Editor's Note: Friendly exchanges between China and Italy date back over a thousand years and have nourished endless bilateral people-to-people and cultural exchanges, first via the ancient Silk Road that opened the first chapter of the exchanges between the East and the West. Later on, Marco Polo and his 13th-century travelogue created a window for the Western world to understand China and the fascination has endured to this day. In this edition of Leaders Talk, CMG's He Yanke sat down with Italian President Sergio Mattarella during his six-day state visit to China from November 7 to 12, the second since he took office at the Quirinal Palace, to discuss his views on China-Italy cooperation. "The future requires many more Marco Polos," he remarks. At a time of unprecedented changes, Mattarella calls for cooperation and openness. "Shared challenges require global consensus and unity," he affirms.