Zhang Dejiang, Secretary-General of the Chinese Communist Party Guangdong Provincial Committee, and Huang Huahua, Provincial Governor of Guangdong, met Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi at the China International Small and Medium Enterprises Fair (CISMEF) & Sino-Italian Small and Medium Enterprises Fair yesterday.

Guangdong Leader Zhang Dejiang Meets Italian PM Prodi. [Guangzhou Daily]

Zhang said that Italy is an important trade partner of Guangdong in the European Union and their bilateral trade has witnessed a booming development in recent years. Guangdong has paid great attention to the growth of SMEs and will actively promote the cooperation between the enterprises of the two countries. He hoped to see Italy become a gate and bridge to reinforce the cooperation of China, naturally including Guangdong, with the EU. Meanwhile, Guangdong is a key tourist source region and will encourage more Cantonese tourists to travel in Italy and strengthen the friendship of the two nations.

Prodi spoke highly of Guangdong's great achievements in the aspects of reform, opening-up and modernization. He expressed that Italy is willing to become the gate of the Chinese (including Cantonese) Enterprises, through which they go into the EU market.

Prodi also said that it is very difficult for SMEs to deal with the huge Chinese market only by themselves, and it will hence be profoundly significant to build a better network and help more Italian SMEs enter the market in China. And the CISMEF just offers a platform for them to get in touch with each other.