ROME-Xinhua

Chinese and Italian com­panies signed deals worth 8 billion euros (more than 10 billion U.S. dollars) here a highlight of Chinese Pre­mier Li Keqiang’s visit to Italy.

The deals were signed by business leaders from the Chinese-Italian commit­tee of entrepreneurs, which was founded four months ago.

Appearing together with his Italian counterpart Matteo Renzi at an event attended by the commit­tee members and other en­trepreneurs from the two countries, Li said the deals, mainly covering two-way investment and technolog­ical and financial coopera­tion, have transcended the traditional buy-and-sell model to demonstrate the high-level coordination of the two countries.

Li said the business sec­tors of the two nations are the main force to promote the bilateral cooperation.

As the two nations have entered the age of innova­tive development, he said, it is hoped that entrepreneurs from both countries could seize the opportunity, com­plement each other and ex­pand cooperation, so as to forge a comprehensive part­nership.

Renzi said that Italy and China enjoy a traditional friendship and a solid ba­sis for cooperation, adding that Italy is willing to work with China to address the challenges brought by eco­nomic globalization..

He said he hopes entre­preneurs from both sides to develop the spirit of in­novation and expand trade, investment and financial cooperation for the mutual benefits of the two peo­ples.

Li is visiting Italy at the invitation of Renzi. He left Moscow earlier in the day after holding the 19th Chi­na-Russia Prime Minis­ters’ Regular Meeting with his counterpart Dmitry Medvedev.

Italy is the last stop of Li’s three-nation Europe tour, which has taken him to Germany and Russia.

KPL