One of the Belt and Road Initiative's major players is an Italian national with a long history in China. Italy's Under-Secretary for Economic Development Michele Geraci has not only helped push the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding, but has also helped teach and influence many of China's youth. CGTN's Wu Lei brings us his story.

The Italian government believes joining China's Belt and Road Initiative will boost its sluggish economy. Italy's Under-Secretary for Economic Development Michele Geraci is one of the key officials drafting the framework for the MoU.

MICHELE GERACI, UNDER SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ITALIAN GOVERNMENT "Now more than half of the EU countries have signed the MoU on the Belt and Road, the other half have not signed, the other member of G7 have not signed, but they do even more business, so every country has been approaching China."

Geraci has spent more than half of his decade in China at the University of Nottingham Ningbo. One of Geraci's colleagues there says his experience in China has helped him a lot.

PETER HOFMAN, ASSOCIATE DEAN OF BUSINESS SCHOOL UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM NINGBO CHINA "And specifically, he knows the important role of China in the world economy, the growing role of China, and of course, Italy wants to make sure that it continues to develop good relations with China, so that is one additional element that helped him."

Geraci's ideas shine brightly in the eyes of many of his students. Case in point - Chen Kaikun.

CHEN KAIKUN, YEAR 3 STUDENT UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM NINGBO CHINA "He teaches me to think in a global perspective, and he also teaches me to think independently, not to just follow the mainstream."

WU LEI UNIVERSITY OF NOTTINGHAM NINGBO CHINA "Michele Geraci had been teaching Finance here for 6 years before joining the Italian government in 2018. In my interview with him last May, he reiterated that no matter how his job changes, he would always be a bridge between China and Italy."

MICHELE GERACI, UNDER SECRETARY FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ITALIAN GOVERNMENT "My job here in Nottingham over the last few years in China has always been trying to help Italian political leaders, entrepreneurs and the general public to understand what is going on in China in terms of development, what China is doing well, what can we in Italy learn from China, in terms of economic development."

Geraci says thanks to China and Italy's long history, he believes that those who truly love both countries will continue to help boost bilateral exchanges in a new era. Wu Lei, CGTN, Ningbo city, Zhejiang province.