Italian minister says discussed key econ partnerships with China

Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said after meeting China's top diplomat in Rome on Tuesday that they had discussed how to relaunch fundamental economic partnerships, hailing Beijing as one of Rome's main economic partners.

The meeting took place amid tensions over telecommunications giant Huawei Technologies and its role in 5G technology in Italy.

Di Maio told reporters his "very fruitful meeting" with Chinese State Councillor Wang Yi had addressed the situation in Hong Kong as well as strategic economic and industrial partnerships between Italy and China.

"We cannot forget that China has become an inevitable player to tackle any global challenge," Di Maio said.