ROME - A senior Italian official has told a conference presenting China's Guizhou province that Italy and China have the most number of world heritages and the two countries have great potential on the cooperation in tourism and many other sectors.

Dorina Bianchi, deputy minister of cultural heritage and activities and tourism, told the conference late Monday that the two countries were connected with each other by silk road in ancient times and Italy regards China as a very important partner. She said the two countries have much to do under the 2018 China-EU Tourism Year.

Bianchi said this year marks the 40th year of China's reform and opening-up policy, "I think there is a great prospect on the development of the tourism sector as this is an important part of the reform and opening-up policy."

Presenting her province to the audience under the title "Colorful Guizhou, Global Vision", the province's governor Shen Yiqin said Guizhou would like to enhance the province's overall cooperation with Italy, especially in the areas of tourism, culture, agriculture, environment, infrastructure and SME (Small and Medium Enterprise).

China's ambassador to Italy, Li Ruiyu, said the fast development of Guizhou province is but a microcosm of the success of China's reform and opening-up policy. Quoted the saying of Chinese President Xi Jinping, Li said "China will not close its door to the world; we will only become more and more open."

Former vice president of Italy's lower house of parliament Marina Sereni, Vice President of the Umbria Region Fabio Paparelli also attended the presentation together with hundreds of guests from all walks of life.

Although located in the inland of western China, Guizhou enjoys a special status in the process of China's opening up and historical development. Today, Guizhou is relying on the advantage of locating at the connecting line of the "Belt and Road" to become a fresh force of China's opening up strategy. Big data, macro-ecology, big tourism and other emerging industries are flourishing.