Renzi starts Chinese trade mission

Premier tells Italian entrepreneurs 'be brave like Marco Polo'

(ANSA) - Rome, June 10 - Italian Premier Matteo Renzi began the Chinese leg of his Asian tour Tuesday by urging Italian entrepreneurs in China to be "more courageous" like the Venetian explorer Marco Polo.

Speaking to 400 members of the Italian business community in the former Italian Pavilion of Shanghai's Expo 2010 trade fair, Renzi recalled when he visited the Chinese business capital as mayor of Florence. "There were thousands of people and a statue of Pinocchio that I can't see now," he said, referring to the traditional Italian marionette of children's fiction known for telling fibs. "We all have something of Pinocchio in us. If each of us does his duty, if he tries to play the game and change, then Italy really blossoms," added Renzi. "We will do our part, we are revolutionising the system," said the premier. "We are not afraid and I ask those of you who fly the Italian flag abroad to be even more courageous".

The premier said that Italian businesses must do more to improve the terms of trade between Italy and China. China buys 10 billion euros worth of products from Italy compared to as much as 23 billion of Chinese products bought by Italians. "The country has to do more to export, improving also direct investments," said Renzi. "When we say in Italy that we want to carry out reforms we want to create work, to create conditions for change".

Later Tuesday Renzi flew to Beijing where on Wednesday and Thursday he will have a series of meetings with Chinese leaders and the business community. On Wednesday he meets Chinese President Xi Jinping and Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang. Renzi began his trade mission on Monday in Vietnam.