Paolo Sabbatini, ambassador for cultural communication between China and Italy at the World Sinology Centre in Beijing, delivering his presentation at the China Cultural Centre in Malta.

On November 25, the China Cultural Centre in Malta hosted an event featuring Paolo Sabbatini, ambassador for cultural communication between China and Italy at the World Sinology Centre in Beijing. Sabbatini’s presentation examined the cultural diplomacy of Italy and China, offering an engaging perspective on its role in shaping international relations.

Yuan Yuan, director of the China Cultural Centre in Malta, opened the evening by reflecting on the transformative power of cultural diplomacy in fostering understanding, peace and respect. She expressed her admiration for Sabbatini’s remarkable career and his dedication to building connections across cultural divides, describing him as a true ambassador of cultural diplomacy in action.

Sabbatini started his discussion by defining cultural diplomacy as a vital aspect of public diplomacy, describing it as a form of soft power that shows a nation’s values and aspirations. He emphasised its importance in fostering mutual respect and understanding, calling it an essential cornerstone of global collaboration and a pathway to a more interconnected future.

In discussing the shared cultural heritage of Italy and China, Sabbatini noted that the two nations collectively possess the world’s largest number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, highlighting their commitment to safeguarding their histories. He also mentioned the 1970 UNESCO Convention against the illicit trafficking of cultural property, spearheaded by Italy, and shared the recent example of Italy returning cultural artefacts to China during President Sergio Mattarella’s state visit. These gestures, Sabbatini said, exemplify the power of cultural diplomacy to build bridges between nations.

A notable part of his talk was about his involvement in helping to arrange the twinning of a section of the Great Wall of China with the Forte di Fenestrelle in Italy. While vastly different in size, Sabbatini explained that the value of cultural sites lies in their historical and symbolic significance, not in their physical dimensions. He described his role in facilitating this collaboration, which serves as an example of how cultural diplomacy can promote both political and cultural exchanges.

Sabbatini also shared a compelling anecdote illustrating how cultural diplomacy can drive economic and artistic collaboration.

When a Chinese CEO of a renowned company in China expressed interest in acquiring a Michelangelo sculpture, Sabbatini discovered that the financially struggling Academy of Fine Arts in Perugia held moulds of the artist’s works. Overseeing the creation of seven bronze replicas, in line with international regulations, he successfully promoted Italian art in China while securing critical funding for the academy, ensuring its survival.

As the event concluded, Sabbatini praised China’s strategic use of culture to enhance global relationships, stressing the importance of people-to-people diplomacy. He highlighted China’s efforts to promote its cultural identity worldwide, including through student exchange programmes and the successful double-degree initiative launched in 2007 between Italy and China.

This programme, now available in multiple universities across China, has allowed hundreds of students from both nations to study in each other’s countries, reinforcing academic and cultural ties.