(Adnkronos) – Export credit agency Sace and Chinese partners finalised three agreements worth a total 360 million euros including two strategic ones to bolster exports in the industrial and wood-furniture sectors, the foreign minister said in a statement.
The deals were signed during foreign minister Antonio Tajani’s visit to Beijing and Shanghai on Thursday and Friday, the statement said.
Among the main results of Tajani’s trip was the launch of a strategy aimed at increasing the presence of high-quality Italian products in China, with a focus on the agri-food, mechanical engineering and jewellery sectors, the statement said.
An e-commerce action plan was also signed during Tajani’s visit, the statement noted.
The action plan includes the establishment of ‘Italy Pavilions’ and promotional showcases for high-quality Italian products on major Chinese e-commerce platforms.
In a clear sign of the government’s support for the Italian business community in China, Tajani co-chaired with commerce minister Wang Wentao the Joint Economic and Business Dialogue Commission – the main bilateral cooperation mechanism.
Over 50 leading Italian and Chinese companies were guests at the meeting, which was the first high-level bilateral gathering this year following the 12th Government Committee hosted in Rome last October, according to the foreign ministry.
In Shanghai, Tajani also led a meeting with around 70 Italian entrepreneurs and representatives from Italy’s trade agency Ice, Sace, investment agency Simest and state lender CDP, according to the statement.
The mission helped to strengthen dialogue with the Chinese authorities, with the aim of improving operating conditions for Italian companies and promoting a more transparent and predictable environment, said the statement.
Key sectors for the development of trade and investment include the green transition, advanced engineering and low-environmental-impact technologies.
More than 1,500 Italian companies operate in China, employing 130,000 people and generating a turnover of some 33 billion euros. In the Suzhou area near Shanghai, over 100 Italian firms are doing busines. It is Italy’s biggest production area outside the European Union.
China is a priority market for Italy’s strategy of expanding into high-potential non-EU countries and is currently Italy’s main trading partner in Asia, as well as its second largest among non-European partners. Bilateral trade neared 75 billion euros last year, with growth confirmed in the early months of 2026.
Italian exports are flourishing in China, where demand for quality and innovation continues to grow, especially in key sectors such as fashion, machinery, pharmaceuticals and chemicals, which have significant potential to develop further, the foreign ministry said.
