(ANSA) - ROME, NOV 8 - Italian President Sergio Mattarella on Friday warned against the temptation of returning to a world order made of "rival blocs" while hailing constructive dialogue during a state visit to China aimed at fostering relations between the two countries.
    "Putting ourselves one in front of the other" is an "attitude" that helps prevent the temptation of an "anachronistic return to a world of rival blocs", Mattarella said.
    The Italian president highlighted how "Italians, the founding members of the European Union, are supporters of the importance of initiatives aggregating countries that share interests or sensibilities", hailing "multilateralism, based on certain, shared and binding rules for all".
    Ongoing sweeping changes across the world that would require harmony make bilateral relations particularly important, and China is a "fundamental protagonist" for Italy, Mattarella also said before talks with Xi Jiping in Beijing.
    In the world, "great, intense, deep and quick changes" are taking place that would require to be dealt with in a climate of "harmony in order to be jointly examined", said Mattarella.
    Unfortunately, today, there is no such climate globally which is also why it is "important for bilateral relations to exist" and China represents for Italy a "fundamental protagonist", noted the president.
    Mattarella's trip takes place about one year after Italy withdrew from China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a massive globe-spanning infrastructure scheme aiming to build a modern-day 'Silk Road', and after a visit undertaken by Premier Giorgia Meloni in July.
    President Xi said at the meeting with Mattarella held at the Great Hall of the People that "China and Italy are great civilizations" and "changes unseen in a century" are taking place in the world.
    For this reason, the Chinese president noted, the two countries should work together "to solve divergences though dialogue" with the aim of "reaching an harmonious coexistence".
    Xi also called Mattarella "an old friend of the Chinese people and a good friend of mine", stressing that he was "welcome to another visit to the State of China" seven years after his last trip.
    The Chinese head of State recalled that this year marks the 20th anniversary of the global strategic partnership between China and Italy.
    In July, Premier Giorgia Meloni "successfully visited China", said Xi.
    "The two sides drafted an action plan to strengthen the strategic global partnership and agreed to support the spirit of the Silk Road and to promote bilateral relations to enter a new phase of development".
    Addressing Mattarella, the Chinese president said he believed his visit would give a stronger impulse to relations between China and Italy in a "new historic starting point" that will give "greater benefits to the two populations".
    He also recalled that 2024 marks the 700th anniversary of the death of famed Venetian merchant and explorer Marco Polo, whose tales are the first European account of the Silk Road.
    Italy withdrew from the BRI in December last year.
    Rome signed up for the scheme in 2019, making it the only G7 country to do so, but the decision not to renew the involvement was widely expected.
    During her visit to China in July, Meloni announced that six agreements had been signed in fields ranging from industry to food safety and education.
    Meanwhile during Mattarella's visit, China and Italy forged 10 agreements and memoranda which were signed at a ceremony attended by the Chinese and Italian presidents as part of their participation in the Italy-China Cultural Forum.
    The agreements concern a range of sectors including the film industry and competition. (ANSA).