second China International Import Expo, where he vowed to promote exports of Italian goods to the world's second largest economy.
During his two-day visit to Shanghai, Di Maio said he had clinched deals with China "that were long on ice" including in the agri-food sector.
