(NBD) Sept. 17 - Italy sees huge potentials for cooperation with China, especially the western region, said an Italian official.

Addressing the 2018 Fancy Italy WCIF Guest Country of Honor Themed Night held Friday at Niccolo Hotel in Chengdu, capital of southwestern China's Sichuan province, Mr. Sergio Maffettone, Consul-General of the Consulate General of Italy in Chongqing, said Italy will seek to cooperate with China at the national level in the areas of urbanization, health, agriculture, aviation-aerospace, and sustainable development.

Sichuan, in particular, is developing at a fast pace and is an important economic powerhouse in the western region, which accounts for about 70 percent of the country's land area and nearly 30 percent of its population, he underscored in the interview on the sideline of the event. It is also playing an active role under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative, he added. This makes the province a key market for Italian companies.

Italy, at the same time, is the second largest manufacturing country in Europe, with an extraordinary know-how in strategic sectors such as mechanical engineering, fashion and design, foodstuffs, and smart home. It has grown into an important trade partner of Sichuan province during the latter's opening-up process.

Data shows Italy's investment in Sichuan grew fast in the first half of 2017, up 14.6 percent year-on-year to 83.5 million yuan (12.8 million U.S. dollars). Most of the investment were pumped into manufacturing, garment processing, agricultural products and catering.

Up to now, 38 Italian enterprises, including EXOR, Assicurazioni Generali SpA, and Intesa Sanpaolo SpA, have established a presence in Sichuan, with the figure topping 100 across the whole western region, Mr. Maffettone noted.

"By serving as the Guest Country of Honor of next year's WCIF, Italy expects to bring its advanced experience in the realm of construction engineering, environmental protection, agriculture, healthcare, and aerospace to China." he stressed.

The event will be a great platform for Italian enterprises to know more about and gain access to Sichuan and the Chinese market, and the to-be-built joint cultural park between China and Italy will help Sichuan's Chengdu city attract more Italian enterprises.

According to him, Italy's sophisticated city planning systems, architectural designs, and smart home designs will be highlighted at the 2018 WCIF.  

High-tech and eco-friendly materials as well as technologies for air quality inspection, waste water treatment, and production and energy efficiency improvement will be on display as well.

What will also be exhibited are the country's time-tested healthcare system, advanced medical equipment, as well as cars, engines, and robots.  

"Italy will improve medical services in Chengdu in all respects, from hardware to software, and there might be hospitals built by Italian companies in the southwestern city in future," Mr. Maffettone noted.

When asked opportunities brought by the Belt and Road Initiative to Italy, Mr. Maffettone said, "the initiative provides an amazing opportunity to his country, because it can enhance the cooperation between the two countries not only in China, but also in third countries."

For example, the joint cultural park will provide a template for similar cooperation in other places of China in the future. In addition, the two countries, both of which are advantageous in mechanical engineering, can work together to construct high-speed rail in third countries, he explained.

What's more, Mr. Maffettone discussed the cooperation between Italy and China in the cultural industry. "Italy will also be present with cultural activities which will create the same pleasnt atmosphere as the one that attracts every year millions of international tourists to Italy for enjoying some quality time," he said.

He also revealed China and Italy are currently discussing the plan to jointly hold a large-scale cultural exhibition.    

Email: lansuying@nbd.com.cn