Italy is the center of focus in Chengdu, Sichuan Province right now as this year's Western China International Fair gets underway. The fair is an important window for Western China and its opening up, and a platform for China's cooperation with foreign countries. And Italy is the Guest Country of Honor for 2018. CGTN's Wei Lynn Tang spoke with newly-appointed Italian Deputy Prime Minister, Luigi Di Maio. He said Italy should continue to strengthen relations with China, to capitalize on the possibilities opening-up offers. Di Maio also spoke about Italy's expectations from the fair.  

LUIGI DI MAIO ITALIAN DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER "Our companies have enormous expectations about the relationships they will establish, and ones they have already established with China, Chinese companies, Chinese entrepreneurs and the Chinese government. There are high expectations that must be supported by our government, and I am here to support 'Made in Italy'. That's practically in Italy's DNA; it means 'well-made things', 'culture', 'the value of investing in unique things'."

WEI LYNN TANG CGTN REPORTER "Just last month, Italy set up a China Task Force--under your Ministry of Economic Development--this is to boost trade and investment relations with China. Could you explain the particulars of this task force, and perhaps even the anticipated timeline in which its goals will be implemented?"

LUIGI DI MAIO ITALIAN DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER "The objective of this team, created by Under-secretary Michele Geraci, who, among other things, is a friend of China and speaks Chinese, is to develop all relations so that the project of the Belt and Road Initiative can be realized at the end of the negotiation. We are identifying the fields of intervention, an aviation Silk Road, a cultural Silk Road, a land Silk Road, a maritime Silk Road; a series of fields in which we want to make partnerships G-TO-G, Government to Government, and business to business with China."

WEI LYNN TANG CGTN REPORTER "China has been reaffirming its opening up efforts. How can Italy better capitalize on this?"

LUIGI DI MAIO ITALIAN DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER "I believe that, first of all, we need to establish good relationships. I will be back in Shanghai in November and we should continue to strengthen relations between our two countries, to capitalize on the possibilities both in investment and relations, which China has carried on all these years. The Western world in recent years has failed to develop its economy in a proper way, and its economy has kept on declining. China, on the other hand, has succeeded in developing its economy over the last 20 years."