Italian Foreign Trade Minister Emma Bonino said Monday that economic relations between Italy and China "have never been better and can only get better."

Speaking at the Italo-Chinese forum on small and medium-sized enterprises, Bonino said China is Italy's fourth supplier and Italian exports to China jumped 25 percent last year over 2005.

Ou Xinqian, vice chairman of China's National Development and Reform Commission, echoed Bonino's views and expressed the hope that Italian enterprises would invest more in China.

Seven cooperation protocols between Italy and China were signed at the forum which was the first concrete follow-up to September's major Italian business mission to China headed by Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi.

(Xinhua News Agency June 26, 2007)