My Beautiful Relationship with China

The beautiful story of friendship began in 1987 when I served as Captain Regent （Head of State） of San Marino. Back then， I had some knowledge of China and decided to realize my dream of paying an official visit there during my tenure.

It was my first trip， so I did not know what was awaiting me. However， I was sure it would be something positive.

At the head of a delegation， I arrived in China in February 1988. The reception was meticulous and incomparable from any perspective； we received a warm welcome everywhere we went.

Although many years have passed and I cannot recall every detail， it remains a unique experience.

I arrived at the Great Hall of the People together with the delegation to meet President Li Xiannian. I remembered that our convoy stopped at the gate of the Great Hall to be greeted by a 20-gun salute as I walked up the steps and entered the building. At that moment， I felt deeply moved and honored. Recalling the scene today， I still find it very touching.

After several meetings， President Li Xiannian held a banquet in our honor. His welcome speech deeply touched us all.

President Li left a deep impression for his quick wittedness and ability to handle different situations with ease. I still remember his special emphasis on China’s attitude that all countries， big or small， are equal when he talked about San Marino.

Over the years， I have always felt the friendship. It is this friendship that has closely united the biggest country and the smallest republic in the world and their respective peoples， and also reflects the former’s respect for us.

During the visit， I was very happy to take the famous Red Flag car because I knew it was the national symbol of China. Moreover， I managed to ship a model to San Marino with the help of the CPAFFC. It is the only Red Flag car in Europe.

The visit had great importance and strengthened my wish to establish a close relationship with China and the Chinese people. In order to continue and deepen such friendship， the San Marino-China Friendship Association （SMCFA） was founded. Over the past 26 years， the SMCFA has actively promoted cultural， political and economic exchanges and greatly enhanced friendship.

As President of the SMCFA， I feel deeply honored for providing my fellow citizens with so many opportunities to explore the extraordinary oriental culture through organizing various activities and sending different delegations to visit China. At the same time， our association has maintained long-term， friendly and cooperative relations with the CPAFFC through receiving delegations from different provinces and cities of China， exhibiting Chinese paintings and handicrafts， introducing traditional Chinese food， songs and dances， organizing meetings for businesspeople of both countries and activities to promote Chinese culture in San Marino.

As President of the SMCFA and a member of the San Marino government， I have helped in the signing of agreements between government departments of our two countries， put forward cooperation projects in areas of common concern， and supported organizing various activities such as building the San Marino Pavilion at the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai and receiving important Chinese government delegations in San Marino.

I remember inviting President Xi Jinping to visit San Marino in 2003， when he was still working as Secretary of the Zhejiang Provincial Committee of the Communist Party of China. He made the visit as guest of the SMCFA. All the council members of the SMCFA wanted to personally welcome him， hoping the visit would leave him with a good and positive impression. We accompanied President Xi throughout his visit to main historic sites of the old city of San Marino， choosing a route of special significance and combining visits with meetings.

The San Marino government paid great attention to his visit. As soon as he set foot on the main stairs of the government building， a protocol officer stepped forward to extend greetings and the guard of honor gave a salute. The meeting place was arranged in the most ornate room decorated with beautiful murals and the national flags of San Marino and China. It showed the great importance attached to his visit and the deep friendship between the two countries.

Through my contact with him at that time， I noticed he was a very special， amiable and approachable person. The final part of the meeting was to exchange gifts. Minister of Finance of San Marino presented him with a precious collection of stamps specially issued by the San Marino Postal Authority and my gift was a commemorative coin of historical and artistic value.

His visit not only left us a deep impression but also ignited our interest in Zhejiang Province. Later that year， the SMCFA organized a delegation to visit Zhejiang to help people better understand the local customs.

In 2004， at the invitation of the CPAFFC， I attended the celebration for the 50th anniversary of the founding of the association. It was an important event held in the Great Hall of the People. The then President Hu Jintao was present at the function. I did not hesitate to contribute my bit and personally promoted the issuing of commemorative stamps for the occasion by the Autonomous State Agency for Philately and Numismatics.

In 2009， I was honored to be invited by the CPAFFC to attend， together with China’s top leaders， the celebration for the 60th anniversary of the founding of the PRC.

