Italy has opened a new embassy in China: it is the Italian Consulate in Chongqing , a metropolis in southern China that was deemed as a crucial economic and commercial hub for Italian companies that want to invest in the country. The Chinese metropolis has already seen the presence of Italian industrial giants, including Fiat and Iveco and it is proposed as a theater to strengthen the bilateral relations between Italy and China, intensifying an already started and fruitful cooperation in the economic and commercial aspects. In addition to the metropolitan district of Chongqing, the new Italian consulate will have load even in the southern provinces and south- western China's Sichuan, Yunnan and Guizhou. The economic action of the consulate in Chongqing will focus in particular on four strategic areas of intervention: urbanization, agriculture, environment and health. The responsible Consul Sergio Maffettone pointed out that the action of the consulate in Chongqing will be in line with the provisions in the recent Fifth Plenary Session of China - Italy Governmental Committee.

These guidelines are well suited to development plans approved in recent years by the State Council of China: in the current crisis at the international level, in fact, the Government has decided to focus on the strengthening of the less developed areas than in eastern regions, whom is due the greater the economic development of China, believing that behavior as a strategic factor to ensure the continued economic growth of the country. The State Council has, for that reason, approved a series of measures to promote the development of certain economic sectors as priorities, such as the production of grain, energy , raw materials and the manufacturing industry with high added value. Maffettone added that Italy will continue its commitment to the simplification of procedures for the visa to the Chinese citizens wishing to travel to Italy for tourism.