China and Italy agreed to enhance cooperation in sustainable energy and energy efficiency improvement at the 2015 "Friends on the Silk Road" China-Italy Dialogue, which was held in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu province, on Thursday.

Guo Yezhou, vice-minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, said that sustainable energy is an area with great cooperative potential for the two countries.

"In the next five years, China will import goods worth $10 trillion, and invest more than $500 billion directly in foreign countries," said Guo. "Besides, more than 500 million Chinese will travel abroad. That will bring more opportunities to China and the European countries, including Italy."

Vinicio Peluffo, chairman of the Parliament Association "Friends of China" and a member of the Italian parliament's Chamber of Deputies, said that as the leader in low power consumption and waste recycling, Italy has a lot to offer to China, and that the two countries can cooperate more in relative areas.

Jiang Shixue, deputy director of the department of the Institute of European Studies at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said he hopes that Italy, as well as other European countries, can respond more actively to China's "One Belt One Road" initiatives to further improve trade connections.

"If a Chinese doesn't talk about the Silk Road, then he is not a Chinese," Jiang said. "But in Europe, many people seem indifferent to the initiatives. We hope that more European countries can seize the opportunities, so to speed up their economic recovery."

In September 2013, Xi made public the Silk Road Economic Belt initiative in Astana, Kazakhstan, and in October unveiled the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road initiative in Indonesia. To turn the concept into reality, China will set up a fund with an initial investment of $10 billion.