The 15th Suzhou Appreciation Meeting

23 October 2023 marked the return, after a three-year wait, of the 15th Suzhou Appreciation Meeting, boasting the exceptional participation of H.E. Massimo Ambrosetti, Ambassador of Italy to the People’s Republic of China, who visited the Italian business community of Suzhou for the first time and met both Wu Qingwen, Deputy Party Secretary of the Suzhou Municipal Committee of the CPC and Mayor of the Suzhou Municipal People's Government and Vice Mayor Tang Xiaodong.

The event, aimed at strengthening the commercial dialogue between Italian institutions and companies with the Suzhou authorities, as well as providing enhanced support for the development of Italian businesses in the Suzhou area, was organized by the China-Italy Chamber of Commerce, with the support of the Suzhou Municipal Government, the Embassy of Italy in Beijing, the Consulate General of Italy in Shanghai and Italian Trade Agency (ITA). It counted 60 participants, including local and Italian authorities and companies rooted in the territory.

As emphasised by Mr. Tang Xiaodong, who kicked off the meeting, Suzhou and Italy have always enjoyed a close and successful partnership. Since Suzhou joined the Italy-China Government Committee in 2005, this collaboration has grown even stronger, establishing Suzhou as one of the leading destinations for Italian overseas investment. As of last year, there were roughly 180 Italian-affiliated enterprises in Suzhou, making significant contributions to the city’s economic and social progress. Mr.Tang Xiaodong emphasized the availability from the Suzhou government to concretely support Italian companies interested in investing in the area by issuing a whole series of incentives aimed at making the business environment more and more profitable.  

H. E. Massimo Ambrosetti underlined the importance of a constant and direct dialogue between the local authorities and Italian companies rooted in the territory. China is not only a strategic market for Italy, but also the leading trade partner, as shown by the data on Italy-China interchange with 5.4% growth and 77 billion dollars. The Jiangsu province plays a particularly strategic role. Suzhou is in fact the largest Italian industrial district outside Europe. The Ambassador also stressed how Italy and China, and Suzhou in particular, are linked by centuries of contacts, exchanges and friendship, as demonstrated by the twinning that began in 1980 between Suzhou and Venice and the presence in the province of Marco Polo, an emblematic figure of interchange.

As stressed by Mr. Paolo Bazzoni, Chairman of the China-Italy Chamber of Commerce, in recent years, investment and trade cooperation between Suzhou and Italy has made rapid progress despite not always easy boundary situations. Today, the Suzhou area has become one of the main recipients of Italian investments in China, attracting the attention of many Italian companies. Numerous Italian manufacturing companies have chosen to invest and establish production facilities in Suzhou, contributing significantly to economic development and the opening of new business opportunities for the city. Now it is a matter of maintaining, consolidating and improving these results, listening and following the needs of our companies more and more, while stimulating and innovating local services and support.

The conference concluded with a Q&A session, where Italian business representatives engaged in discussions with the Suzhou authorities. During this session, Suzhou Municipality took the opportunity to elucidate various policies for foreign enterprises.

Following the Suzhou Appreciation Meeting, a restricted meeting was held between leaders of the Shanghai Municipality, the Italian Embassy, Consulate General of Italy in Shanghai, Italian Trade Agency and some CICC Board Members. The meeting was attended by Wu Qingwen, Deputy Party Secretary of the Suzhou Municipal Committee of the CPC and Mayor of the Suzhou City People's Government.

During the meeting, the importance of Italian investments in Suzhou and the willingness to support them for mutual benefit and win-win cooperation was further emphasized. The potential between the two sides is enormous and although good results have been achieved, there is still much to be done.

The event ended with a dedicated meeting between the Ambassador and Italian companies, moderated by Giacomo Bove, CICC board member for the Suzhou area.

The China-Italy Chamber of Commerce (CICC) is committed to working alongside the Suzhou government to provide a platform for government-enterprise communication, addressing inquiries and facilitating Italian businesses in gaining deeper insights into the various policies related to investment in Suzhou. We will continue the dialogue with relevant actors to support Italian companies in Suzhou, strengthening mutual understanding, improving market access, and fostering development.