The Sant'Anna School of Advanced Studies, Luiss Guido Carli University and the University of Nankai jointly published a report entitled "The role of cooperation between China and Italy in the civil aviation sector in the development of the cultural tourism of the two countries in the context of the 'Belt and Road Initiative' — Case study of China Eastern Airlines’ development in Italy
2020 marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Italy and China: the research group has deepened the history of bilateral cooperation in the civil aviation and tourism sectors since the formalization of diplomatic relations in 1970. The writers have focused above all on the rapid development of collaboration in the sectors of civil aviation and tourism cooperation between Italy and China. Taking the development of China Eastern Airlines in Italy as an example, the influence of bilateral cooperation in the field of civil aviation on cultural exchanges and tourism development was explored. The report also pays particular attention to the impact of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic on the civil aviation and tourism industries worldwide, analyzing the challenges and opportunities that these sectors will face in the post-pandemic era. Taking into consideration the unique cultural weight of Italy and China in the world panorama, scholars look to "Italy-China 2020: Year of Culture and Tourism" as an opportunity not only for the future development of civil aviation and tourism but also cultural exchanges, providing specific suggestions on these issues.
China Eastern Airlines becomes the protagonist of a case study which analyzes the measures taken by the airline in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. China Eastern Airlines, one of the top ten airlines worldwide and the main carrier of the routes between Italy and China, reaches 175 countries. Over the past nine years, CEA has been committed to deepening the routes between Italy and China: following the inauguration of the Rome-Shanghai route in 2011, it has implemented other passenger flights, such as the one from Wenzhou to Rome. This year, China and Italy joined together to fight the pandemic: China Eastern Airlines operated the first charter flight to send medical personnel and transport medical supplies from China to Italy, thus supporting partner countries in the fight against the new coronavirus. Thanks to these experiences, China Eastern Airlines has been able to record a large amount of flight data, develop innovative products and deepen the intercultural dialogue, while providing practical support to Italian and Chinese scholars to conduct in-depth research on global cooperation and opportunities for airline development in the post-pandemic era.
Professor Raffaele Marchetti, Deputy Dean for International Relations at Luiss Guido Carli University, and his research team have deepened the development of China Eastern Airlines over the past nine years, showing that the Chinese airline is playing an increasingly important role in cultural exchanges and tourism between Italy and China. During the press conference, prof. Marchetti said he was sure that, in the future, relations between the two countries will be increasingly friendly. Furthermore, he hopes that the publication of this case study will turn into an opportunity to deepen cultural exchanges between the two countries while intensifying cooperation between universities and businesses.
Professor Luo Hongbo, researcher at the Institute of European Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and director of the Chinese Association for Studies on Italy, stressed how the theme of this report is incredibly innovative. Furthermore, she said she was confident that the report could provide theoretical support for cultural and tourist exchanges between the two countries and for the economic recovery in the post-pandemic era. Cooperative research between Italian and Chinese universities has given rise to a new form of international exchange in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Read the Report: