Antonio Fatiguso, Beijing bureau chief of ANSA Agency, is interviewed on "Beijing in My Eyes-Conversations with Chief Correspondents" show broadcast by Radio Beijing International. Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn

Chinese people are well aware of the legendary story of the Italian merchant Marco Polo traveling all the way through the ancient Silk Road to China and introducing the mysterious oriental giant to the western world after his return 700 years ago. However, maybe not many know that Italy, or Ancient Rome to be exact, marks the end of the ancient Silk Road connecting east and west.

"China's Belt and Road Initiative means great opportunities for Italy," said Antonio Fatiguso, Beijing bureau chief of ANSA Agency, Italy. "I'm very positive on the further cooperation of the two countries and I think it's something that is underway. I think the bilateral ties will improve, not just in the economic field, but also from (the) cultural perspective, such as film co-production," he said in an interview during a show called "Beijing in My Eyes-Conversations with Chief Correspondents" presented by Radio Beijing International.

The show, officially launched on Sept 2, features interviews with Beijing-based chief correspondents and heads of foreign media who share their stories on changes and development of the city in the past five years.

Antonio, a native of Puglia, a region in southern Italy, has worked as a journalist for almost 20 years, starting from Milan and New York. After that, he was ANSA's Tokyo bureau chief for around eight years. In January 2016, he took over as the Beijing head. He said his assignment in Beijing was a kind of destiny that brought him to the great country.

However, Antonio admitted that before he moved to the city, he used to worry about Beijing's air pollution, especially during winter. Now after two winters in Beijing, he has changed his mind.

"I think the situation is getting much better now," he said. "If we think about the history of some Western countries, there is something really similar. When a country is growing fast, some problems are related to growth. In general, the first step is to earn the bread. And then step by step, it's possible to improve the living quality, including air quality. Beijing is now making great efforts in cleaning air and blue sky, it's just a question of time," the veteran journalist added.