Rome, Italy - Oct 1, 2018 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
1. Economic Development Ministry building
2. Inaugural meeting of China Task Force
3. Italy's Deputy Minister of Economic Development Ministry Michele Geraci speaking
4. Various of attendees
5. Chinese Ambassador to Italy Li Ruiyu speaking
6. National flags of China, Italy
7. Various of attendees
8. SOUNDBITE (Italian) Michele Geraci, Italy's Deputy Minister of Economic Development Ministry:
"Although it is not very hard to enhance bilateral exchanges on economy and culture between the two countries, based on our common ground, for us it is still an unprecedented move to build a China Task Force."

FILE: Rome, Italy - June 1, 2018 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
9. Various of Quirinal Palace

FILE: Rome, Italy - April 13, 2018 (CCTV - No access Chinese mainland)
10. Various of Quirinal Palace

The inaugural meeting of Italy's brand-new China Task Force, which aims to position the European country as "a privileged partner" in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), was held at the Economic Development Ministry in Rome, Italy, on Monday.

The China Task Force, first announced in August 2018, is meant to boost economic relations with China. Proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013, the BRI aims to build a trade and infrastructure network connecting Asia with Africa and Europe along the ancient trade routes of the Silk Road.

The inaugural meeting marked the official launch of Italy's exclusive coordination mechanism with China, which will help the two countries enhance bilateral cooperation in trade, business and investment.

Italy's Deputy Minister of Economic Development Ministry Michele Geraci hosted the meeting, briefing attendees about the task force's working mechanism and process. Over 300 participants from politics, business, academia, and media were in attendance.

At the meeting, Chinese Ambassador to Italy Li Ruiyu said the Italian government attaches great importance to bilateral relations, thus the task force came into being.

"Although it is not very hard to enhance bilateral exchanges on economy and culture between the two countries, based on our common ground, for us it is still an unprecedented move to build a China Task Force," said Geraci.

This is the first time for Italy to set up an exclusive systematic approach to one specific country by related governmental departments, Geraci pointed out. The China Task Force is expected to be a way to acquire mutual trust and gain access to the Chinese market.

China's immense domestic market demands more and more quality goods and represents opportunities Italy should not miss, both in terms of exports and in attracting investments.