On March 25, 2024, a conference to promote new collaborations with the city of Yangzhou was held at the Excelsior Gallia in Milan, Italy.

The Istituto Italo Cinese attended the event, and President Maria Rosa Azzolina mentioned in her speech the historical friendship that binds the two cities and their common strengths. Both Milan and Yangzhou boast a history dating back thousands of years and are rich in culture and traditions, as well as landmarks for industry and technology.

But in particular, the two cities are characterized by the presence of Canals that run through them:

“Sometimes they are massive works such as the more than 3,000 km of the Chinese Great Canal that passes through Yangzhou , sometimes they are smaller like Navigli designed by Leonardo da Vinci in Milan but the meaning of their existence is identical: to bring them closer and to allow people to get to know each other and exchange not only goods but experiences and culture.”

During the meeting, the President of the Istituto Italo Cinese and the Mayor of Yangzhou Municipality jointly presented the “WCCO Cultural and Tourism Cooperation Center in Italy” project, which aims to enhance the cities crossed by canals and waterways, promote international cooperation among the cities involved and promote their sustainable development.

With this agreement, the two cities pledge to strengthen cooperation in the future, promote cultural and tourism exchanges and initiate new joint projects to enhance the value of canals in their respective cities.