BEIJING - Italy has agreed to temporarily resume some flights with China after it suspended direct air traffic between the two countries last month, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said Friday.

According to a statement on the ministry's website, Vice Foreign Minister Qin Gang had a meeting with Italian Ambassador to China Luca Ferrari Thursday.

Qin said that after the novel coronavirus outbreak, Italy's unilateral decision to stop flights without previously contacting China has resulted in great inconvenience to travelers from both countries and many Chinese citizens are still stranded in Italy.

China urges the Italian side to actively respond to China's urgent and reasonable concerns, and cancel the decision to suspend flights as soon as possible.

For his part, Ferrari said Italy sympathizes with and understands the situation facing Chinese citizens stranded in Italy. For now, it is willing to approve the resumption of some flights upon Chinese airlines' application, and work hard to normalize exchanges between the two countries.