ROME, Nov. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese embassy in Italy held a series of online activities on Friday to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Italy.

Chinese Ambassador Li Junhua, Italian Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Manlio Di Stefano, President of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Senate of Italy Vito Rosario Petrocelli, Italian Coordinator of the China-Italy Cultural Cooperation Mechanism Francesco Rutelli and other political figures gathered online to celebrate the historical moment.

In his speech, Li said that although the scheduled arrangements for exchanges between China and Italy this year have been delayed due to the unexpected COVID-19 pandemic, the people of the two countries have been helping and looking out for each other.

For his part, Di Stefano said Italy-China bilateral relations have achieved remarkable outcomes over the last 50 years. He expressed the hope that the two sides will seize the opportunities brought by the Italy-China comprehensive strategic partnership and further strengthen cooperation in various fields such as economy and culture.

Over 10 people including representatives from Italian political, commercial and cultural communities as well as overseas Chinese and students studying in Italy delivered video speeches during the event.

The event, streamed on social media, also featured an online performance of Chinese and Italian artists, including the National Ballet of China, Chinese violinist Lyu Siqing and the Orchestra of the National Academy of Santa Cecilia.