Italy, China and Europe Look Ahead: High-Level Dialogue Explores the Future of Eco-nomic Cooperation in Shanghai

Shanghai, 18 June 2026 – The day opened with a forward-looking discussion on the future of international economic cooperation. Hosted at the Shanghai Design Innovation Institute, the high-level dialogue “China, Europe & Italy: Shaping Economic Cooperation in a Changing World” brought together leading representatives from institutions, academia, fi-nance, and the international business community to examine the challenges and opportunities shaping the global economy.

Organized within the framework of the 2026 Panda D’Oro Gala Awards, the forum provided a platform for open dialogue at a time when geopolitical shifts, technological transformation, and the pursuit of sustainable growth are redefining global trade and investment patterns. The event reaffirmed the importance of maintaining constructive exchanges between China, Eu-rope, and Italy, highlighting the value of long-term partnerships built on innovation, mutual trust, and economic complementarity.

The discussion focused on several key themes, including the evolution of China-Europe eco-nomic relations, trade and investment cooperation, industrial competitiveness, and the role of technological innovation in driving future growth. Participants also explored the economic outlook for China, Europe, and Italy, emphasizing the need for resilient supply chains, sus-tainable development strategies, and greater collaboration between public institutions and pri-vate enterprises.

The panel, opened by the welcoming remarks of Gianni Di Giovanni, Chairman of the Ital-ian Chamber of Commerce in China, featured an outstanding lineup of internationally recog-nized speakers:

- Giovanni Tria, former Minister of Economy and Finance of Italy and current Board Member of Bank of China, shared his perspective on the evolving relationship between European and Chinese economic policies, underlining the importance of dialogue and financial cooperation in an increasingly interconnected world.

- Wang Zhan, former President of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, provided an in-depth analysis of China's long-term development strategy and its role in shaping global economic dynamics, stressing the opportunities that international partnerships can generate for innovation and shared prosperity.

- Offering a business perspective, Denis Depoux, Global Managing Director of Roland Berger, examined the major transformations affecting international markets, from digi-talization and artificial intelligence to industrial upgrading and the pursuit of competi-tiveness in a rapidly changing environment. His remarks highlighted how companies op-erating across borders must embrace innovation while remaining adaptable to new eco-nomic realities.

- Guiding the conversation was Lucille Liu, renowned Bloomberg anchor and journalist, whose moderation encouraged an engaging exchange of ideas among the panelists and the audience.

The discussion combined institutional, academic, and corporate viewpoints, creating a com-prehensive overview of the challenges and opportunities facing global business today.

The dialogue concluded with the participation of H.E. Massimo Ambrosetti, Ambassador of Italy to the People's Republic of China, who joined the event to offer his reflections on the strategic importance of the Italy-China partnership. 

The forum set the tone for a day dedicated to strengthening Italy-China relations, perfectly complementing the Panda D’Oro Gala Awards held later that evening. Together, the two events reflected the dual mission of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in China: celebrating the achievements of the Italian business community while fostering meaningful dialogue on the future of international economic cooperation.

By bringing together influential voices from government, academia, finance, and industry, the high-level dialogue demonstrated that the Italy-China partnership continues to evolve beyond trade, becoming a platform for exchanging ideas, promoting innovation, and shaping a shared vision for economic collaboration in a changing world.