An Italian exchange

There will also be a series of Italian concerts and exhibitions in China, he adds.

Ferrari believes there are many fields where China and Italy can work together.

"From the cultural point of view, I think there's an enormous amount of space in modern and contemporary art," Ferrari says.

He believes the new cooperation will be among talented young Chinese and Italian artists.

Ferrari says a lot can be done to increase bilateral tourism in both countries.

Italy has increased its capacity for issuing visas, flights and providing attractions for Chinese.

In 2019, the number of visas granted to Chinese tourists increased by 20 percent, and the country received more than 3 million Chinese travelers.

"Italy has become, as of the end of 2019, the No 1 tourist attraction in Europe to Chinese tourists," Ferrari says, adding that Chinese love Italy for its art and culture, friendly people and culinary delights.

The two countries' aviation bodies have also agreed to increase the number of weekly flights between China and Italy from 56 to 164, connecting China with more relatively smaller cities, including Venice, Bologna and Pisa, in addition to Milan and Rome.