Political Lens

Top legislator: China ready to work with Italy to bolster traditional friendship

Zhao Leji, chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, met with Italian Senate President Ignazio La Russa in Beijing on Monday.

Zhao expressed China's willingness to work with Italy to promote traditional friendship, enhance the alignment of development strategies, and explore potential cooperation in areas such as shipbuilding and new energy.

He expressed the hope that Italy will continue to play an active role in promoting the continuous, stable and healthy development of relations between China and the European Union.

Zhao briefed the Italian guest about China's sustained economic recovery and its policies to further expand high-standard opening-up, saying that the country welcomes enterprises from Italy and other countries to seize opportunities for cooperation and grow together with the Chinese economy.

La Russa said that amid the current complex international situation, Italian-Chinese cooperation can make new contributions to world peace and stability.

Italy adheres to the one-China principle, highly values China's international status and role, and looks forward to expanding cooperation with China in various fields, he said, adding that his country is willing to promote the healthy and stable development of EU-China relations.

Vice-premier to attend opening of Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference

Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang will attend the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2025 in Boao, Hainan province, on Thursday, and he will deliver a keynote speech.

This year's conference, which is scheduled to run from Tuesday to Friday, is themed "Asia in the Changing World: Towards a Shared Future". The theme is intended to reinvigorate multilateralism, promote openness and development, jointly respond to global challenges, and carry out the commitments of the United Nations Summit of the Future while focusing on the development of Asia.

Heads of regional and international organizations, ministerial-level officials, executives of Fortune Global 500 companies, and renowned experts and scholars have confirmed their participation in the conference, according to the forum's secretariat.

Vice-president reiterates nation's commitment to opening-up, IP protection

Vice-President Han Zheng held separate meetings on Monday in Beijing with Merlin Swire, CEO of British company John Swire &Sons, and Vasant Narasimhan, CEO of Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis.

While meeting with Swire, Han emphasized China's commitment to adhering to economic globalization, upholding the international trade rules and system, and steadfastly advancing reform and opening-up to inject greater stability and certainty into global economic development.

During his meeting with Narasimhan, Han said that the Chinese government encourages and supports the research and development of innovative pharmaceuticals, and it is committed to strengthening intellectual property protection in accordance with the law and providing a better environment for innovation for foreign companies, including Novartis.

The two foreign guests praised the achievements of China's economic and social development in recent years, expressed their optimism about China's development prospects, and showed confidence in investing in China.

Both of them affirmed the commitment of their companies to developing long-term cooperation with China, and pledged to continue expanding investments in the Chinese market and deepening cooperation with China in fields such as aviation, pharmaceuticals and healthcare.

China Daily