Davide Cucino: Sino-Italian trade is resonant again in the new era of Silk Road

And it is not only government officials but also state-owned enterprises in China that have changed Davide's impressions. He had worked for large Italian enterprises such as Fincantieri and Finmeccanica and he was used to comparing the enterprises of the two countries. "Generally speaking, Chinese state-owned enterprises were supposed to have a tighter connection with the government so that every step during the business should be approved by multiple decision makers. While Italian ship or aviation companies are partly state-holding, they have their own control systems. But today, to our surprise, Chinese state-owned enterprises make very quick decisions so sometimes our Italian enterprises fail to follow the plan. More importantly, now in a globalized environment, Chinese enterprises are more market-oriented to be aligned with the global market and reduce the consideration of relevant domestic policies. And the good news is that despite the changes in the market environment, enterprises from the two countries have always cooperated well."

More than food and fashion: Italian technology and manufacturing contribute to China's development

Davide Cucino as the Chairman of the European Union Chamber of Commerce in China

During the interview, Davide mentioned Italian high-tech and industrial equipment industry more than once, clearly very proud of Italian Manufacturing. “Italy has been mainly well-known for its clothing, food or wines for a long time. Actually, Italy is also very strong in high-tech equipment. Most of Italy's exports are comprised of high-tech and electromechanical equipment. Ferrari has long been a household name. However, many parts of the F1 car, such as the wheel rim and hub, are also made in Italy. Besides, a number of high-speed railways in Europe also use Italian technology."

Italian technology and manufacturing have also been indispensable to the rapid development of China. The Baoshan luxury cruise project is a good example. On October 13, 2015, China state shipbuilding corporation (CSSC), China Investment Corporation (CIC), Carnival Corporation, Fincantieri Corporation, Lloyd's Register of Shipping, and Shanghai Baoshan District Government issued a joint declaration on a six-party cooperation agreement in the cruise industry. Among them, the Italian Fincantieri Corporation is responsible for the cruise ships'design.

"When I first came, we had a steel project in Baoshan. But these years it's developing rapidly and the local government are very active in cooperating with foreign companies. The WuSongKou International Cruise Terminal in Baoshan is now the largest cruise home port in Asia with a yearly increasing demand." Speaking of the changes in Baoshan, Davide, who has been there many times since the early 1990s, is deeply touched. "Today more and more Chinese choose to enjoy cruise travel and have higher requirements for cruise services. In this respect, Italy is experienced. Almost 50% of the luxury cruises seen at the terminal are made by Italian companies like Fincantieri. And Italian cruise operation companies like Costa also contribute a lot." With the luxury cruise cooperation project between China and Italy, maybe we could see a luxury cruise liner made in China in the near future.

Davide Cuccino as the Vice President of the Leonardo Company