On the afternoon of July 6, Chinese President Hu Jintao and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi attended the signing ceremony of the Memorandum of Understanding on Tourism Cooperation between the National Tourism Administration of People’s Republic of China and the Ministry of Tourism of Italy in Rome Shao Qiwei, Chairman of China National Tourism Administration, and Michela Brambilla, Minister of Italian Ministry of Tourism, signed the Memorandum as representatives of both parties.

During a meeting with reporters after the signing ceremony, President Hu emphasized the need to turn the tourism industry into a new growth point in China-Italy cooperation. Prime Minister Berlusconi made a speech, in which he wished that both countries may step up bilateral exchanges of tourism and deliver promotional videos on each other’s media.

The Memorandum on Tourism Cooperation signed between China and Italy promises to expand the two country’s tourism cooperation, encourages exchanges between tourism associations, businesses and organizations, tourism promotion and marketing in each other’s country, as well as regular swaps of industrial information. The signing of the Memorandum will further consolidate China-Italy tourism cooperation, strengthen inbound and outbound travels and continue to contribute to the development of China-Italy friendly relationship.