History of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in China since 1903
The Italian Chamber of Commerce in China (CCIC), founded in 1903 during the late Qing era, represents the first Italian Chamber of Commerce established in the East. Since its inception, it has played a central role in strengthening bilateral economic relations between Italy and China, serving as a key instrument to support the internationalization of Italian companies and to safeguard national economic interests in the Chinese market.
The Chamber was established at the initiative of the Italian Consul in Shanghai, Cesare Nerazzini, with the aim of creating a unified body capable of bringing together Italian merchants and entrepreneurs operating in China, fostering cooperation and supporting strategic initiatives, including negotiations for a trade treaty between Italy and China, already mentioned by the Corriere della Sera in 1902. The formal establishment of the institution was approved on April 16, 1903, by Guido Baccelli, Minister of Agriculture, Commerce and Industry.
In its early years, the CCIC was entrusted with specific functions: publishing an information bulletin containing prices, reports, and studies for Italian economic operators; amicably resolving commercial disputes between Italian and foreign entrepreneurs; collecting samples of Italian products intended for the Chinese market; and compiling lists of Chinese goods of interest for import into Italy.
The Chamber grew steadily over time: membership increased from 30 in 1907 to 42 in 1910, reaching 104 in 1919 and 128 in 1929. Over the years, the CCIC established itself as one of the leading Italian Chambers of Commerce abroad, also thanks to the support of diplomatic representations, which helped transform an initially fragmented business presence into a more structured and coordinated network.
The institution played a supervisory and guiding role for Italian entrepreneurship in China, defining priorities aligned with the local context and national interests. It promoted favourable regulations for Italian businesses, built relations with Chinese authorities and foreign Chambers of Commerce, and became the collective voice of Italian economic operators, producing research and analysis published in the Chamber’s Bulletin on trade relations between Italy, China, and Europe.
Among its most significant initiatives was the promotion of a direct shipping line between Italian and Chinese ports. Just months after its founding, the CCIC submitted a memorandum advocating fast routes without intermediate stops; in 1908, the proposal was forwarded to the Ministry of Posts and materialized in 1919 with the launch of the Lloyd Triestino line to Japan, with a stop in Shanghai, which became one of the main trade routes between Europe and the Far East.
Archival sources and contemporary press also allow the reconstruction of the profiles of key figures in the Chamber’s history. Among them were Achille Riva, the first President in 1903; Giovanni Adolfo Bena, active in the late 1910s in protecting Italian trademarks and developing technological infrastructure; Giuseppe Giachino, who in 1921 strengthened the organization between Shanghai and Tianjin; and Camillo Fumagalli, a central figure in the Italian silk industry in China and President of the CCIC from 1923 to 1930.
Under Fumagalli’s leadership, the Chamber consolidated its economic and cultural role. An entrepreneur active between Canton and Shanghai, he promoted international commercial networks, contributed to improving Italy’s trade balance, and carried out intense diplomatic and economic activities, earning recognition in both China and Italy. At the same time, he supported the dissemination of Italian culture through editorial initiatives aimed at enhancing dialogue between Italian silk tradition and Chinese civilization.
Between the 1920s and 1930s, the CCIC gradually expanded its presence across the Chinese territory where Italian business activities were concentrated, with Shanghai as the main hub and branches in Beijing, Tianjin, Hankou, Guangdong, Hong Kong, and other strategic regions. Infrastructure projects, such as the installation of Marconi telegraph stations, further extended the institution’s influence.
In 1949, the Chamber suspended its activities, interrupting a well-established presence in the country. A first rapprochement occurred in 1955 with the visit to China by Pietro Nenni, who met in Beijing Zhou Enlai and Mao Zedong. In 1957, Enrico Mattei, President of ENI, visited China, contributing to the development of early bilateral economic relations.
In 1965, commercial offices were opened in Beijing and Rome, followed in 1970 by the re-establishment of diplomatic relations between Italy and China. In 1975, the European Economic Community also established official relations with the People’s Republic of China, expanding the framework of economic and institutional relations.
In 1991, the Italian Chamber of Commerce in China obtained a license from the Ministry of Civil Affairs in Beijing and resumed its activities, further strengthening its role with official recognition from Assocamerestero in 2000. In 2001, China joined the World Trade Organization, accelerating its integration into the global economy.
In 2020, the 50th anniversary of bilateral relations between Italy and China and the 45th anniversary of EU–China relations were celebrated; in 2024, the Italian Chamber of Commerce in China joined the Action Plan signed by the two governments, further strengthening its role in economic relations between the two countries.
Today, the Italian Chamber of Commerce in China is the largest association of Italian companies in the Asia-Pacific region, with operational offices in the country’s major cities, and continues to serve as a key reference point for the Italian “Sistema Paese” in one of the world’s most important markets.
