China is "undoubtedly" one of Italy's main economic partners, Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said on Tuesday.
Meeting his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, Di Maio added that the two countries want to restart their economic partnership. The minister noted that he spoke to Wang about cooperation in agriculture, energy and transportation and also added that they touched "heated international issues" such as Hong Kong.
He also added that he hopes the European Union and China will be able to find common ground on intellectual property rights, environmental protection and human rights during their upcoming summit on September 14.