The Belt and Road Initiative has attracted the participation of more than 150 countries and partners from various fields, bringing tangible benefits to businesses and people of participating countries, including Italy, said the Ministry of Commerce on Thursday.

Speaking at a weekly news conference in Beijing, Shu Jueting, spokeswoman for the ministry, said that the BRI has become the most popular international public good and the largest-scale international cooperation platform in the world today. China and Italy have extensive common interests and a solid foundation for cooperation.

"China-Italy economic and trade cooperation has continued to develop steadily in recent years. Italy is an important trade and investment partner of China in the European Union," said Shu, adding that the two sides have achieved remarkable results in cooperation in the fields of agriculture, consumer goods and high-end manufacturing.

They have broad cooperation space in the fields of small and medium-sized enterprises, new energy and third-party market cooperation, she added.