The SMCFA’s cooperation with the CPAFFC， China’s local friendship associations and the Chinese government has played a very important role in bilateral relations. Our association has held many important activities such as celebrations for the 20th anniversary of its founding in 2008， the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between San Marino and China in 2011 and the 25th anniversary of the SMCFA in 2013. These events were attended respectively by the then CPAFFC President Chen Haosu and current President Li Xiaolin， as well as delegations from different provinces of China.

Above all， the 20th anniversary of its founding in 2008 was the first milestone in SMCFA’s work for promoting the increasingly mature relationship between the two countries. We held a number of celebratory activities. Many Chinese friends came to take part， including Chen Haosu.

In addition， a special postmark composed of its logo and founding date was jointly designed by the SMCFA and the Autonomous State Agency for Philately and Numismatics and was stamped on the postcards issued for the 20th anniversary.

I collected various materials and published a commemorative book to record the most valuable and meaningful data over the past 20 years， including cooperation agreements signed by the two sides， SMCFA delegations’ visits to China， Chinese delegations’ visits to San Marino， photos of SMCFA’s Beijing Office and Zhejiang Office set up to promote economic and trade exchanges， commemorative stamps issued on the occasions of the 55th anniversary of the founding of the PRC and the 50th anniversary of the founding of the CPAFFC. The cover of the book carries a poem entitled Embrace of the Two Republics written by President Chen Haosu during his visit to San Marino.

We held a number of activities to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and San Marino in 2011. As President of the SMCFA and Director of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Grand and General Council of San Marino， I led a delegation to China. We visited Beijing and Shanghai to call on several government agencies and meet representatives of Chinese enterprises， strengthening cooperation and promoting the exchange of ideas and experiences.

At the same time， at the invitation of the SMCFA， a Chinese delegation consisting of a large number of representatives of different industries from 10 provinces came to celebrate the 40th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties together with the people of San Marino.

In 2013， to celebrate its 25th anniversary， the SMCFA organized a number of celebration activities and was fortunate to have invited the new CPAFFC President Li Xiaoliln and her party to participate. The San Marino people’s warm and friendly reception was the most vivid proof of our friendship.

The joyful dinner party that evening was further evidence of the San Marino-China friendship. The warm hospitality of the SMCFA， the classical opera arias sang by the famous Chinese artists， exchange of gifts， and bursts of laughter and applause demonstrated the close relationship between China and San Marino， the small republic built on Monte Titano.

With continuous efforts， the SMCFA has not only consolidated and promoted relations， but also maintained and strengthened an open， lively， effective and constructive dialogue with China.

As a member of the San Marino government， I have always attached importance to and kept promoting San Marino-China relations. Under my active promotion， intergovernmental agreements between San Marino and China， such as the agreement on economic cooperation between the San Marino Ministry of Industry and the Shanghai Chamber of Commerce， and agreements on tourism development with China International Travel Service and a travel agency in Shanghai， were signed.

Among all the efforts to promote understanding and friendship between the two peoples， I am very pleased with the success of promoting friendship-city ties between the two countries， especially the crucial role the SMCFA played in the twinning of friendship-city relations between Huangshan and Serravalle in 1999.

Under my initiation， the San Marino government published a Chinese version of the brief introduction of San Marino with the aim of letting the Chinese people gain better knowledge and understanding of us.

Most recently， with the help of some Chinese friends， I have been actively promoting the establishment of a Confucius Institute in San Marino and the cooperation between Beijing City University and the University of the Republic of San Marino. Right now， the project is ready for startup. As a tourist resort located in the center of Europe， San Marino is the most ideal place to disseminate the Chinese language and culture.

I have received several honorary awards for my continuous efforts over the years， including the title of Friendship Ambassador conferred by the CPAFFC in 2008 and the title of Honorary Professor granted by the Beijing City University in 2013.

In a word， through the unremitting efforts by the SMCFA over the past 26 years and my 38 visits to China， progress has been made in promoting and consolidating friendship between the people of San Marino and China， and my participation and enthusiasm have contributed to enhancing the understanding between them.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the founding of the CPAFFC， an organization for carrying out concrete cooperation with people of different countries with different cultural backgrounds so as to bring them closer to one another. We will celebrate this important and meaningful occasion together with it.

Here， I would like to express my sincerest and warmest wishes to the CPAFFC for its continued efficient organization of activities and progress in its pursuit of world peace.