ROME, Sept. 19 (Xinhua) -- China and Italy have great potential for cooperation in a wide range of areas, including infrastructure development, technological innovation, economic and cultural exchanges, Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini has said.

Salvini, also the minister of infrastructure and transport, made the remarks in an interview with Xinhua on Tuesday while attending a reception co-hosted by the Chinese Embassy in Italy and the Permanent Mission of China to the UN Agencies for Food and Agriculture to celebrate the 76th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and the 55th anniversary of China-Italy diplomatic ties.

In his speech at the reception, Salvini recalled his visit to China in July, stating that the trip provided him with a firsthand view of the country's remarkable achievements in the transportation sector and underscored China's rise as a global transport powerhouse.

"I saw a China that is growing, running and innovating," Salvini said.

"When we are working to raise train speeds to 300 km per hour, China is already exploring 400, 450 and even 500 km per hour, while also advancing in autonomous driving, artificial intelligence and innovation," he said.

The deputy prime minister expressed confidence that the two countries enjoy broad prospects for cooperation in automobiles, smart roads and other transport-related areas.

Beyond these areas, Salvini also highlighted the two countries' role in promoting global peace and stability.

As inheritors of millennium-old civilizations, he said, the two countries can draw on their wisdom to jointly promote global peace and stability amid rising geopolitical tensions. ■