Beijing, 08/11/2024 (II mandato)
Mister President of the People’s Republic of China,
Messers Ministers,
Dignitaries,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Together with President Xi Jinping, I am particularly happy to address a very cordial greeting to the Co-chairs and members of the Italy-China Cultural Forum.
Allow me to thank President Xi Jinping for his warm welcome to this Great Hall of the People. And I would also like to thank you Messers and Mesdames the Co-chairs and members of the Cultural Forum.
As was recalled, the Chinese and Italian peoples’ mutual fascination for their respective extraordinary cultural traditions has its long-dated roots in art, music, theatre, and literature.
It is the offspring of bonds built and developed across the centuries.
China and Italy, the millenary cradles of civilization and cosmopolitan cultural centres, over time have continuously stimulated expressions of ingenuity and creativity based on a natural mutual respect.
Marco Polo, whose 700th death anniversary – as we well know – falls this year, was one of the pioneers of this long history of relations.
A history made up of curiosity, mutual esteem, and yearning to learn from each other in order to grow and improve in the common interest.
A history with long-dated roots and confidently projected into a future to be built through the contribution of our people.
The many fields of cooperation that were discussed at the third plenary session of the Cultural Forum will – hopefully – give life to initiatives aimed at increasingly promote the development of long-lasting bonds in the sphere of culture: from exchanges between universities, to studying our respective languages, cooperating between museuminstitutions, theatres, opera and symphonic institutions and ultimately, the promotion ofa growingly informed sustainable tourism by also leveraging our joint commitment toprotect UNESCO sites.
Deploying the full potential of our respective artistic heritage and our cultural and creative industries also contributes to boosting our economic growth.
Today, also thanks to the options outlined in the editions of the Forum and to your current commitment, dialogue is also strengthened in traditional sectors as well as onproposals to expand our partnerships in new fields of activity.
To make an example, I am referring to the impact of digital technologies on the fruition of artistic heritage. New frontiers of artistic beauty are becoming accessible from remote or through immersive technologies.
New opportunities and new horizons therefore but also new challenges, such as the verification and certification of the sources.
Our bilateral relations englobe a very vast range of themes and sectors of common interest.
You are well aware of the fundamental role of intercultural dialogue – as you engage in it every day – that is the basis of an ever-deeper mutual understanding aimed at creatingsound and lasting relationships, not only between States but also – and above all – between peoples. Culture enhances the dignity of individuals.
It is not a naïve aspiration. It is not an exchange that is unmindful of the differences. Quite the opposite: the value of the exercise consists in assuming and analyzing them with openness, without this hindering comparison and cooperation.
This way of approaching each other is productive as it leads to building a common heritage.
It is a reflection, an attitude that spurs us to avoid the temptation of returning to anachronistic stands in a world of opposed blocks.
Italians, as founding members of the European Union, uphold the importance of phenomena that unify Countries which share the same interests or feelings.
But not against others.
On the contrary, it is necessary to always maintain a constructive dialogue, regardless of how distant or different others may be, without raising unjustified barriers.
This is the sense of multilateralism, based on rules that are fixed, shared and binding for all.
Good faith and goodwill are required, in addition to utter respect for the fundamental rules of cohabitation. For example, the rule that avoids the use – or even the threat – of force in relations between States.
Matteo Ricci, who, along with Marco Polo, represents an iconic figure of the depth of relations between China and Italy, wrote in “De Amicitia” that “friendship is more useful to the world than wealth”.
And friendship feeds on knowing and listening to each other, dialogue and understanding. In a word: culture.
My hope, therefore, is that the industrious work of building cultural bridges between our people – between China and Italy – which is supported by today’s Forum and enriched through the dialogue between Rectors, might contribute to strengthening our ties of friendship: the grounds for a constructive coexistence and a drive towards a joint effort of conciliation in the face of global challenges.
Thank you very much. Xié xié!