Historical Timeline of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in China (CCIC)
1903 – Foundation of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in China (CCIC) in Shanghai.
1904 – The Chamber joins the Federation of Italian Chambers of Commerce.
1908 – Assicurazioni Generali opens its office in Shanghai.
1912 – End of the Qing Empire with the abdication of Puyi; Sun Yat-sen proclaims the Republic of China.
1914–1918 – World War I.
1919 – Creation of the Sino-Italian Bank to support Italian companies.
1920 – The Chamber expands its scope to East Asia and adopts the name “Italian Chamber of Commerce for the Far East.”
1921 – Opening of the Northern Section in Tianjin; founding of the Chinese Communist Party in Shanghai.
1939–1945 – World War II.
1949 – The Italian Chamber of Commerce suspends its activities.
1955 – Visit to China by Pietro Nenni, who meets Zhou Enlai and Mao Zedong in Beijing.
1957 – Enrico Mattei visits China, strengthening bilateral economic relations.
1965 – Opening of commercial offices in Beijing and Rome.
1970 – Re-establishment of diplomatic relations between Italy and China.
1975 – The European Economic Community establishes official relations with the People’s Republic of China.
1991 – The Italian Chamber of Commerce in China obtains a license from the Ministry of Civil Affairs in Beijing and resumes its activities.
2000 – The CCIC receives official recognition from Assocamerestero.
2001 – China joins the World Trade Organization.
2020 – Celebration of 50 years of Italy–China bilateral relations and 45 years of EU–China relations.
2024 – The Italian Chamber of Commerce in China joins the Action Plan signed by the two governments in Beijing, on the occasion of the 700th anniversary of the death of Marco Polo.
2025 – Celebration of 50 years of official EU–China relations and 55 years of Italy–China relations.
Presidents of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in China:
Achille Riva 1903–1905
Livio Silva 1911
Daniele Beretta 1911
Giovanni Adolfo Bena 1917–1921
Giuseppe Giachino 1921
Camillo Fumagalli 1922–1924, 1927–1928, 1930
Dino Tirinnanzi 1932–1933, 1942–1943
Carlo Bedoni 1941–1942
Paolo Berchi 1991–1994
Flaviano Sperduto 1994–1996
Massimo Antollini 1996–1998
Luciano Bay 1998–2002
Davide Cucino 2002–2010, 2017–2020
Franco Cutrupia 2010–2016
Sergio Bertasi 2016–2017
Paolo Bazzoni 2020–2024
Lorenzo Riccardi 2024–2026
Gianni Di Giovanni 2026–present
PUBLICATION ON CCIC HISTORY BY BOLOGNA UNIVERSITY
The Italian Chamber of Commerce in China (CCIC) published the volume: "The Italian Chamber of Commerce in China: Documents from the Historical-Diplomatic Archive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (1903-1924)".
Promoted by the Deparment of Education Sciences of the Alma Mater Studiorium - University of Bologna and the CCIC, the project brings together and analyzes a collection of previously unpublished documents tracing the foundation and development of the Italian Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai during the early decades of the 20th century - an important contribution to the understanding and appreciation of the historical origins of Italy-China economic relations.
Direct link to the open-access publication here.
Preface: Massimo Abrosetti, Ambassador of Italy to the People’s Republic of China
Edited by: Stefano Piastra and Lorenzo Riccardi
Alma Mater Studiorum – University of Bologna, Department of Education Sciences
The volume contextualizes, through several introductory essays, a series of previously unpublished documents related to the Italian Chamber of Commerce in China (CCIC), founded in 1903. These documents are currently preserved at the Historical-Diplomatic Archive of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Rome (ASDMAE, Diplomatic and Consular Representations of Italy in Beijing, Pos. 50, b. 54, fascc. 675–676).
The chronological span of the materials extends from 1903 to 1924.
This documentation is of considerable interest for reconstructing the socio-economic dynamics and human mobility between Italy and China in the first quarter of the twentieth century, during the transition from the Qing Empire to the Republic of China.
Emerging in the background of these papers are the diverse roles and orientations of the Italian communities in several Chinese cities of the time (Shanghai, Beijing, Tianjin, Hankou).
The underlying idea of this work is to rediscover a largely forgotten history, comparing it with the present framework of Italian economic presence in China. Indeed, it is possible to trace some significant long-term continuities—after approximately one hundred years—in key sectors that were prominent in trade relations both then and now.
Ultimately, several of today’s Sino–Italian economic dynamics have deep historical roots, over a century old, connected to specific individuals, circumstances, and structures that deserve further study and dissemination.
