On April 16, 2026, Member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Foreign Minister Wang Yi met in Beijing with Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Antonio Tajani.

Wang Yi said that China and Italy are comprehensive strategic partners, with complementary strengths and broad prospects for deepening mutually beneficial cooperation. Last October, the Joint Meeting of the China-Italy Government Committee was successfully convened, comprehensively reviewing and planning bilateral cooperation across various fields. China is ready to work with Italy to implement the important consensuses reached by the leaders of the two countries, maintain the momentum of high-level exchanges and interactions at all levels, enhance mutual understanding, strengthen mutual trust, and promote cooperation, so as to sustain the sound and steady growth of China-Italy relations. Since the start of this year, geopolitical conflicts have been dragging on and hotspot issues have intensified, posing severe challenges to the international order and world security. Both China and Italy are ancient civilizations that cherish peace and important forces upholding multilateralism. China stands ready to enhance communication and coordination with Italy in international and multilateral affairs, demonstrating the contemporary significance of the China-Italy comprehensive strategic partnership.

Antonio Tajani said that Italy-China relations are currently enjoying sound and smooth development. Italy highly values its relations with China and firmly adheres to the one-China policy. Italy stands ready to work with China to intensify exchanges and dialogue, expand mutually beneficial cooperation, and promote the effective implementation of the action plan for strengthening the Italy-China comprehensive strategic partnership. Given the complexity and volatility of the current international situation, Italy highly recognizes China’s important influence in international affairs and multilateral platforms such as the United Nations, agrees with the propositions and initiatives put forward by President Xi Jinping for promoting the settlement of international and regional hotspot issues, and is ready to strengthen multilateral communication and coordination with China to jointly safeguard world peace, stability, and development.

The two sides exchanged views on the current situation in the Middle East. Wang Yi said that China consistently advocates for the political settlement of international disputes through dialogue and consultation and opposes the use of force. The war waged by the U.S. and Israel against Iran should never have taken place, and the prolonged conflict has had a serious impact on international energy security and the safety of shipping lanes in the Strait of Hormuz. The pressing priority is to bring the U.S. and Iran back to the negotiating table for a political solution. China has all along upheld an objective and impartial position, actively committed to promoting peace and ending the fighting, and supports the active mediation efforts of Pakistan. China is ready to maintain communication with all parties and continue to play a constructive role in this regard.

The two sides also exchanged views on the Ukraine crisis and other issues.