Jiaxing, July 20th—The "Historical Journeys, Shared Aspirations — A Partnership Dialogue Marking the 105th Anniversary of the Communist Party of China and the 80th Anniversary of the Republic of Italy" was held here today. Ma Hui, Vice-minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee (IDCPC); Vinicio Peluffo, President of the "Friends of China" Parliamentary Association of Italy; Ye Zhengbo, Vice Chairman of the Zhejiang Provincial Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference; and Chen Wei, Secretary of the CPC Jiaxing Municipal Committee, attended and addressed the dialogue. The event was hosted by the IDCPC and organized by the CPC Jiaxing Municipal Committee and the Foreign Affairs Office of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee. Nearly 100 participants were present, including representatives from relevant Chinese ministries and commissions, local governments, the business sector and the media outlets, as well as a multi-party parliamentary delegation led by Peluffo and business representatives from Italy, and diplomats from the Italian Consulate General in Shanghai. Prior to the event, Ma accompanied visiting delegation members on a tour of the Red Boat on South Lake and the South Lake Revolutionary Memorial Hall.

Ma noted that this year marks the 105th anniversary of the founding of the CPC and the 80th anniversary of the founding of the Republic of Italy. At the gathering celebrating the 105th anniversary of the founding of the CPC, General Secretary Xi Jinping summed up six defining qualities that have kept the CPC eternally youthful and enabled it to achieve one success after another—remaining committed to seeking truth; remaining deeply rooted in the people; courageously rising to its historic missions; following the trend of development; having the courage and ability to fight; and commitment to continuous self-improvement. China and Italy are comprehensive strategic partners, and practical cooperation across economy, trade, science, technology, culture and education has continued to deepen. We firmly believe that cooperation between China and Italy far outweighs competition, and that common understandings far outweigh differences. Standing at a new historical starting point, we are confident that, with the joint efforts of both sides, the China-Italy comprehensive strategic partnership will surely reach new heights, injecting more certainty and positive energy into a complex and turbulent world, and delivering greater benefits to the two peoples and to people around the world.  

Ye said that Zhejiang is the place where the Red Boat of the Chinese revolution set sail and the birthplace of reform and opening-up, as well as an important origin of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. Under the overarching strategy of the "Double Eight Strategy" formulated by General Secretary Xi Jinping, Zhejiang has undergone a comprehensive, systematic and profound transformation. Over the years, Zhejiang and Italy have reaped fruitful results from multi-level and wide-ranging friendly cooperation, with sister-city networks steadily expanding, industrial cooperation advancing in depth, and people-to-people exchanges continuing to deepen. Zhejiang stands ready to work with Italy to consolidate political mutual trust, expand practical cooperation, and build bridges for mutual learning between civilizations, so that more outcomes of China-Italy cooperation will benefit the two peoples and continue to enrich the substance of the China-Italy comprehensive strategic partnership. 

The Italian side noted that, through their visits to the Red Boat on South Lake and the South Lake Revolutionary Memorial Hall, they had gained a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the development history of the CPC, and had personally experienced the Party's profound historical legacy and the spiritual core of contemporary China. The development history of the CPC is a vivid chapter in world history. Since its founding in 1921, the CPC has always been the core leading force behind national development and the improvement of people's livelihoods. To understand China's rapid development, one must fully understand the CPC's century-long journey.  

The Italian side noted that Italy-China friendship has a long history, with pioneers such as Marco Polo and Matteo Ricci having made tremendous contributions to promoting mutual understanding between the two countries. In the current turbulent international environment, upholding multilateralism and free trade is of great importance, and strengthened communication and dialogue are indispensable. The "Friends of China" Parliamentary Association of Italy will remain committed to building bridges of dialogue between Italy and China, promoting exchanges between political parties, parliaments, businesses, universities, localities and peoples of the two countries, and contributing to a stronger, more balanced and more constructive Italy-China relationship.  

The event was covered on site by media including China Media Group, Zhejiang Daily, Zhejiang Satellite TV, the Zhejiang International Communication Center and Jiaxing Daily.